Subersach

The Subersach is a swift mountain stream in the Bregenzerwald region of Vorarlberg. It flows south-west for 27 kilometres before joining the Bregenzer Ach near Egg. The valley it carves is known as the Subersachtal, a narrow trough of meadows and spruce woods that widens only where the land flattens. The name Subersach means ‘clean stream’, and the water is famously clear. Geographers such as Albrecht Greule suggest the first part may come from an old Celtic word meaning ‘to twist’, describing the stream’s winding course. Near Egg the river is crossed by the Bregenzerwaldbahn, a narrow-gauge railway that once ran the length of the valley until 1980. A century ago a wire footbridge was built for villagers, and in the 1980s a modern road bridge replaced an earlier wooden one. Visitors follow the Subersach on paths that run beside meadows and through stands of spruce. The river bends sharply in places, forming deep pools where trout lie still. Where the valley widens, hay meadows slope down to the water’s edge, and wooden bridges let walkers cross from one bank to the other. In spring the banks are lined with marsh marigolds, and in autumn the larches turn pale gold. The valley is quiet except for the sound of water and the occasional train that once served the region.