Brand

Brand sits in the far west of Austria, where the Rhine Valley narrows against the Alps. Five kilometres north the land drops into the Swiss Rhine Valley, eight kilometres east the border with Liechtenstein runs along the crest of the mountains. The village itself lies at about 1,050 metres, with the Brandner valley rising behind it towards the peaks of the Silvretta range. The highest point is the Hoher Freschen at 2,004 metres, which stands above the tree line and catches the first light of dawn. In winter the valley is often filled with a thick layer of snow that stays until April. The municipality has fewer than 800 people scattered across the village and the scattered hamlets along the valley road.

The first written mention of Brand comes from 1390, when it was a small farming settlement called “Brand im Montafon.” For centuries the people lived on hay meadows, cattle grazing and a little iron working in the lower valley. The church of St Nicholas was built in the 17th century and still has the original altarpiece. In the 19th century the valley opened to summer visitors who came to walk the high pastures. The road from Bludenz was only completed in 1905, which made Brand easier to reach but kept it quiet.

Brand is known for its winter sports centre on the sunny side of the valley. The lifts serve slopes that face south-west, so the snow stays firm until late in the season. In summer the valley becomes a starting point for high alpine hikes that lead to the Lünersee lake or the Madlener Haus. The annual Brandner Almabtrieb in September brings the cattle down from the high pastures in a parade of decorated cows and brass bands. A few old Walser houses with grey shingle roofs still stand among the newer chalets, and the valley road ends at a car park where the forest gives way to bare rock and glacier streams.