Montafon in Summer: Valley Towns, Schruns and the Golm
Plan a summer trip through the Montafon in Vorarlberg: the valley layout, Schruns and the Käsehaus, and the Golm Adventure Mountain.
On this page
The Montafon is a 39-kilometer valley in Austria's far west, made up of eight communities in the mountains of Vorarlberg. For a summer traveler it is a mountain valley first: the Golm Adventure Mountain concentrates family-style adventure activities, and the Käsehaus Montafon in Schruns is a cheese-house food stop. This guide covers the valley's layout, what the Golm offers in summer, and how the Montafon fits on a route through western Austria.
Where the Montafon is and how the valley works
The Montafon is a 39-kilometer valley in Vorarlberg, made up of eight communities and presented by its regional tourism board as a place where tradition and modernity sit side by side. The Montafon dialect is recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. In summer the region advertises more than 1,070 kilometers of hiking trails, 266 kilometers of bike tours and 19 via ferratas across its communities.
For trip planning, the useful point is that the Montafon is not one town but a chain of eight communities, and where you stop changes what you can do. Schruns holds the Käsehaus Montafon, and the Golm Adventure Mountain is the adventure mountain above the valley. A traveler with a car can move between the villages more easily; a traveler without one is better off choosing a single base and working outward from there.
The villages and what each is for
The communities of the Montafon each have a different role in a summer itinerary. Schruns holds the Käsehaus Montafon (cheese house). The Golm Adventure Mountain is the concentrated activity area the regional tourism board highlights for groups. Other village names, including St. Anton im Montafon, are useful orientation points rather than separate destinations to tick off.
The Silvretta Montafon area is the higher mountain ground above the valley communities, and visitors have reported a long toboggan run there. Plan this as a half day or a full day depending on how much you use, and keep the weather in mind, since high mountain terrain can turn quickly.
Schruns: the valley town to use as a base
Schruns is where the valley's cheese-house stop sits: the Käsehaus Montafon (cheese house), which the regional tourism board names among the region's visits. It is a practical place to organize a summer visit and a natural base, with the Golm and the other villages within reach. If you sleep in one place in the Montafon, Schruns is a sensible base.
Schruns sits within reach of the Golm Adventure Mountain, with zip lines, a summer toboggan run, forest slides and a high ropes climbing garden. That combination makes it a base for groups and travelers who want mountain activities without committing the whole day to a long drive. Come for convenience as a valley town and let the mountain above supply the scenery.
Golm Adventure Mountain in summer
The Golm Adventure Mountain is the Montafon's concentrated summer playground, with zip lines, a summer toboggan run, forest slides and a high ropes climbing garden. The regional tourism board calls it a particular favorite of travel groups with a sense of adventure, which tells you what to expect: an activity mountain rather than a quiet viewpoint. Plan a half day if you want one or two rides, and a full day if the ropes course and slides are the point of the trip.
Plan the Golm rides for the warm months and confirm the operating window with the operator before building a day around them. The mountain is a weather-dependent day out. Treat the Golm, and any tobogganing you plan nearby, as subject to the operator's current schedule.
The Silvretta Montafon area and the long toboggan run
The Montafon's villages string along the valley toward the higher ground of the Silvretta Montafon area above them. Drive between villages to see how the communities connect, and keep a margin in the day for stops.
The Silvretta Montafon area is mountain ground rather than a town, so its facilities should be treated as weather-dependent. If the high ground is clouded in, the Montafon still works as a valley: Schruns and the Golm village area remain the core of the trip.
Getting around the valley
The Montafon is a chain of eight communities, so where you stop shapes what you can do. Schruns holds the Käsehaus Montafon and is a practical place to organize a summer visit. A traveler with a car can move between the villages more easily; a traveler without one is better off choosing a single base and working outward from there. Confirm current transport details for your dates before locking a plan, because local services govern a car-free visit.
A car gives you the flexibility to reach mountain bases on your own schedule, at the cost of parking in the villages. Without a car you can still cover Schruns and the Golm area comfortably if you choose your base well. Choose your base with that difference in mind.
Where the Montafon fits on a western Austria route
The Montafon sits in Vorarlberg, the westernmost Austrian state, which makes it an add-on to a route built around Bregenz on Lake Constance, the Bregenzerwald and the Rhine valley rather than a stop on a Vienna or Salzburg itinerary. From Bregenz you can drive or take the train east into the Rhine valley and then south into the Montafon. From Innsbruck, the Montafon is a westward run through Tyrol.
Whether the Montafon earns the detour depends on what you want from Vorarlberg. If your trip is about baroque towns and lakefront cities, a day in the valley is enough; if you want a full mountain day with a cable car and a toboggan run, give the Montafon more time and use Schruns as the base. Pair it with Feldkirch or Dornbirn on the way in, and keep Bregenz for the lakefront and the Pfänder at the start or end of the route.
Seasons and weather
The Montafon's summer facilities are the point of a warm-season visit: mountain activities are seasonal, so a plan built on the Golm is a summer plan. The valley floor, Schruns and the villages remain usable in other months, but expect a quieter, more limited version of the trip.
Weather in a deep alpine valley changes fast, and a clear morning in Schruns does not guarantee a clear afternoon on the Golm. Build slack into the itinerary and hold the mountain day flexible, putting the valley town and the Käsehaus Montafon on the day the peaks are clouded in. The Montafon rewards that kind of flexibility more than a fixed schedule.
Costs and practicalities
Mountain activities such as the Golm rides carry charges set by the operators that change by season. Check current prices with the operator for your dates before you budget, rather than relying on older figures.
Food, the Käsehaus visit and village services are everyday costs you handle on the ground in euros, as anywhere in Austria. Keep the big-ticket item, the mountain day, as the line item you confirm in advance, and let the rest of the valley be spontaneous.
Should the Montafon be on your Vorarlberg route?
Yes, if you want a summer mountain day with adventure rides and a long toboggan run, with Schruns as a base and the Käsehaus Montafon as a food stop. Skip it, or give it only a day, if your Vorarlberg trip is really about baroque towns and the lakefront.
Build the route from Bregenz or the Rhine valley, confirm the seasonal mountain facilities before you commit, and keep one flexible day for the weather. That is the version of the Montafon that works in summer.
Explore more Bregenz guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a car to see the Montafon?
Not necessarily, since the valley is a chain of eight communities and Schruns makes an easy base. A car gives you more flexibility to reach mountain bases. Confirm current transport details for your dates before you decide.
When should I plan mountain activities in the Montafon?
The Golm attractions are warm-season activities, so plan them for summer rather than winter or the shoulder months. Confirm the operating window with the operator before building a day around them.
Is the Golm Adventure Mountain open outside summer?
The zip lines, summer toboggan run, forest slides and ropes course are warm-season facilities, so do not count on them in winter or the shoulder months. Confirm the operating window with the mountain operator before building a day around it.
What is there to do in the Montafon on a rainy day?
Keep the valley towns as your wet-weather plan: Schruns, the Käsehaus Montafon and the villages stay usable when the peaks are clouded in. Mountain activities are best held flexible, since a clear morning in the valley does not guarantee clear weather on the Golm.
Sources
Notes for your next Austrian town break
Optional updates when we add or revise town guides.
You might also like
Continue reading
More guides you'll find useful
