Discover Bludesch: Churches, paths and nature

Bludesch offers several ways to enjoy a stay focused on architectural history and trails. The Parish Church of St. James the Elder, the Zitz Branch Church of St. Nicholas and the Villa Pludassis historic trail lead through different chapters of the town’s history. Vanovagasse and the literary hiking trail “Stille Laute” add two more routes, each offering its own insights.

Churches and architectural history

The Parish Church of St. James the Elder and the cemetery in Bludesch are protected monuments. The church was built in 1650/51 by Michael Beer on the foundations of a Gothic place of worship. The building therefore brings together the period when the present church was built and the earlier Gothic construction phase.

The Zitz Branch Church of St. Nicholas also has a long history: it is one of Vorarlberg’s oldest churches and was first mentioned in a document in 842. This year marks the first documentary mention, not the date of the entire tower as it stands today. The lower section of the tower dates from around the 10th century; the upper structure, with Early Gothic pinnacles, dates from the 13th century. These different dates make it possible to trace the church’s architectural history through several stages.

Vanovagasse and its walls

Vanovagasse is a route connecting Bludesch with Jordan Castle and its vineyards, dating back to the 15th century. Dry-stone walls run alongside the historic path, rising to over 3.5 metres in places. Water outlets, stairways, buttresses, niches and arches are among their architectural features. If you are interested in the details, look out for these different forms in the walls rather than seeing the path simply as a connection between two destinations.

Literature, a historic trail and nature

On the international literary hiking trail “Stille Laute”, you can read the texts on the information boards and listen to them via QR code. The trail’s meeting point is a 15- to 20-minute walk from the “Bludesch Feuerwehrhaus” and “Bludesch Walgaupark” bus stops. This time estimate is a useful guide for planning your route to the meeting point. It refers to a different section of the route than the duration of the Villa Pludassis historic trail.

This historic trail starts at Ansitz Unterhalden, the former Krone, and leads through the village to St. Nicholas Church. It continues along Vanovagasse to the Jordanhof and then towards Gais; it ends in the Gais district. Depending on how long you pause for cultural stops, the trail takes about two to three hours. The two time estimates therefore differ considerably: the 15 to 20 minutes refers to the walk to the “Stille Laute” meeting point, while the longer duration applies to the Villa Pludassis trail and depends on cultural stops.

Rasellassee offers a different focus. This local recreation area is a place where nature lovers can observe wildlife, the migration of toads, frogs and fire-bellied toads to their spawning grounds, as well as a diverse range of birds. Bludesch thus brings together a variety of interests: church architecture and traces of historic routes, literary texts and nature observation. You can plan your stay around whichever of these perspectives interests you most.

Discover more destinations: Sonntag, Sankt Anton Im Montafon, Raggal, Blons, Bludenz, Partenen, Municipality of Ludesch, Bartholomäberg.

Back to the higher-level travel overview: Bludenz.