Blons

Blons lies on the north side of the Great Walser Valley, where the Lutz river marks the southern edge. The land rises from about 700 metres along the river to nearly 2,000 metres on the northern slopes. The highest peaks are the Löffelspitze at 1,962 metres and the Pfrondhorn at 1,949 metres. Forests cover 44 per cent of the fifteen square kilometres, while meadows and pastures take up 17 per cent. The community includes the hamlets of Oberblons, Valentschina and Walkenbach. The first settlers arrived in the 11th or 12th century, speaking Rhaeto-Romance. German-speaking Walser people arrived in the 14th century and gradually replaced the earlier population. The Habsburgs ruled the area alternately from Tyrol and Vorderösterreich until 1805. After a period under Bavaria, Blons returned to Austria in 1814 and became part of Vorarlberg when the province was founded in 1861. In January 1954, thirteen avalanches claimed fifty-seven lives, and a monument by Eugen Jussel now stands near the churchyard. The Catholic parish church is dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. A documentation centre recalls the 1954 avalanche disaster, and a puppet museum displays toys and children’s books from 1860 to 1960. A photovoltaic plant on the Alpe Hügga was once Europe’s largest when built in 2003. The village shop sells local produce, and a school serves the valley’s children. Martin von Lorenz, an imperial councillor, and Johann Müller, a pioneer of skiing instruction, were both born in Blons.