Sevelen offers a variety of discoveries: a circular trail along a mountain stream, the walk-through art installation GedankenBerg, and traces of history from early settlement to the Rhine Bridge. The village lies in the Rhine Valley, west of Vaduz, on the border with Liechtenstein. In addition to the village of the same name, the political municipality includes the hamlets of Rans, Oberräfis, St. Ulrich, Välsli and Glaat on the edge of the Rhine plain, as well as isolated farms on the eastern slope of the Alvier range. Sevelen therefore refers both to the village and to a municipality comprising several hamlets and isolated farms.
The Gorge Trail along the mountain stream
The Gorge Trail is a 5.1-kilometre circular route that takes about two hours to walk. You can start at the Glat car park or in the village centre by the civil defence facility. Along the route, stairs and bridges follow a foaming mountain stream; glacial potholes can be seen in the stream. The 16 stations explore the healing power, blessings and dangers of water.
Art and seasonal access at GedankenBerg
The GedankenBerg art park, created by Gert Gschwendtner and Mali Gubser, is located on a gentle hill above Sevelen. It is a walk-through art installation and a place to linger and enjoy subtle experiences. Its 18 stations bring sculptural elements, rock drawings, figures, architectural fragments and texts into dialogue with geological formations, plants and the surrounding panorama. The natural forms and the art are jointly part of the experience.
GedankenBerg is open to the public daily from 09:00 to 20:00 from 1 April to 1 November; admission is free. Check these seasonal opening times again before your trip. The circular route takes about two hours; GedankenBerg is open daily from 09:00 to 20:00 during its season.
Church, Rhine Bridge and construction history
The founding of St. Johannes Church dates back to the 12th century. The church has been remodelled and rebuilt several times, so its founding date and construction history are two distinct points in time. The Vaduz–Sevelen Rhine Bridge also reflects several years and construction phases. The present bridge is based on a bridge built in 1870/71 to the plans of regional engineer Peter Rheinberger. In 1900/01, the Rhine Bridge was rebuilt in timber framing in the Howe style, with a board screen and roof. It is 135 metres long in total.
Herrenberg and earlier traces
In the 13th century, Chur Bishop Heinrich III of Montfort had a castle built on StorchenbĂĽhl, associated with Herrenberg. The visible remains include a section of tower wall, faint traces of the central castle walls and a wide moat. Today, the castle grounds are part of a walk-through art installation.
The surviving traces date back further than the castle. Archaeological finds at Sonnenbühl, Geissberg and Dachsenboden provide evidence of settlement between 4000 and 1800 BC. The place name “Sevellin” is documented from 1160; the hamlet of Rans is mentioned as early as 842/843. Together, these names and dates offer different insights into the history of the village and the surrounding municipality.
Discover more destinations: Gams, Wartau, Buchs, Grabs, Sennwald.
Return to the regional travel overview: Werdenberg.
