Flexen Pass
Encyclopedia
Flexen Pass is a high mountain pass
in the Austria
n Alps
in the Bundesland
of Vorarlberg
.
It connects the upper Lech River
valley between Warth
, Lech
, and Zürs
with the Klostertal near Stuben.
The pass road was built in 1940 and leads to the road over the Arlberg
pass. It became a necessity when the Arlberg railroad was opened in 1884. Before that, traffic mostly went over the Tannberg by way of Oberstdorf
.
The first stretch of road was opened in October 1897 up to the pass. At first, the road was shielded from the danger of avalanche by protective covers, but eventually a tunnel was built, and then a bridge over the Hölltobel. The road was only 3 meters wide. In 1909 the road was finished into the Lech Valley in Tyrol
. Since 1936 the pass has been open in winter. Since 1948, funds from the Marshall Plan
have been utilized to improve the road and make it safer from avalanches.
In 2000, plans were unveiled for a tunnel from Stuben to Zürs. However, the plans were tabled for lack of funds.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
in the Bundesland
States of Austria
Austria is a federal republic made up of nine states, known in German as Länder . Since Land is also the German word for a country, the term Bundesländer is often used instead to avoid ambiguity. The Constitution of Austria uses both terms...
of Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg is the westernmost federal-state of Austria. Although it is the second smallest in terms of area and population , it borders three countries: Germany , Switzerland and Liechtenstein...
.
It connects the upper Lech River
Lech River
The Lech is a river in Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube in length with a drainage basin of .Its source is located in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg, where the river rises from lake Formarinsee in the Alps at an altitude of...
valley between Warth
Warth, Vorarlberg
Warth is a municipality in the district of Bregenz in Vorarlberg in Austria....
, Lech
Lech am Arlberg
Lech am Arlberg is a mountain village and an exclusive ski resort in the Bludenz district of Vorarlberg, in western Austria, on the banks of the river Lech. In terms of both geography and history, Lech belongs to the Tannberg district...
, and Zürs
Zürs
Zürs at the Flexenpass is a ski resort consisting of only a couple of hotels in Vorarlberg, Austria. Zürs is part of the Arlberg ski region and famous for its skiing, especially its backcountry skiing and its Olympic skiing champions...
with the Klostertal near Stuben.
The pass road was built in 1940 and leads to the road over the Arlberg
Arlberg
Arlberg is a mountain range or massif between Vorarlberg and Tyrol in Austria.The highest peak is the "Valluga" at . The name Arlberg derives from the tradition of the "Arlenburg," who are said to have once established themselves on the Tyrolean side of the Arlberg passes . Another story derives...
pass. It became a necessity when the Arlberg railroad was opened in 1884. Before that, traffic mostly went over the Tannberg by way of Oberstdorf
Oberstdorf
Oberstdorf is a municipality and skiing and hiking town in southwest Germany, located in the Allgäu region of the Bavarian Alps.At the center of Oberstdorf is a church whose tall spire serves as a landmark for navigating around town. The summits of the Nebelhorn and Fellhorn provide...
.
The first stretch of road was opened in October 1897 up to the pass. At first, the road was shielded from the danger of avalanche by protective covers, but eventually a tunnel was built, and then a bridge over the Hölltobel. The road was only 3 meters wide. In 1909 the road was finished into the Lech Valley in Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
. Since 1936 the pass has been open in winter. Since 1948, funds from the Marshall Plan
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was the large-scale American program to aid Europe where the United States gave monetary support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II in order to combat the spread of Soviet communism. The plan was in operation for four years beginning in April 1948...
have been utilized to improve the road and make it safer from avalanches.
In 2000, plans were unveiled for a tunnel from Stuben to Zürs. However, the plans were tabled for lack of funds.
See also
- List of highest paved roads in Europe
- List of mountain passes