Kristberg Round Tour (1497m)

Why worthwhile? Quiet round tour in an even quieter side valley of the Montafon.

Starting point: Parking lot at the valley station of the Kristbergbahn [Silbertal - Montafon]

Time: 3 - 3½ hours.

Details: Forest paths and supply roads. Forest paths sometimes have short steep parts, often slippery because of stones and small water streams. After rain fall some bits very. Pay close attention to the description because signs and markings aren’t always in good state!

Route description:

From the parking lot at the Kristbergbahn just left towards the Spar Markt and upwards right following the hardened road past Ghf Hirschen. At the T-fork we go left up the hardened road towards Kristberg (sign ‘Kristberg 2 std’). After about 250m a following signs shows us the road to Kristberg up right following an old 'alm' road. This first part of the climb alternates between going through forests and going across meadows. After a good half hour to 3 quarters we reach the Fula. Here walk a bit up de supply road (about 40m) until a white cottage where the following sign ‘Kristberg bergstation 1 std’ points upward right. After this second climb (again through forest and across meadows) we reach Gasthof Kristberg. Here we walk several meters towards the Kristbergbahn (east) and then we go left up the alm meadows towards the highest point of this tour: the Kristbergsattel.

keep right at the cross and the resting benches. On the next tree we find a sign ‘Knappenbergwegli – Kristbergbahn 15 min’. We keep right, towards a (derelict) ski elevator. Near this house the blue-white marking goes in to the forest. After several minutes, at a next sign towards ‘Muttjöchle’ we go down towards the right (following the blue-white markings). We end up at the ‘Knappenstoba’ and the Kristbergbahn. Here signs point toward ‘Oberbuchen – Silbertal 2std’ (eastern direction – supply road).

WATCH OUT!: After about 10 to 15 minutes we have to go right, off of this supply road. Pay attention to a road with the sign ‘Forststrasse – Sackgasse’. There is no road sign here, so pay attention! After about 100m after a curve we do fin a sign towards ‘Oberbuchen – Silbertal’. After a, across slippery stones, reasonably steep descent, through the woods, the path reaches a supply road. We cross it (sign ‘Oberbuchen’ is located on the side of the house / stable). Do not follow the supply road here!

After yet again steep descent we reach a point where we walk out of the forest (right before it, a swamp like open space in the woods). Here we follow the sign ‘Buchen’ (and not ‘Oberbuchen’ like before!). The path through the forest ends on a broad supply road which we follow. After a hairpin curve we reach the houses of the parzelle ‘Buchen’.

At the next hairpin curve we go straight on following the ‘Alte Buchenweg’ (path goes through a field of nettles first, so be careful!). The name does the forest path honour: an old path with loose stones, fallen over trees and branches slowly descends through the forest. After crossing a small creek, the path goes through a flower covered alm meadow (‘Untere Buchen’). The path through the meadow is hard to recognise sometimes: just keep to the left side of the first couple of huts. Near the huts we cross the broader path and follow the signs ‘Silbertal – Ghf. Fellimännle’. This, partly steep, forest path descends towards the river the Litz. We cross it (wooden bridge).

At the supply road we go right, walking out of the valley. After about 10 minutes we go right off of the supply road (‘wanderweg Silbertal’). After several minutes we reach the supply road again which towards ‘Wasserfall Teufelsbach’ (sign). Not right across the bridge! Past the water fall, following the Forststrasse, in about 20 minutes back to Silbertal. We keep on the left side of the river. At a sports field we can cross a bridge to the right, back to the parking lot.

Done in 2002.