Lustenau


Lustenau is a town in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg in the district of Dornbirn. It lies on the river Rhine, which forms the border with Switzerland. Lustenau is Vorarlberg's fourth largest town.

History

Until 1830, Lustenau was an independent county ruled over by the Counts of Waldburg-Zeil-Lustenau-Hohenems. After 1830 it became part of Austria. The name Lustenau derives from a document, signed by the Carolingian king Charles the Fat, with the title "Lustenauua curti regali," meaning "Royal Court of Lustenau."

Population

Transport

Lustenau lies on the section of the Vorarlberg Railway running between St. Margrethen in Switzerland and Bregenz. It is also home to the headquarters of the International Rhine Regulation Railway, a historic industrial railway that was formerly used in the development dikes and extension of the Rhine out into the Lake of Constance.

Sport

Lustenau has a long and successful history in sports. The town's two football teams, SC Austria Lustenau and FC Lustenau, play in major Austrian football leagues. The well-known and successful skier, Marc Girardelli, was born in Lustenau, and the Lustenau ice-hockey team, EHC Lustenau, is part of the Austrian National League. FC Lustenau 07 and SC Austria Lustenau played in the Austrian Football First League in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.
The town was formerly a major center of the embroidery industry in the past and is now a centre for the new technologies industry
There are also two very good athletics and gymnastic clubs in Lustenau, the TS Lustenau and the TS Jahn Lustenau. Both have achieved top results nationally and internationally. They also have survived the domination of the football clubs, which led to a total demolition of the athletic track in the Reichshofstadion in 1998.

Sons and daughters of the town