18. Balzers to Chur

Two sources are at the heart of the Allegra Passugger. While the origin of both mineral waters lies deep in the earth, the Theophilic spring in the Rabiosa gorge and the Allegra spring in Malix bring the water to the surface. The waters take up to 30 years to travel before they are collected. In the fissured schist rock of the Grisons they absorb all the precious minerals and trace elements that make them the elixir of life par excellence. The sources of the Rabiosa Gorge were first mentioned in 1562 and rediscovered in the 19th century. Since 1951, mineral water has been bottled and distributed on the current site.

Find out more about it.

The Reformed Church dates back to a medieval foundation under the patronage of Gallus.

Read more about it.

At the end of the 12th century, the castle of Strassberg was built on a hill to the south of the village. It was then given to the Barons of Vaz and formed the centre of a small estate. Today, only a ruin remains.

Read more about it.

The story of Heidi, written in 1879 by Johanna Spyri, is a worldwide success. This book is one of the most widely read in the world. The story has been translated into more than 55 languages. Even today, thousands of people from all over the world visit Maienfeld, the museum and the Heidi fountain every year.

The monastery of Churwald, probably founded around 1150 by the barons of Vaz, is the origin of the village. The first Premonstratensian monastery church of the time was located near the bridge over the river Rabiusa. In the first half of the 13th century it was built on the present site in pre-Romanesque style and dedicated to St Michael.

Read more about it.

Visible from afar, Gutenberg Castle stands on a rocky spur that rises in the Rhine valley. The medieval castle was probably built around 1200. In the second half of the 13th century it belonged to the Barons of Frauenberg, who came from Graubünden. In 1314, Gutenberg passed to the Dukes of Austria and was then in Austrian possession for more than 500 years under the House of Habsburg. After 1750, the fortress was no longer inhabited, it was abandoned and turned into a quarry. In 1824, the municipality of Balzers bought the ruins of Gutenberg Castle and the associated estates. 30 years later they sold the Gutenberg ruins with the castle hill to Princess Franziska of Liechtenstein. In 1905, the Vaduz architect, sculptor and painter Egon Rheinberger acquired the poorly demolished complex and enlarged it between 1905 and 1910 to give it its present appearance. After several changes of ownership, the castle was bought by the State of Liechtenstein in 1979.

Until the 19th century, the north-south route ran through the St. Luzisteig Pass, as the Rhine Valley was often flooded and impassable. The pass therefore played an important role in the major conflicts of European history. The road was part of the Roman road connecting Bregenz to Chur. The building spanning the road dates from 1702 and the site is still used today by the Swiss army as barracks (formerly for transport troops).

The Steigkirche is first mentioned in 831. Until the beginning of the 15th century, the present building with its Late Gothic choir was the mother church of Maienfeld and Fläsch with its 14th and 15th century wall paintings.

Maienfeld played an important role in the first Christian century under the Romans as a customs post at the junction of the Turicum (Zurich) and Brigantium (Bregenz) roads. The present tower dates from the 10th century. Over the centuries the castle has developed from a fortress to a residence.

More about.

The Heidi Fountain was inaugurated in 1953 in memory of the writer Johanna Spiry, author of the famous novel about Heidi. The area is considered to be the home of this novel character with many activities around Heidi.

The dungeon dates from the 12th century. The castle, a princely residence since 1712, has been enlarged and renovated over the centuries. Private property, it cannot be visited.

To know more about it.

Vaduz is first mentioned in 1175/1200. In 1699 Prince Hans Adam of Liechtenstein acquired the Schellenberg estate and in 1712 the county of Vaduz. In 1719, a treaty of Emperor Charles VI united the County of Vaduz with the Schellenberg Lordship and elevated it to the rank of an imperial principality with the name of Liechtenstein. Vaduz is the main town of the Principality of Liechtenstein and the residence of the prince at the castle above the town. Vaduz is also the seat of the state government and the archbishopric of the principality. The city is particularly well known as an international financial centre.

The Museum of Fine Arts in modern style was built by the Swiss architects Morger, Delego and Kerez and inaugurated in 2000. Numerous statues can also be found outside in the city.

Find out more about it.

Only the flood protection dikes built after 1860 created the conditions for building bridges over the Rhine. Between 1867 and 1879, 13 covered wooden bridges were built in the Rhine valley. Of these 13, only the one near Sevelen has been preserved. All the others were destroyed by floods or fires or perished due to old age. On 8 July 1870, Sevelen decided to build the last remaining witness to the romanticism of the wooden bridge over the Rhine and to stop the Rhine ferry.