Bregenz: Art, Festivals and Protected Nature

The architecture of the Kunsthaus, behind-the-scenes insights into the theater operations at the Bregenz Festival, and a nature reserve on the Mehrerau lakeshore give Bregenz a range of distinct attractions. There are also museums and routes in other places, covering topics from crafts to landscapes. When planning your stay, you can first decide whether you want to focus on culture, regional history or outdoor routes.

Lakeside landscapes and protected areas

The Mehrerauer Seeufer–Bregenzerachmündung nature reserve is located in Bregenz and Hard and covers 154.29 hectares. The Rhine Delta is larger: it is the largest wetland on Lake Constance, extends across Fußach, Gaißau, Hard and Höchst, and covers more than 2,000 hectares. Two thirds of its area is water. The Rhine Delta is both a Ramsar site and a Natura 2000 site. If you are interested in protected areas, the Kojen-Moos in Riefensberg is another specific example: it has been protected since 1978.

The Kunsthaus and festival insights

The Kunsthaus Bregenz was designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, built between 1994 and 1997, and opened in 1997. The sequence of design, construction and opening provides architecture enthusiasts with a clear timeline for the history of the building. At the Bregenz Festival, behind-the-scenes tours offer insights into theater operations, giving visitors the opportunity to get to know the floating stage. Tour dates are organized seasonally and may change. Be sure to check the current schedule before your visit.

Museums covering crafts and everyday history

The Women’s Museum Hittisau explores topics relating to women in cultural, social, art and architectural history, connecting regional and international perspectives. Its additional program includes special guided tours, lectures, workshops, concerts, readings, seminars and film screenings; individual offerings change. The museum can be reached from the “Hittisau Gemeindehaus” stop on bus routes 820, 860 and 891; from there, it is a two-minute walk. Check the connection before traveling, as routes and timetables may change.

In Hard, the Mittelweiherburg Textile Printing Museum explores pattern cutting, hand printing on textiles and the social history of industrialization up to the 1930s. The building itself is also part of the story: the Mittelweiherburg was built around 1570 and became a cradle of the textile industry from 1794. The Coseum in Alberschwende offers a different glimpse into past ways of life. Furnished exhibition rooms with kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms show rural domestic culture of the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Egg Museum was founded as a local history museum in 1904. After its collections had been in storage for several years, it reopened in 1988 in the former school and municipal building dating from 1899. The “Egg in Felders’ Time” route is offered in collaboration with the museum; a backpack with helpful materials and audio recordings enhances the experience. In Andelsbuch, Werkraum Bregenzerwald showcases products made by its member businesses. Its 700 m² hall can be used as exhibition space and for concerts and lectures. In Riefensberg, the Juppenwerkstatt combines a museum and demonstration workshop. The exclusive fabric for the traditional women’s costume of the Bregenzerwald is made only there. The Angelika Kauffmann Museum in Schwarzenberg offers visitors a tour of the house and direct insights into 19th-century rural domestic and everyday culture.

Routes and outdoor activities

There is a dense network of hiking and cycling trails around the Pfänder. One dedicated cycling option is the easy “Rhine delta tour”: it starts on the lakeside promenade in Bregenz, passes through Hard and Fußach into the Rhine Delta, and follows a signposted cycle path through the nature reserve. The Georunde Rindberg in Sibratsgfäll offers a different focus: eight stations make the power of nature visible, tangible and easy to experience.

Discover more travel destinations: Mittelberg, Andelsbuch, Lingenau, Bregenz, Schoppernau, Mellau, Riefensberg, Au, Bildstein, Reuthe, Schröcken, Krumbach, Hittisau, Egg, Bizau, Sulzberg, Hohenweiler, Riezlern, Warth, Höchst, Bezau, Lochau, Buch, Hirschegg, Schwarzenberg, Wolfurt, Doren, Sibratsgfäll, Hörbranz, Schnepfau, Alberschwende, Hard, Schwarzach, Kennelbach, Langenegg, Rehmen, Langen Bei Bregenz, Großdorf, Möggers, Eichenberg, Lauterach, Fußach

To the main travel overview: Vorarlberg.