Lechquellen Mountains

The Lechquellengebirge is a compact limestone range in the Northern Limestone Alps, entirely within Vorarlberg. It forms a horseshoe around the upper Lech river and its two spring streams, the Formarinbach and Spullerbach. The peaks rise above 2,700 metres, with the Untere Wildgrubenspitze the highest at 2,753 metres. The range borders the Bregenz Forest Mountains to the north and the Verwall Alps to the south. Five Alpine Club huts sit between 1,725 and 2,245 metres, linked by the Lechquellenrunde long-distance path. Walther Flaig, a local alpine guide, named and defined the range in the early 20th century. The Lechquellengebirge was opened to visitors in the late 19th century, with the first hut built at Formarinsee in 1894. Ski resorts at Lech, Zürs, Stuben and Damüls now draw winter visitors, while narrow toll roads and a summer shuttle reach deep into the valleys. The Walser settlers once shaped the alpine farming culture here, and traces remain in traditions and architecture. A visitor finds high valleys and rugged summits framed by narrow roads and scattered huts. The Ravensburger Hut sits beside Spullersee, a glacial lake at 1,827 metres, while the Freiburger Hut stands on Rauhes Joch at 1,931 metres. The Lechquellenrunde circles the range, passing five huts and offering views of peaks such as the Rote Wand and Braunarlspitze. The Limestone Alps Way and Via Alpina cross the mountains, linking remote passes like Madlochjoch and Faschinajoch.