Kummenberg

The Kummenberg rises as an island of rock 667 metres above the Alpine Rhine plain in western Austria. It stands entirely within the boundary of Koblach, a village whose old core clings to the northern slope. The mountain once formed a true island in the prehistoric Bodensee, when the lake extended as far as Rankweil and teemed with fish. Archaeologists have recovered tools and hearths from the middle Stone Age on its slopes, the earliest traces of human settlement in Vorarlberg. A large quarry opened on the western flank to supply stone for the international Rhine regulation works in the 20th century. In 2024 a blue-light communications tower was built into the northern rock face just below the summit and went into service at the end of 2025. A walking path circles the summit plateau and offers wide views across the Rhine valley to the Bregenz Forest. The broken stump of the Udelberg, a smaller companion peak, can be seen from the motorway below. The four communities of Altach, Götzis, Koblach and Mäder cooperate under the name Region amKumma, running a single regional bus service that links all villages.