Travel guide Bregenzer Wald & vicinity
Between Lake Constance and the Alpine peaks
The Bregenzerwald region is located in the Austrian state of
Vorarlberg between Bregenzer Ach and
Lake Constance up to the Hochtannberg Pass. To the north, the Bregenzerwald borders the German districts of Lindau and Oberallgäu in Bavaria and the Kleinwalsertal. The Großes Walsertal lies to the south. By train, you can reach your vacation rental in the Bregenzerwald via the train stations in Bregenz and Lörrach (car train). The resort has an excellent public bus network. All guests receive the so-called Bregenzerwaldcard from the municipalities, which allows the use of all public transportation for free. By car, you can travel from Munich via Memmingen and Lindau, and from
Stuttgart via Ulm and Lindau. Book a cozy accommodation or a vacation apartment or a fantastic holiday home for your relaxing vacation according to your personal wishes between breathtaking peaks and idyllic family hikes.
Green summers and white winters in the Bregenzerwald
The best travel time for a
mountain vacation in the Bregenzerwald is from June to the end of August and the beginning of September. Temperatures rise to 23°C during the summer months, and there is little rainfall. The best time for a
ski vacation in the Bregenzerwald is between Christmas and Easter. Temperatures are around the freezing point, and good snow conditions are expected. In the higher meters, there are often more than two meters of snow.
Traditional-modern wooden architecture of the Bregenzerwald
The Bregenzerwald offers an exceptional combination of landscape, nature, and rural-craftsman culture, which is reflected in the region's typical wooden architecture. It is not so much individual buildings that are to be mentioned, but rather the overall picture that counts. Visit places like Hittisau, Schwarzenberg, or Bizau. Many of the region's traditional crafts businesses have joined forces on the Werkraum Bregenzerwald platform - with the result that Werkraum has been on the UNESCO list of good practices for the preservation and continuation of intangible cultural heritage since 2016. In Egg, the Lourdes chapel designed by Bernardo Bader is worth a visit. A 20-minute walk leads to the place of worship, built of stone and wood. The view through the white apse directly into the landscape of the Bregenzerwald is stunning. An exciting and useful project can be seen, or rather used, in Krumbach: seven bus stops were designed by seven international architectural firms (including from Chile, China, and Japan) and implemented using local materials by local crafts businesses.
Large women in history
The museums of the Bregenzerwald are dedicated to great women. Hittisau houses the only women's museum in Austria. The museum presents changing exhibitions on women from the fields of art, architecture, history, science, and craftsmanship. The perspective goes beyond the regional horizon. The museum's supporting program complements the exhibitions with lectures, panel discussions, workshops, concerts, readings, and film screenings. The second major museum in the region is dedicated to the painter Angelika Kauffmann. It is located in Schwarzenberg. The museum received the quality seal of the Austrian Museum Association. Angelika Kauffmann was born in 1741 in Chur and created a significant body of work that extended far beyond the region, reaching Rome and London. She died in 1807 in Rome. Part of the museum serves as a local history museum. Kauffmann maintained a close friendship with Kauffmann and valued her opinion as an artist, even mentioning her in his color theory and praising that she painted landscapes entirely without blue colors. Whether he referred to her homeland remains to be seen.
Culinary journey to Spätzle, Grumpara, and Brettljause
The cuisine of the Bregenzerwald is shaped by the regional cuisines of the surrounding areas. These influences, for example from the Lake Constance region and the neighboring Swiss cantons of St. Gallen, Appenzell, and Graubünden, are more pronounced in the Bregenzerwald than in many other parts of Austria. Important main ingredients are cheese and dairy products as well as flour. These are used to create, for example, Käsdönnala (or Käsflada) - a cheese flatbread, Käsespätzle (also called Käsknöpfle), or Grumpara, potatoes with cheese. The Bregenzerwald is renowned among gourmets for its Cheese Road. Here you will find traditional cheese dairies and regional products. Bregenzer Mountain Cheese is appreciated far beyond the borders of Austria. For a snack in between, all innkeepers who value themselves offer a traditional Brettljause. Served on a wooden board, you get a selection of local cheese, sausage, and bacon specialties. Local traditions are upheld in the Bregenzerwald. You must try the deliciously spicy mountain cheese! For example, the innkeepers in Krumbacher Moor offer dishes related to the moors. As for liquid accompaniment, the Vorarlberg people swear by their long brewing tradition. In the past, every inn had its beer. Today, this tradition is being revived by small craft breweries.
Action or relaxation - the main thing is to get out into nature in the Bregenzerwald
The surroundings of your holiday home in the idyllic Bregenzerwald are a paradise for nature lovers. Immerse yourself in adventure with the whole family - whether on a leisurely hike or with plenty of adrenaline during canyoning or paragliding. In addition, there are opportunities for mountain biking, golf, fishing, rafting, archery, and climbing. Boredom is guaranteed not to occur in the Bregenzerwald. In winter, everything revolves around boards - whether cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, or snowboarding. With the 3-Valley Ski Pass, you have access to the ski areas in the
Lechtal,
Allgäu, and Großes Walsertal. Use of the ski buses is included. A further 12 ski areas with a good 150 kilometers of prepared slopes can be reached from your vacation apartment within a few minutes. Things are more leisurely during snowshoe hikes or, wrapped up in thick blankets, on horse-drawn sleigh rides with a cup of mulled wine in hand. The place is also ideal for a vacation with family and pets or dogs, as the four-legged friend loves to hike with you on the beautiful hiking trails. Also, take a trip to Schröcken.
Enjoy the most beautiful sides of the vacation resort with the Wälderbähnle
What could be a more relaxed way to enjoy the idyllic nature than with a ride on a historic train? The Bregenzerwaldbahn, also colloquially known as "Wälderbahn" or "Wälderbähnle," connected the Bregenzerwald with Lake Constance between 1902 and 1983. Today, the museum railway runs on a short 5-kilometer section from Bezau to Schwarzenberg and back. Enjoy the view of the Kanisfluh and the ride across historic bridges, through fields, meadows, and forests. The Kanisfluh is a largely isolated mountain massif in the central Bregenzerwald mountains between the towns of Mellau and Au. The legendary Kanisfluh is considered the most famous mountain and landmark of the Bregenzerwald and is under landscape protection. Perfect for hikers and active vacationers, as well as the Kleinwalsertal! Now rent a cozy accommodation, for example in Egg, Schoppernau, Bizau, Bezau, or Schnepfau, or a vacation apartment or house according to your personal taste, and experience a fantastic vacation in the resort, hiking, and visiting beautiful sights.