Schruns is a municipality in the Montafon valley (altitude 690 meters), in the Bludenz district of the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg.

Schruns
July 2007 View of Schruns
July 2007 View of Schruns
Coat of arms of Schruns
Location in the district
Location in the district
Schruns is located in Vorarlberg
Schruns
Schruns
Location within Austria
Schruns is located in Austria
Schruns
Schruns
Schruns (Austria)
Coordinates: 47°04′49″N 09°55′09″E / 47.08028°N 9.91917°E / 47.08028; 9.91917
CountryAustria
StateVorarlberg
DistrictBludenz
Government
 • MayorJürgen Kuster (ÖVP)
Area
 • Total18.06 km2 (6.97 sq mi)
Elevation
700 m (2,300 ft)
Population
 (2018-01-01)[2]
 • Total3,818
 • Density210/km2 (550/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
6780
Area code05556
Vehicle registrationBZ
Websitewww.schruns.at

To the west is the famous Zimba mountain, often called the "Vorarlberger Matterhorn," which is very popular among climbers and hikers.

Schruns, townhall

Geography

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The Litz river, a tributary of the Ill river, flows through the town. A side valley, the Silbertal, stretches to the east of Schruns. The area has a high mountain massif accessible by train and ski-lifts.

To the north is the Bartholomäberg, to the south St. Gallenkirch, and to the west Tschagguns. The nearest larger municipality is Bludenz.

About 45.2 percent of the area is forested, with 18.1 percent mountainous.

Transport

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Schruns railway station is the southern terminus of the Bludenz–Schruns railway line (Montafonerbahn). Two other stations, Tschagguns and Kaltenbrunnen, are also located within the municipality of Schruns. All stations are served by the S4 regional train service of the Vorarlberg S-Bahn.

Sports

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Since 2012/13, Schruns has been part of the FIS Snowboard World Cup, which takes place annually in December. During the daytime, visitors can watch snowboard cross races up on the Hochjoch of the Silvretta Montafon ski area. In the evening, concerts are held in Schruns.

Schruns is a hotspot for mountain biking and trail running. For more than ten years, Schruns has hosted the M3 Montafon Bike Marathon with over 500 bikers.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
18691,394—    
18801,330−4.6%
18901,462+9.9%
19001,503+2.8%
19101,663+10.6%
19231,689+1.6%
19342,021+19.7%
19392,218+9.7%
19512,717+22.5%
19613,304+21.6%
19713,616+9.4%
19813,724+3.0%
19913,843+3.2%
20013,715−3.3%
20113,701−0.4%

Notable people

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In the early 1920s Schruns was the favorite ski resort of Ernest Hemingway. He wintered there with his first wife, Hadley, and oldest son, who was then just an infant; a chapter in his book A Moveable Feast includes several pages describing lodging and skiing there in the 1920s.[3] It was there that he revised the manuscript of The Sun Also Rises.[4] In Hemingway's classic story "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" the third scene in the first flashback sequence recounts memories of Schruns. These images of snow and glacier skiing stand in stark contrast to the description of the Serengeti Plain in the main story and anticipate the coming journey to the snows of Kilimanjaro.

References

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  1. ^ "Dauersiedlungsraum der Gemeinden Politischen Bezirke und Bundesländer - Gebietsstand 1.1.2018". Statistics Austria. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Einwohnerzahl 1.1.2018 nach Gemeinden mit Status, Gebietsstand 1.1.2018". Statistics Austria. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  3. ^ Hemingway, Ernest (1964). A Moveable Feast. Jonathan Cape. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  4. ^ (Ernest Hemingway. A Moveable Feast, Touchstone Books: New York. pp 197–202)
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  Media related to Schruns at Wikimedia Commons