Galtür stands at about 1,600 metres at the head of the Paznaun valley, and the first thing you notice is a concrete wall. It is long, curved and tall, and it was built after the avalanche of February 1999, when a wall of snow roared down into the village and killed thirty-one people. The wall now shields the centre, and a museum beside it, the Alpinarium, tells the story of the disaster and, more broadly, of living under snow. It is a serious place, and a thoughtful stop even for riders who normally only want coffee.
The village itself has recovered with quiet dignity. The church, the old farmhouses and the gardens still have the look of a high mountain community, and the rhythm of the place is set by the seasons: ski traffic in winter, hikers and riders in summer, and a lull in November when everything shuts for a rest. The Trisanna river runs beside the village, a pale grey-green stream fed by glaciers that you can see from the road in clear weather.
The riding here is the eastern half of the Silvretta High Alpine Road. Coming from the Bielerhöhe, you descend a gentler, wider road than the Montafon side, with longer straights between the bends and big views down the valley. Out of the village, the road continues toward Ischgl and Landeck along the Trisanna, a fast, pleasant run with a few tunnels and some tight stretches where the valley closes in. In the evening the shadows lengthen early, so you may be riding in cold air long before sunset.
It is worth remembering how remote Galtür feels. It has a population of under eight hundred, and though it is not a small village in tourist terms, with plenty of beds, it is a long way from any large town. Ischgl is nine kilometres down the valley and has services, but anything bigger means a drive to Landeck or over the border. Check your fuel before committing to the high road.
Eat at one of the traditional inns if you can. Tyrolean dishes like Kaspressknödel, cheese dumplings in broth, are the right size for the end of a cold day, and the beer, brewed somewhere down the valley, is honest and cold.