Bludenz sits at the meeting of several valleys, and that is its whole story. The Walgau runs northwest toward the Rhine, the Klostertal heads east to the Arlberg, the Brandnertal climbs south to the Lünersee, and the Montafon carries the Ill river up to the Silvretta. At 588 metres, the town is a low point in a landscape of high peaks, with the Rätikon walls rising behind the old centre and a compact medieval core of arcades and painted houses. It is an ideal place to begin a ride into the mountains.
Bludenz also has an unexpected sweet side. The Milka chocolate factory operated here for decades, and the town is also the home of Fohrenburg, a respected brewery. The mix of chocolate and beer gives it a pleasant, practical personality. With over thirteen thousand people, it has every sort of fuel station, supermarket, cafe and restaurant that you could need, which makes it a good place for breakfast, a last cash machine and a check of the bike before heading up the valley.
The Silvretta High Alpine Road starts at the head of the Montafon, beyond Partenen, and climbs to the Bielerhöhe at 2,032 metres, near the Silvretta reservoir. It is a toll road, normally open from roughly early summer to autumn depending on snow, so check conditions before you set out. The road from Bludenz to the start is about forty kilometres of gentle valley riding, passing villages with wooden barns, chapels and gardens full of geraniums.
Notice the Alpine light as you go. In the morning the valley is cool and shadowed, and the first sunlight catches the high peaks while the roads below remain in shade. By midday the heat rises and the afternoon storms are common in summer. Eat well in Bludenz, because this is a ride in which you will want to be properly fed. A coffee under the arcades, a pastry, and you are ready.