The first settlers came from the Swiss canton of Valais in the year 1326. They hiked across Furkajoch saddle and settled down in Uga.

Geography

Damüls is located in Vorarlberg, Austria’s westernmost province, and belongs to the district of Bregenz and the diocese of Feldkirch. At 1431 meter above sea level, Damüls is the highest holiday resort between Bregenzerwald and Großes Walsertal.

History
In the late 12^th century the people from Valais / Switzerland began to settle other parts of the Alps. Around 1300 these migrants were offered lands for settlement in remote and inhospitable areas in Vorarlberg, Tirol’s west and Grisons in Switzerland.

The settlers were “free farmers on free land”, with their own court and own parish, but they could be drafted for military service.

In the 13^th century, the counts of Montfort were anxious to increase the population and strengthen its national defense. For this purposed they hired with mercenaries from Valais who were promised personal freedom and the right to own land and property. But first they had to clear the woodlands.

The once forested surroundings of Damüls were already used for cattle grazing before the settlers from Valais came. The name Damüls is Romanic and means either hill or milking place.

Until 1806 Damüls and Fontanella had their own court. In 1390 Damüls was assigned to Austria together with Feldkirch.