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The lovely town of Bregenz is the capital of Vorarlberg, Austria’s westernmost region. Built on the shores of Lake Constance, it is only a few kilometres from both Switzerland and Germany. It has just under 30,000 inhabitants and, despite its small size, is an interesting tourist destination.
There are in fact several interesting things to visit in the area, starting with the upper part of the city, which houses the remains of the medieval citadel, with its walls and the Martinsturm, i.e. Martin’s tower; the lower town, on the other hand, is the more recent Bregenz, with interesting monuments and buildings ranging from the town hall built at the end of the 17th century to the Kunsthaus Bregenz museum of modern art, opened in 1997.
Two rather important festivals are also held in Bregenz: the Bregenzer Spring, dedicated to dance and ballet, and, above all, the Bregenzer Festspiele, a music festival founded in 1946 and held every summer; on this occasion, the world’s largest floating stage is set up directly on the lake.
Bregenz is an excellent starting point for discovering the Vorarlberg region. Spend a couple of days in the city and then set off on the road to visit the main attractions of this beautiful part of Austria.
In Bregenz, a visit to the Vorarlberg Museum is a must; after all, it is the capital of Vorarlberg. It was founded in 1857 and today houses a collection of archaeological, historical and folklore exhibits from the region.
There are four permanent exhibitions and a number of very interesting temporary exhibitions. There is also a library in the museum with over 15,000 books on Vorarlberg and its history.
One of the most interesting buildings in Bregenz is the Kunsthaus, the museum of modern art. Known in the city by its acronym KUB – from Kunsthaus Bregenz – it was built in the 1990s and is one of the most important contemporary art galleries in Europe.
On the ground floor is the KUB Arena, with 1800 square metres of exhibition space, while the two areas of the collection are called, in English, “Archive Art Architecture” and “Contemporary Austrian Art.” The building itself is also remarkable, with a façade composed of 712 glass panels that become a veritable installation.
For a day trip in the great outdoors and postcard-perfect scenery, the Pfander mountain is the ideal destination. It is located just above Bregenz, and once you reach the summit, you will be able to admire a truly stunning panorama, with the city and the lake at your feet.
The Pfander is one of the most famous vantage points in Vorarlberg, and you can reach the top on foot or by using the Pfänderbahn cable car, which starts in Bregenz and takes only six minutes to cover the entire route, which has an altitude difference of over 600 metres.
Another must-see for those in Bregenz is the territorial abbey of Wettingen-Mehrerau, which includes a Circestensian monastery and a cathedral. This imposing building, located just outside the city, dates back to around 1097 A.D. and during its almost thousand-year history has seen numerous changes in structure and style.
Today, the territorial abbey of Wettingen-Mehrerau is one of the most beautiful religious monuments in the whole of Vorarlberg and is certainly worth a thorough visit, both outside and inside.
Finally, if you are in Bregenz, don’t miss the Bregenzerwald, or ‘Bregenz Forest’. It covers a large part of the entire Vorarlberg region, and is divided into two areas called Vorderwald (‘low forest’, as it is a hilly area with low mountains) and Hinterwald (‘high forest’, as there are peaks up to 2,000 metres high here).
The most important towns in the Bregenzerwald are Bezau, Alberschwende and Egg. The area is popular in winter for skiing and in summer for hiking and mountain tours.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article
Bregenz is a small town, so all attractions are within easy reach. We recommend sleeping in the old town if you want all the amenities such as shops, bars and restaurants, or on the lakeshore if you are looking for a more secluded yet exclusive accommodation. There is a wide range of accommodation on offer, on average the facilities are all of excellent quality, but there is no shortage of homestays or guesthouses for those on a tighter budget.
Bregenz is located at the western end of the country, so it is quite far from both Vienna (6 hours 15 minutes) and Salzburg (3 ½ hours). Even from Innsbruck it takes about 2 hours, via the A12 motorway heading east, and completing the journey on the A14.
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