Excursions

Karren is Dornbirn’s emblematic local mountain, towering over the city and offering panoramic views of the Swiss mountains, the Rhine Valley, and over to Lake Constance. It can be reached on foot in around an hour, or by a few minutes’ cable car ride lifting passengers up to a height of 976 metres.

Messe Dornbirn is an ideal option for when the weather leads your group to consider indoor activities. Covering an area of over 1,236,544 m², this exhibition centre bears testament to Vorarlberg's vibrant society and economy. 

The Fenkart family specialise in a variety of delectable hand-made chocolates and pralines. They now offer tastings and guided tours in their showroom where visitors can find out everything about the cultivation of cocoa and the production of chocolate. 

Milk and dairy products have been produced on this farm for four generations, but in recent years it has developed into a company of considerable size, specialising in goat's milk products. Whey is a healthy by-product of cheese production which Metzler use to produce natural cosmetics. 

Situated just outside the city of Dornbirn this is one of the largest gorges in central Europe. A signposted trail and spectacular wooden footpaths lead past breathtaking views sculpted by prehistorical geological process – as the Mesozoic sea retreated and formed the mountains of the Alps. 

Austria is famous for its schnapps production, and there’s none finer than here in Vorarlberg. The local Prinz distillery in Hörbranz offers a unique behind-the-scenes look of how their spirit is produced. Visitors are able to watch master distillers at work and gain fascinating insights into the fine art of distillation. 

Mainau, the botanical “Flower Island”, nestles like a multi-coloured jewel within the blues and greens of Lake Constance. The majestic castle complex, an outstanding example of southern Germany’s baroque style of architecture, harmonises effortlessly with one of Europe’s most beautiful botanical parks.

Hohenems is a small city with grand stories. Testament to this are sites such as the stately Palace of the Counts of Ems who founded an Israelite community. 

A fine nose for flavours and the sheer pleasure of cooking were what, back in 1911, first drove founder Richard Bösch to establish a mustard production business: Lustenauer Senf Bösch GmbH.

Lake Constance and the sunny slopes of the Rhine Valley used to be home to many vineyards. Nowadays just a few wine growers remain; among them is Josef Möth in Bregenz, whose vineyards are located within touching distance of Lake Constance.

Käsehaus Montafon stands out for the fact that it provides tour groups with the opportunity of experiencing the region with all their senses and even of taking a part of it home with them. 

This unique project arose out of a collaboration between the planning of seven international architecture firms on the one hand, and local construction know-how on the other. The result perfectly combines internationally designed architecture with the know-how and skills of regional craftsmen in the Bregenzerwald.

With around 5,000 m² of exhibition space, a visit to the FFA Museum is an experience with numerous highlights such as the flight or car simulator, on-site maintenance of aircraft and vehicles and exhibits from the Swiss Army and the British Rolls-Royce production.

Bludenz is surrounded by an amphitheatre of mountains whose peaks reach well over 2,000 metres. Affectionately known by locals as the "Städtle", it is a springboard for five Alpine valleys and a centre of alpine sport.  

The cheese cellar in Lingenau is the place to not only buy and taste cheese but also to see it mature. Cheese and wine tastins with a sommelier is available to groups on inquiry.