Ernest Hemingway in Montafon

In long, quiet, gliding movements, by ski ascending, plunging deeper and deeper into the mountains, leaving human civilisation further and further behind, lofty 3,000 m peaks in view. One begins to suspect what Hemingway found in Montafon: Strong personalities, joy and adventure. In winter 1924/1925 he was in Montafon for the first time, where he drank and played cards with hunters, farmers and barons and learned to ski in no time. He climbed on pretty much every peak, never got enough of the speed of skiing and enjoyed the comfort of the Hotel “Taube". Under thick blankets in the warm room, with traditional, good food and sincerely honest company. Those moments never let go of their grip on Hemingway and he worked them into several of his bestsellers, such as in "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and "Paris - A Moveable Feast".

During his time in the Montafon, he seemed unconcerned, happy and free. All his life he longed to be back in this world. What he was left with, was the memory of feeling free in life. Today a bronze likeness of him stands in the town square of Schruns.