Lively and open to the world: that is the feel of life in Vorarlberg in Austria’s very west. This mountain-dotted region is located in the international Lake Constance area, in the very heart of Europe, with Germany, Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein as neighbours. Vorarlberg is an economic powerhouse and offers a high quality of living. “How beautiful Vorarlberg looks” is what you will hear the locals as well as visitors say. Within a small area, Vorarlberg boasts a surprising variety of landscapes. It takes just an hour’s drive by car from the gentle shorelines of Lake Constance to the awe-inspiring mountain ranges.
A string of hiking trails take visitors to awe-inspiring mountain peaks. Many summits can be reached by cable car. In winter, skiers hit the slopes in the state-of-the art ski resorts. Attentive hosts offer hospitality in style, and top-notch quality. Skilful chefs treat their guests to regional delicacies. Cheese, notably the spicy mountain cheese, is the most famous speciality. In demonstration dairy farms you can watch hands-on, how milk is turned into cheese.
Vorarlberg is the culture hub in the international Lake Constance area. In summer, the Bregenz Festival, the largest of its kind, performs grand opera on the floating lakeside stage in a spectacular open-air setting. Museums open new horizons. Kunsthaus Bregenz is one of the leading European museums of contemporary art. The building as such, a cube-shaped glass construction, is worth a visit. Set in the rural idyll of the Bregenzerwald, the Werkraum Building is unique as a showcase of modern crafts. Contemporary Vorarlberg (timber) architecture has garnered international attention. Vorarlberg is also a trailblazer when it comes to sustainable construction that uses natural resources sparingly.