Mittelberg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mittelberg
Coat of arms
Location in the district
Mittelberg Location in Austria Show map of Austria Mittelberg Location in Vorarlberg Show map of Vorarlberg
Country	Austria
State	Vorarlberg
District	Bregenz
Area
• Total	96.82 km2 (37.38 sq mi)
Elevation	1,200 m (3,900 ft)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	6991, 6992, 6993 (Austria) 87567, 87568, 87569 (Germany)
Area code	05517
Vehicle registration	B
Website	GDE-Mittelberg.at

Mittelberg is a small town and village located in the Bregenz district of Austria. It's nestled in a special valley called Kleinwalsertal, which is part of the Vorarlberg state. What makes Mittelberg unique is that you can only reach it by road from Germany, even though it's in Austria!

Exploring Mittelberg's Geography

Mittelberg is surrounded by amazing nature. The biggest stream in the area is the Breitach. It starts in a place called Baad. Then it flows through three villages: Mittelberg, Hirschegg, and Riezlern. Many smaller streams join the Breitach, like the Derrabach and Gemstelbach.

The region also has impressive mountains. Some of the main peaks around Mittelberg include:

• Elfer (2,387 meters high)
• Bärenkopf (Allgäu Alps) (2,083 meters high)
• Walmendingerhorn (1,990 meters high)
• Grosser Widderstein (2,536 meters high)
• Zwölfer (2,224 meters high)

The Kleinwalsertal valley is special because you can only drive into it from Germany.

A Look at Mittelberg's History

Mittelberg was first settled around the year 1300. Five families from a group of people called the Walsers moved there. They came over a mountain pass called Hochalppass from Tannberg. The very first houses were probably built in Bödmen, which is a part of Mittelberg today.

These settlers received the land from the Swabian Counts of Rettenberg. At first, the valley was part of the Walser court of Tannberg. But in 1563, Mittelberg got its own court. This court helped manage the valley until 1807.

Mittelberg's Population and Special Status

Mittelberg's location creates a unique situation for its residents and visitors. Even though it's in Austria, you can only get there by road from Germany. This means it has both Austrian and German postal codes.

For a long time, the Kleinwalsertal valley had a special economic connection with Germany. Since 1891, it was part of the German customs union. This meant there was an open border with Germany. Before the Euro currency was introduced, people in Mittelberg used the German Deutsche Mark.

Things changed when Austria joined the European Union in 1995. Then, the Schengen Agreement was signed in 1997, allowing free travel between many European countries. Finally, the Euro was introduced in 2002. These changes meant the special status for currency and borders no longer applied in the same way. However, because of its location, Mittelberg still has some differences in tax rates, like a lower VAT rate.

Education in Mittelberg

Mittelberg has several kindergartens for young children:

• Kindergarten Hirschegg [de]
• Kindergarten Mittelberg [de]
• Kindergarten Riezlern

See Also

• In Spanish: Mittelberg para niños