Arlberg, Mountain pass in Sankt Anton am Arlberg, Austria

Arlberg is a mountain pass at 1,793 meters that connects Vorarlberg and Tyrol through the Austrian Alps. A road tunnel allows year-round crossing, while a large ski resort with extensive slopes and lift systems spreads across the surrounding slopes.

The Arlberg was recorded as a mule track by the 14th century, when salt was traded across the Alps. Traffic was so poor that merchants long preferred detours via the Fern Pass or Immenstadt. Surfacing of the road in 1824 followed the growth of the textile industry and postal service. The 14 km Arlberg Road Tunnel, built from 1974, opened on 1 December 1978 between Langen and St. Anton.

The name Arlberg goes back to 1218, when a document mentions a forest reaching the Arl; by 1485 the form "perg Arls" is recorded. In Walser speech Berg still means a pass crossing and the land on both sides, so the name never became Arlpass. The Arl also named Burg Arlen, destroyed in 1406 during the Appenzell wars, and Vorarlberg takes its name from the mountain.

The area is a winter sports center with slopes suitable for different skill levels. In summer, hikers can explore mountain trails and enjoy the Alpine environment.

The Arlberg lies in the Grauwacken zone, a fault zone between the crystalline rocks of the Verwall to the south and the overthrust limestone nappes of the Northern Limestone Alps to the north. The Rhine-Danube watershed crosses the pass over the Valluga and Trittkopf.