Sevelen: Gorge Trail, GedankenBerg and History

Sevelen lies in the Rhine Valley, west of Vaduz on the border with Liechtenstein. In addition to the village of Sevelen, the political municipality includes the hamlets of Rans, Oberräfis, St. Ulrich, Välsli and Glaat on the edge of the Rhine plain, as well as isolated farms on the eastern slope of the Alvier range. The town has a rural character and a peaceful atmosphere. The Gorge Trail, GedankenBerg, St. John’s Church, Herrenberg Castle and the Rhine Bridge offer a variety of highlights to help you plan your trip.

The Gorge Trail: a stream landscape and water stations

The Gorge Trail is a 5.1-kilometre circular route that takes about two hours to walk. You can start at the Glat car park or in the town centre near the civil defence facility. The two possible starting points and approximate walking time give you a clear framework for planning your day.

The trail follows a foaming mountain stream over steps and bridges. Glacial potholes can be seen along the stream. The route’s appeal lies both in walking beside the watercourse and in seeing its striking geological formations.

At 16 stations, visitors can learn about the healing, blessings and dangers of water. Water is part of the experience on two levels: as a feature of the stream landscape and as a theme explored from different perspectives at the stations.

When choosing between the two nature-and-art destinations, their different focus can help: the Gorge Trail combines an approximately two-hour circular walk with a stream and glacial potholes, while the focus at GedankenBerg is on art stations and their dialogue with the surroundings.

GedankenBerg: walk-through art above Sevelen

The GedankenBerg art park, created by Gert Gschwendtner and Mali Gubser, is situated on a gentle rise above Sevelen. The artwork can be walked through and serves as a place to linger and enjoy subtle experiences. Its 18 stations bring sculptural elements, rock drawings, figures, architectural fragments and texts into dialogue with geological formations, plants and the surrounding panorama.

The art forms do not stand alone: the terrain, plants and views are also part of the interplay created by the stations. Visitors to GedankenBerg therefore encounter both individual artistic elements and their relationship with the natural surroundings.

GedankenBerg is open to the public daily from 09:00 to 20:00, from 1 April to 1 November; admission is free. Check seasonal access information before your trip.

Church, castle and Rhine Bridge

The founding of St. John’s Church dates back to the 12th century. The church has been altered and rebuilt several times. Its history therefore encompasses both its early origins and later structural changes.

Today’s Vaduz–Sevelen Rhine Bridge dates back to a bridge built in 1870/71 to plans by regional engineer Peter Rheinberger. In 1900/01, it was rebuilt in timber-frame construction in the Howe style, with a plank screen and roof. The Rhine Bridge is 135 metres long in total.

In the 13th century, Chur Bishop Heinrich III of Montfort had a castle built on Storchenbühl, identified as Herrenberg Castle. Visible remains include a projecting section of a tower wall, faint traces of the inner castle walls and a wide moat. Today, the castle grounds are part of a walk-through art installation, bringing historic masonry remains together with an artistic use of the site.

Traces of the town’s history

Archaeological finds at Sonnenbühl, Geissberg and Dachsenboden provide evidence of settlement between 4000 and 1800 BC. The place name “Sevellin” is recorded from 1160, while the hamlet of Rans was mentioned as early as 842/843. These dates refer to different kinds of evidence: settlement, the place name and an early mention of Rans.

Together with the founding of the church and the construction phases of the Rhine Bridge, the timeline stretches from prehistoric traces of settlement to structures that have changed over several centuries. Sevelen thus combines hands-on nature experiences with art in the landscape and a history visible in various places and buildings.

Discover more destinations: Buchs, Grabs, Wartau, Sennwald, Gams.

For the broader travel overview: Werdenberg.