Alpenregion Vorarlberg

The Alpenregion Vorarlberg around Bludenz can make visitors almost feel dizzy. And not only at the summit cross on the Schesaplana: a sea of mountains stretches into the distance, the Lünersee glitters in turquoise and the alpine meadows glow in lush green. The many leisure options are also staggering. Be it sports activities, opportunities to relax, cultural attractions or culinary delights. Three valleys – the Brandnertal, Großes Walsertal and Klostertal – are just waiting to be explored. The tranquil Alpenstadt Bludenz sits right in the centre of all three. It’s a place where visitors can take a leisurely stroll under arcades in the medieval town centre, where the ‘Remise’ stages a varied programme for visitors interested in culture and where the ‘UNIKAT B’ in Schloss Gayenhofen presents applied art and design every two years. Or you can find out where the most delicate of chocolate temptations comes from – because this is where the purple cow lives. Chocoholics will find what they’re looking for in the Milka Shop and at the chocolate festival that takes place in July.

The Brandnertal is just a few minutes away from Bludenz. Skiers and snowboarders take over the villages in winter. The snow transforms meadows and forests into a winter wonderland that’s great for cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing or simply taking a walk for hours on end. Ice princesses spin their pirouettes on the frozen bathing lake in the middle of Brand. The place where, in summer, tired walkers jump into fresh spring water. How better to soothe one’s aching muscles? The valley has many options to offer: for families wishing to enjoy an adventure, for hermits looking for recreation and for adventurers looking for a kick. And even for business people looking for comfortable conference hotels and attractive accompanying programmes for all types of events. Meetings, congresses and conferences are twice as much fun when they’re rounded off with archery, angling, climbing or riding in nature. Or when participants get to learn lots of new things on animal and forest adventure trails. A rope park tests courage, skill and team spirit while the 18-hole golf course and several tennis courts are great places to wind down.

Tschack Norris, Tschäck the Ripper and Tschim Beam – the downhill- and free-ride trails challenge cyclists to duels in the bike park! Even professional cyclists need to draw on all their skills when tackling the Tschengla on Bürserberg. But newcomers will also find somewhere to play from the beginning of May to the middle of October. Want some action after a hard day in the meeting room? Race downhill on monster scooters and mountain carts – great fun as an accompanying programme for incentive events!

The UNESCO Biosphere Park Großes Walsertal is the place to find peace and quiet. It’s where the sky breathes. It’s where marguerite, arnica and many other beauties try to outdo each other. Mass tourism was never an option here, the location as a deep-cut valley and the associated difficulties prevented developments in this direction from the outset. But the people of Großwalsertal did know how to make the best of adverse circumstances and live and work in harmony with nature. The cuisine in the hotels and inns is refreshingly simple and down-to-earth. Local and seasonal products – the multi-award-winning ‘Walserstolz’ cheese is one such delicacy – are usually the preferred option. Enhanced with mountain herbs that grow on the front doorstep. The St. Gerold priory is located at the entrance to the valley. A spiritual place for workshops, conferences and meetings free of distractions, concentrating entirely on the essential and right in the middle of almost virgin nature.

And what is the (supposedly) most beautiful place? Formarinsee – embedded in the wildly romantic mountain world of the Klostertal – which was named ‘the most beautiful place in Austria’ in a survey carried out by ORF (Austrian Broadcasting Corporation) in 2015. Hiking, climbing, mountain biking, golfing and wellness may all be enjoyed in the Klostertal. And you can also – and above all – eat well here. Little explorers can roam the ‘Bärenland’ (‘Bear Country’) on the Sonnenkopf in summer. In winter, it’s the place for skiing down pistes where the snow is guaranteed or for powdering through the massive back country – the Klostertal is no longer an entirely insider tip for free-riders and adventure skiers.