As we watch the passing countryside from the bus, it's clear that the Bregenzerwald, a small region in the Austria province of Vorarlberg bordering Switzerland to the west, is what the Alps used to be -- before the advent of vacation homes, ski lifts, and power lines.  It's carefully-tended landscape, with hilly terrain punctuated by fenced-in pastures, clusters of trees and farmsteads -- and an occasional chapel lost in the snow.

 

Our destination is the village of Krumbach, and our goal is to do some hiking through the snowy landscape.  The Bregenzerwald tourism office has produced a free brochure describing 25 trails, all identified with pink markers.  In the morning we start off, brochure in hand.  Soon we come upon Engisholz, a hamlet with a half dozen farmsteads, snow-covered fruit trees, old wooden fences protecting small vegetable plots, and steaming manure piles.  Farm life is omnipresent in the Bregenzerwald.

 

When the alemanish settlers came to the region in the 11th century, they wrested farm land from the deep forests, which were well-known in Roman times.  In return, the settlers were given the right of self-administration by the Closter Mehrerau, which ruled the area.  These rights were diminished only in the early 19th century as the Vorarlberg was conquered by the Bavarians in the Napoleonic wars and later by the Habsburgs. 

 

This legacy of local initiative is today reflected in the success of the area's dairy cooperatives.  To meet the challenges of membership in the EU, the cooperatives branded two dozen cheese varieties.  Moreover, in 1998, the area's villages, farmers, hotelliers, and artisans participated in the creation of the "cheese road."  Guests can visit the 18 active dairies and see how cheese is made in the traditional way.  All of these initiatives have helped the Bregenzerwald maintain its authenticity.

 

An example is Au, which, despite a large influx of tourists, has remained a farm village with its distinctive architecture intact.  Wood-working is one of the oldest crafts in the area, and these skills are reflected in the way buildings have been carefully modernized with traditional materials.

 

The winter hiking trail up to the Bergkristallhuette is new.  It's an hour-long hike along a steep serpentine trail.  After we reach the top, the forest begins to thin, and then we come upon a cluster of wooden buildings and a small church.  In May, eight farmers still bring their cattle up to the summer pastures.

 

As we sip tea on the sunny south side of the Bergkristallhuette, we spot some chamois in the wild valley below us.  The hordes of winter tourists and modern diversions seem a world away.