Elbigenalp – Geierwally, Wunderkammer and Chapels

Elbigenalp offers several different reasons to stay: the Geierwally Open-Air Theatre with plays and concerts, the Wunderkammer collection, religious buildings, and the Geierwally Circular Trail, which takes about three and a half hours in total. If you are looking for a hotel in Elbigenalp, you can factor in what you would like to focus on: Would you like to plan a cultural event, discover historic buildings, or set aside time for a longer walk? The theatre and the Wunderkammer represent different forms of culture, while churches and chapels offer further historical highlights.

Geierwally Open-Air Theatre and Wunderkammer

The Geierwally Open-Air Theatre is built into the striking cliffs of the Bernhardstal Gorge in Elbigenalp. Plays and concerts related to the Lechtal region are performed there. This combines a regionally focused programme with a dramatic cliffside setting, setting it apart from an exhibition or religious buildings. Tickets for the open-air theatre are sold through Lechtal Tourism, Dorf 46, 6652 Elbigenalp. Check performance dates and ticket availability before your visit.

The Wunderkammer is housed in the former Elbigenalp doctor’s house. Based on Johann Anton Falger’s collection, it displays copies of important historical documents, climate studies, anatomically accurate drawings, geological finds, and examples of traditional Lechtal clothing. The copies offer access to historical documents, while the drawings and climate studies focus on different subjects. Geological finds and traditional clothing add further tangible items to the collection. This makes the visit a different kind of experience from attending an event at the open-air theatre.

Geierwally Circular Trail and carving school

Elbigenalp is home to Austria’s only carving school. The Geierwally Circular Trail starts and ends in the paid parking lot in front of the Elbigenalp carving school and takes about three and a half hours in total. This requires a separate, longer block of time in your day’s plans: allow roughly this much time and account for the parking fee at the start and finish.

Churches and chapels in Elbigenalp

The Roman Catholic parish church of St. Nicholas in Elbigenalp is a listed historic building. The pilgrimage church of Christ on the Mount of Olives lies north of the village, on a rocky outcrop in Elbigenalp, and was built between 1670 and 1680. The two churches offer different historical highlights: the parish church’s listed status is a key feature, while the pilgrimage church is distinguished by its location and specific period of construction.

St. Martin’s Chapel was built over an ossuary in the 15th century. It contains 18 panels depicting the Dance of Death, dating from 1840. This gives the chapel two specific historical dates: its construction in the 15th century and the panels’ date of 1840. This comparison adds a precisely dated detail about the Dance of Death panels to the building’s history.

Nature forest playground on the Gibler Alm

There is a spacious nature forest playground on the Gibler Alm. This offers a different focus from the Wunderkammer collection or the religious buildings. If you are travelling with children, you can include the playground among your options alongside cultural activities and the longer walk.

Discover more destinations: Gramais, Tannheim, Untergiblen, Jungholz, Grän, Boden, Höfen, Zöblen.

For the overarching travel overview: Reutte District.