Geography Of Dornbirn
Nestled at the base of the Bregenzerwald Mountains and on the western edge of the Eastern Alps, Dornbirn lies 437 meters above sea level in the Rhine Valley.Part of the Austrian Prealps, Dornbirn is located in the Vorderer Bregenzerwald landscape.The Dornbirner Ach river is significant because it acts as a border between several areas as well as a division line inside the local area.
Instead of the product of combining once separate villages, Dornbirn has always been a single community with scattered habitation zones. Its four separate, non-contiguous portions make up its present districts, which are designated 1-4.Back then, the aforementioned areas were called Niederdorf, Hatlerdorf, Oberdorf, and Stiglingen.These four districts’ present names were formally established as municipal districts in 1902; Stiglingen became Haselstauden and Niederdorf became Markt district.There is now a hugely enlarged integrated urban area that reaches the western side of the railway line, especially in the second half of the 20th century.Once sharing the same territory, the districts of Rohrbach and Schoren were split up as separate entities in 1994.
The central core of the municipality is home to the bulk of the inhabitants.Still, there are a few little areas that are known as mountain plots, especially along the eastern limits of the city.The high price of Watzenegg and Kehlegg estates is attributed to their higher position and amazing views of the Rhine Valley.Winsau, Heilgereuthe, and several more little residential villages in the eastern mountain range make up Dornbirn.Notable among Dornbirn’s characteristics is the Walser settlement of Ebnit. Financial limitations forced its merger with the city in 1932 from its former status as an independent municipality.Nestled in the southern and easternmost regions of Dornbirn, Ebnit is a year-round settlement. It is the center of the very hilly and heavily wooded south-east region of the municipality.
Dispersed among three cadastral units, Dornbirn encompasses around 121 square kilometers (12,093 hectares). In all, 4,815 hectares are classified as forest zones, and 5,723 hectares as meadows, pastures, and Alps.The municipal area of Dornbirn makes up almost 70% of the 172.36 square kilometer district overall.Third in population among Vorarlberg municipalities, behind Gaschurn and St. Gallenkirch, is Dornbirn. Its entire land area is 4.65% of the federal state.
Being on the boundary of the Bregenzerwald and Eastern Alps, Dornbirn has many mountain peaks above 1,500 meters, including one over 2,000 meters inside its municipality.Among the most popular sights in the region is the 971-meter-tall Karren, which is reachable via cable car. Locals call it the mountain of Dornbirn. Standing 1465 meters above sea level, the Staufen is another well-known site.Mountaineers go to the Hohe Freschen (2,004 meters) and the Mörzelspitze (1,830 meters).The highest point in the municipality is Sünser Spitze, which is 2062 meters above sea level.Most of the high mountains in the municipality are reachable via approved hiking trails.The First Mountain Range, comprising the summits Mörzelspitze, Hohe Freschen, and Sünserspitze, defines the topography of Dornbirn. A clear day will allow one to glimpse these peaks from Friedrichhafen.
