Discover Laterns: Hiking, Gorge and Klangberg

Laterns combines hiking routes through varied landscapes, interactive activities at Klangberg and the summer toboggan run in the Laternsertal. You can find historical points of interest at the parish church. When choosing your stay, you might first consider whether you would prefer to focus on trails and scenery, experiences or local history. The activities also differ in their format and scale.

Hiking trails and landscapes

The ravine hike from Kühboden to Laterns leads through the cultural landscape of the Laternsertal. Flower meadows and wet meadows shape the trail, as do the typical ravines of Vorarlberg’s Flysch. The hike therefore takes in a variety of landscapes. If you choose a route based on its scenery, these meadows and ravines are the defining features of the trail.

In the Üble Gorge, the hardest rock layers in Vorarlberg, made of siliceous limestone, are exposed along vertical and overhanging rock faces. Here, a striking cliff formation and a specifically named type of rock come together. This is a different natural focus from the meadows and ravines along the hike: in the gorge, the attention is on the rock faces and the siliceous limestone exposed there. For anyone interested in geology, this combination of landscape and rock provides a specific point of interest.

On the Min Weag 27 section between Laterns and Viktorsberg, the river crossing is marked in red and white and secured with ropes, railings and metal steps. This makes the described trail feature different from that of the ravine hike: there, meadows and ravines shape the landscape; here, the focus is on the secured crossing. If you plan to take this section, check the current condition of the crossing in advance.

Experiences at Klangberg and in the Laternsertal

The classic summer toboggan run in the Laternsertal is 800 m long and passes through a forest. The run includes overpasses and underpasses as well as several jumps. An inclined lift takes riders to the starting point; there is also a speed-measurement section. Its length, route and measurement section provide specific details about the attraction. The classic summer toboggan run in the Laternsertal is the only one of its kind in Vorarlberg.

At Klangberg in Laterns, the 3.5 km Klang-Kugelbahnweg (Sound Marble Run Trail) has eight interactive stations. Also at Klangberg is the interactive audio adventure “The Search for the Magic Melody,” which you can enjoy using the free Locandy app. The activities differ in format: one trail combines its route with several stations, while the other is designed as an interactive audio adventure. As app availability can change, check before your visit whether it is currently available.

When interpreting the route distances, it is important to note what each figure refers to: 800 m is the length of the summer toboggan run, while 3.5 km is the length of the Klang-Kugelbahnweg. These are different activities and types of route; their lengths alone do not indicate a shared duration. This lets you associate the figures with the relevant experiences rather than compare them as equivalent trail distances.

Historical traces at the parish church

A chapel was consecrated in 1411 on the site of today’s Laterns parish church. A 15th-century statue of Theodul on the church’s high altar commemorates the Walser people’s origins. The details highlight different aspects of history: the year 1411 refers to the consecration of the chapel at the church site, while the 15th century refers to the statue and its commemoration of Walser origins. For culturally curious travellers, both details offer a specific connection to Laterns’ history.

Discover more destinations: Innerlaterns, Schlins, Göfis, Klaus, Meiningen, Röns, Viktorsberg, Dünserberg

For the overview of the wider region: Feldkirch.