Bregenz Travel Guide, Austria

Bregenz Travel Guide – The Capital of Bundesland Vorarlberg

The town of Bregenz, situated on the shore of Bodensee, 86 miles from Insbruck, western Austria, very close to the borders of Switzerland, Germany and Liechtenstein, is the perfect destination for a relaxing holiday. It is the capital of Bundesland Vorarlberg and an important Austrian tourist centre with winter and summer sports facilities, especially because of its perfect location at the foot of the Pfänder Mountain, 1,063 m. The town is quite nice with a promenade and hosts the famous annual summer music festival, Bregenzer Festspiele.

With a population of almost 27,240 inhabitants, Bregenz is also a regional centre for banking, retail trade, and insurance, as well as textile, chemical and machinery manufacturing, being served by the large hydropower plant situated nearby.

Its historical origin goes back to prehistoric times. Having been a Celtic settlement and then an important Roman fort and base of trade, named Brigantium, it was later settled by the Alemanni in the 6th century. The counts of Bregenz were its first rulers, which gave the name of the city, Bregenz. The Habsburgs bought the seat in the mid-16th century and made it one of the most principal town at that time. Since then, the town has been flourishing and expanding itself.

Bregenz Travel Guide – The City at the Foot of the Pfänder Mountain

The Pfänder Mountain (1063 m) is part of the Alps Mountain Range, overlooking Bregenz. A cableway takes 6 minutes from the valley station. At the upper station, the Berghaus Pfänder restaurant lies, and the summit is at 5 minutes’ climb from there. The restaurant has a look-out terrace with splendid views over the town and the lake. The steep footpath from Bregenz needs about 2 hours climb to get on top. It is a magnificent spot for winter sports. Pfänderdohle and Maldona ski lifts serve the skiers during snowy season. The ski-slopes lead down to Bregenz and Lochau as well.

A tunnel passes through the mountain so as to make connection between the Austrian motorway network and the German one.

At the foot of the Pfänder Mountain, Bregenz is a picturesque town for relaxation, but also the cultural stronghold of Vorarlberg region. Its impressive architecture of the landmarks buildings such as Martin Tower, St. Gallus Church, the Art House, the former Kornhausmarkt, and the Lake Promenade, this unique open air stage on Lake Constance, contributes to its specific charm. Any visitor walking down the streets of the town is surely attracted by the multitude of shops, cafes, beer houses and local restaurants, where he can have a rest for a while before going to explore the beauty of the city.

Bregenz Travel Guide – Public Transport & Accommodation

The best way to get to Bregenz is by train. The town is located on the main train route from Zurich to Munich and to Vienna. There are a number of scheduled boats to the town from other different lakeside towns and villages. Best Bregenz car rental deals are also available as well as a busy network of buses which provides good links with the main sites of the town and surroundings. Taxi cabs offer good services indeed.

Offering comfortable accommodation and the most convenient facilities, hotels and motels in Bregenz are ideal places to spend a relaxing holiday. Booking in advance is quite necessary especially during the Bregenzer Festspiele and the high season as well.

Bregenz travel guide points out that both the town and its surroundings offer a variety of outdoor activities such as mountain biking, hiking, trekking, paragliding and all types of water sports.