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Vorarlberg

Vorarlberg is a state of Austria.

Regions

Although the province of Vorarlberg is quite small the landscape is quite varied. When you arrive in Bregenz, the capital, you reach the lake region and Rhine valley, which stretches from there down to Feldkirch along the river Rhine. From Bregenz you also have access to the Bregenzerwald, which is a narrow valley that leads to the Arlberg, the mountain range that separates Vorarlberg from Tyrol. The Kleinwalsertal also belongs to Vorarlberg, but it is most easily accessed from Germany. From the end of the valley you get access to Alpine region Bludenz and the Walgau, which stretches from Feldkirch to Bludenz. From Bludenz you also have access to the Montafon. Here you can see a simplified map of the regions. Other valleys in Vorarlberg are: the Klostertal (stretching from Bludenz to the Arlberg), the Walsertal which connects the Walgau and the Bregenzerwald, the Brandnertal in the Montafon region, the Laternsertal which connects the Rhine valley (Rheintal) with the Bregenzerwald, the Laiblachtal (close to Bregenz) and the Lechtal in the Arlberg region.

Cities

Other destinations

Culture and History

Kaesknoepfle, or so called spatzle. a typical Vorarlberger dish. Very heavy but delicious. This is how they are made. For the dough you need 500 g flour, 5 eggs, salt, a pinch of nutmeg, a little milk, 200 - 250 g grated cheese (3 different kinds), salted water, 1-2 table spoons oil, 1 big onion, 1/2 tea spoon flour, 125 g butter. Prepare a firm dough out of the eggs, the flour, the salt and the milk. Don't use a mixer for this and don't stir too long. Let the dough rest for 1/4 hour. To make the dumplings people use a "Spaetzlehobel" here but you can also fling small portions of the dough (tiny dumplings) into the boiling salted water (with oil). You have to be quick here. You have to do this portion by portion. When the dumplings swim, then you fish then out of the water with a sieve or strainer. Then you put one layer of spatzle into a bowl. The lowest layer is cheese, the last one spatzle. You alternate: cheese, spatzle, cheese, ... At the end you pour a laddle of the water that they cooked in over these layers and then you spread the golden-brown onion rings with the butter over the spatzle. Many people have potato salad with it. But the custom differs from household to household.
Even if you speak German, you may have problems understanding the people here because of their dialect. There are big variations in the accent and some of the words between the various regions, but even between two villages that are next to each other there can be slight variations in accent. If you speak swedish oder nederlands this might be easier to understand for you than "hochdeutsch" (written german)

Talk

Travel to Vorarlberg, visa requirements

Flights to Vorarlberg, airtickets

Nearby international Airports include Zurich, Munich and Innsbruck. Other Airports are St.Gallen/Altenrhein in Switzerland (direct flights to Vienna) and Friedrichshafen in Germany (direct flights from London, Dublin, Spain, Turkey, ...,) both located near the Lake of Constance (Bodensee).

By train

Major train routes come from Switzerland as well as Tyrol and you either enter Vorarlberg in Feldkirch or in Bregenz.

Get around

Vorarlberg has a very efficient public transport system. The railway from Bregenz to Feldkirch and the Arlberg is a kind of backbone and buses take you to all other places. Connections can be checked here.

City tours

Vorarlberg offers various summer and winter sport facilities (mountain biking, cycling, inline skating, skiing, ...) and there are also a lot of cultural events throughout the year.

BREGENZ district:

Major cultural attractions in Bregenz are the Bregenzer Frühling with modern dance and especially the "Bregenzer Festspiele" with the stage on the lake.
The Kunsthaus in Vorarlbergs capital. The museum built by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor has a very special lighting system which combines artificial and natural light and makes visiting any exhibition an extraordinary experience. The museum specializes in modern art.
The Künstlerhaus Bregenz is another place for those who are interested in modern art. The exhibitions are organized by the professional association of Vorarlberg artists.
The Gebhardsberg ("Gebhards mountain) is 598 m above sea level and it offers a splendid view on the Rhine Valley (Rheintal) and Lake Constance (Bodensee). It is popular among the local population for walks. On it you can find the ruins of Hohenbregenz, which was built at the end of 11th century, in 1097, by the Dukes of Bregenz. It later changed ownership several times and in the 17th century it was extended into a stronghold. In 1647 it was captured by the Swedes without any resistence and they blew up the fortress in the same year. From 1670 the ruins gained importance as a place of pilgrimage of St. Gebhard and they were adapted for religious and gastronimical purposes several times. In 1723 the church, which was built within the ruins, was consecrated. In this time the "mountain" got its present name. There is a restaurant there now.
The Pfänder (1064 m) is another mountain with a spectacular view on Lake Constance, Vorarlberg, Switzerland and Germany.. It is also a popular mountain for easy walks or mountain biking tours and if you don't like walking, you can go up with the Pfänderbahn (Pfander cablecar).

DORNBIRN district:

The Karren is worth a visit. From here you have a splendid view of the Lake Constance and you look into 3 countries: Austria, Switzerland and Germany. Either you use the cablecar to go up or - if you're fit - you walk up there but they way is quite steep.
Dornbirn may not be the nicest city of Vorarlberg but it's quite lively in the evening when it's warm. It's definitely worth a visit then.

Feldkirch district:

Feldkirch has a beautiful small old town, which is definitely worth a visit although it only comprises a few streets. In summer the streets are quite lively and there are many cafés which invite you to have a rest.
On a hill just above Feldkirch there's the castle Schattenburg. There's a restaurant in the castle and also a castle museum.
Feldkirch used to be the home of the Stella Matutina, a Jesuit grammar school that is also mentioned in Thomas Mann's "The Magic Mountain". Now the building is home to an academy of music.
Nearby Feldkirch, in Rankweil, there's the Liebfrauen basilica, an old place of pilgrimage.

Bludenz district:

Bludenz also has a nice old town.
Golf: two 18 hole (Bludenz-Braz and Brand) and two 9 hole (Schruns, Partenen) are available. These courses are very scenic and worth playing