Kleinwalsertal is a part of Mittelberg, Vorarlberg, Austria. It is part of the Bregenz district and due to the geographic location in the Allgäu Alps with its alpine terrain, the Kleinwalsertal has no direct traffic connection to the rest of Vorarlberg. It is accessible only via Oberstdorf, Germany, to the north, and thus is an Austrian “practical exclave” or “pene-exclave”. Prior to Austria joining the European Union, the area had tax-free status.
The name of the valley comes from the Walsers who came from the Valais in the 13th century.
The valley is famous in Central Europe as a ski and hiking resort. The 5,000 inhabitants, who are called “Walser”, can provide up to 10,300 beds for tourists.
The local football club, SV Kleinwalsertal, has the distinction of being one of only a few clubs in central Europe that play in a local league based outside of the club’s country. They play in the 10th tier A-Klasse Allgäu 4 in 2016–17.
The Kleinwalsertal is a high valley in the Allgäu Alps and is located in the east of Vorarlberg. The Breitach river runs through the entire valley and is fed by a few side streams, which come from the side valleys of the Kleinwalsertal.
The Kleinwalsertal is almost completely surrounded by high mountains. These are part of the Allgäu Alps, which are part of the northern eastern Alps. Its highest elevation is the Großer Widderstein at 2,533 metres (8,310 ft). The Kleinwalsertal is cut off from the rest of Austria. A traffic connection exists only to the Bavarian town of Oberstdorf. [Wikipedia]
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