Elbigenalp - or as it is locally called "s'Durf" (the village) - is of regional significance in the Lechtal region. Since the Middle Ages (1312) Elbigenalp is the political and spiritual centre of the parish Lechtal. Elbigenalp consists of several villages and hamlets. Köglen, together with Elbigenalp and Untergiblen, forms a long - stretched village. In the course of the construction of the bypass, the old village has partly lost its functions due to new developments and new houses. Impressive houses with frescos and ornamental plasterworks remember the times when brick-layers and plasterers of the region had to go abroad to gain a living. Austria's only carving school was built in Elbigenalp in 1951. On the initiative of a local businessman an internationally-known CD factory was built in the 1970's, which employs many people in the region. Elbigenalp is the birth place of the Geierwally and to commemorate her, an annual summer festival has taken place since 1993. |