Partenen is the last proper village at the head of the Montafon, the long valley that runs south-east from Bludenz toward the Silvretta range. After here the valley narrows, the trees close in and the road starts to climb toward the high lakes. It is a small place, a scatter of farmhouses and guest houses along the Ill, with the mountains standing so close that the sun arrives late and leaves early.
Most riders know Partenen as the gate to the Silvretta High Alpine Road. The toll booth sits just up the hill, and the ride begins in earnest as soon as you pass it, with a long climb of tight, regular hairpins that gain height quickly through spruce forest and then out into open ground. It is one of those roads that is more satisfying going up than coming down, because the bends are cut into the slope with generous room and the surface is smooth enough for a smooth line. Out of season the road is closed by snow, so check the dates before planning a day around it.
Next to the village stands a small cable railway, the Vermuntbahn, which carries hikers up to the Vermunt reservoir, and above that there is a network of hydroelectric works that has shaped this valley since the early twentieth century. Water is the main economy here besides tourism: the Illwerke built dams and power stations through the Montafon, and much of the electricity that lights western Austria has passed through these slopes. It is easy to miss from the road, but the pipes, tunnels and reservoirs are all part of the landscape you are riding through.
The Montafon has a character of its own, with dark timber houses, steep farm meadows and a dialect that visitors from Vienna struggle with. You can eat well in Partenen, with hearty mountain food, strong coffee and, if you are lucky, a slice of cake that has clearly been made that morning.
For fuel, do not count on the village. Gaschurn, a few kilometres back down the valley, is the more reliable stop, and Schruns further down is larger still. Fill before you climb, because the next sure thing is on the other side of the pass, and Galtür is not big.