Vorarlberg

Vorarlberg is Austria's westernmost state and, after Vienna, its smallest, wedged between Lake Constance, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Bavaria. A vacation in Vorarlberg combines the floating stage of Bregenz, modern timber architecture in the Bregenz Forest and ski resorts like Lech, which rank among the most exclusive in the Alps.

From Lake Constance to the Mountains

To the north, the state borders Lake Constance, where the Rhine Valley is densely populated, with Bregenz, Dornbirn, Hohenems and Feldkirch. To the east lies the Bregenz Forest with its green hills, cheese-making alpine pastures and villages where old shingled houses stand next to award-winning timber buildings. To the south, the Rätikon and Silvretta ranges rise with glaciers, cut through by the Montafon valley with towns such as Gaschurn and St. Gallenkirch. The Kleinwalsertal valley, with the municipality of Mittelberg, can only be reached by car via Germany. Far to the east lies the Arlberg with Lech and Zürs.

Cities and Towns

Bregenz is known for the Bregenz Festival, where operas are performed on a floating stage on Lake Constance, and for the Kunsthaus designed by Peter Zumthor. Dornbirn is the largest city, home to the Rolls-Royce collection, the inatura natural history exhibition and the Karren, the local mountain with a cable car. Feldkirch has a medieval old town with Schattenburg Castle, and Hohenems has a Jewish cemetery and the Jewish Museum. Lech is considered one of the most beautiful mountain villages in the Alps and is part of the Ski Arlberg ski area; Mittelberg in the Kleinwalsertal is a ski and hiking destination with views of the Widderstein.

In the Bregenz Forest, worthwhile stops include Schwarzenberg with the Angelika Kauffmann Museum, Bezau with the Wälderbahn narrow-gauge railway and Andelsbuch with the Werkraum. Hohenems was once the seat of the Counts of Hohenems, whose Renaissance palace is now used for concerts; in summer, Feldkirch hosts the Poolbar Festival. Gaschurn and St. Gallenkirch in the Montafon are starting points for hikes in the Rätikon and Silvretta, and in winter the Silvretta Montafon cable cars open up a large ski area.

Sights in Vorarlberg

The sights in Vorarlberg include the Silvretta High Alpine Road with its reservoir at over 2,000 meters, the Rappenloch Gorge near Dornbirn and the bus shelters of Krumbach, designed by international architects. The Werkraum Haus in Andelsbuch showcases the craftsmanship of the Bregenz Forest. The Pfänderbahn cable car takes visitors up Bregenz's local mountain for views across the lake.

In the Kleinwalsertal, trails lead through the Breitach Gorge near Oberstdorf and up the Ifen, and in the Montafon there are mining and local history museums that tell of the lives of mountain farmers.

Food and Drink

Käsknöpfle, small cheese dumplings with mountain cheese and fried onions, are the favorite dish, served with potato salad and applesauce. The KäseStrasse Bregenzerwald (Cheese Road) links dairies, alpine pastures and inns, and the spicy Vorarlberg Alpkäse is often aged for months. Riebel, a cornmeal dish, Subirer pear brandy and fish from Lake Constance round out the cuisine.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

Bregenz and Feldkirch lie on the rail line from Lindau to the Arlberg region; from Munich, the trip via Lindau takes a little over three hours. The nearest airports are Altenrhein, Friedrichshafen and Zurich. The best time to visit is June through September, when the festival takes place, as well as December through April for winter sports on the Arlberg.