Ardetzenberg, Summit in Vorarlberg, Austria
Ardetzenberg is a 631.9 m high mountain in the Vorarlberg Rhine valley, part of the Bregenzerwald mountains, lying north of Feldkirch's old town. Its south-west side is bounded by the Ill gorge, and the city districts of Tisis, Tosters, Gisingen, Altenstadt, Levis and Feldkirch Stadt surround it. On its slopes stand the Institut St. Josef and, higher up, the Feldkirch wildlife park.
The Ardetzenberg was already farmed in the Middle Ages, with viticulture playing a leading role; dry-stone walls and terraces along the Ardetzenweg still mark the vineyards. During the 20th century agriculture declined and the hill became a local recreation area. Since 1998 the 375-metre Ardetzenbergtunnel on the L53 Bangser Straße links the Bärenkreuzung at the edge of the old town with Tosters and Gisingen.
The name probably derives from an older form such as "Erdetzel" recorded in historical documents; locally the hill is nicknamed "Detz". The Ardetzenberger Funkenzunft lights its Funken bonfire on the hill each Funkensonntag, the first Sunday after Ash Wednesday.
The Ardetzenberg tunnel, 375 metres long, runs under the hill on the L53 Bangser Strasse and links the Bärenkreuzung junction at the edge of the old town with Tosters and Gisingen to the north-west. Above it, the Ardetzenweg passes dry-stone walls and terraces from former vineyards. The Wildpark Feldkirch lies higher up the slope.
Locals call the Ardetzenberg simply "Detz"; the name probably derives from an older form such as "Erdetzel" recorded in historical documents. The Alsatian name Ardetzabearg is a translation label, not a local usage.
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