Excursions

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. 

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.

This palace is regarded as one of the most important Renaissance buildings in western Austria. Its construction dates back to Cardinal Markus Sitticus III of Hohenems. The palace is now owned and lived in by the Waldburg-Zeil family: Countess Stephanie Waldburg-Zeil can even give a personal tour of the palace on request.

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 fascinating exhibition on the history of aerospace at Lake Constance is dedicated to the aviation pioneer Claude Dornier. The museum houses over 400 exhibits and original aircraft and the building’s architecture is a marvel in itself, corresponding to the layout of a hangar. 

Here in Dornbirn, experienced Austria Guides offer fascinating views of the city and stories from its industrial past. This walking tour takes visitors through Dornbirn’s most beautiful and impressive places.

This hilltop fort is the undisputed landmark of Feldkirch, originally built in around 1260 to protect the town and its residents. It’s also the ancestral seat of the Counts of Montfort who rose in the Middle Ages to become the reigning aristocratic family in the region known today as Vorarlberg.

Only 20 minutes from the centre of Dornbirn lies a unique playground in the midst of a magnificent mountain paradise. The Ebnit sports club has a variety of activities on offer, overseen by outdoor specialists. 

The Jewish Museum Hohenems, located in the former Heimann-Rosenthal Villa, commemorates the rural Jewish community of Hohenems and its contributions to the development of Vorarlberg and surrounding regions. 

Vorarlberg has a long and proud history of beer brewing. In fact, in years gone by almost every inn brewed its own beer. A number of these traditional breweries are still active today, such as the Fohrenburger brewery in Bludenz, the Mohren brewery in Dornbirn, the Egg brewery and the Frastanz brewery cooperative.

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. 

The largest waterfall in Europe, the Rhine Falls offer visitors a truly magnificent spectacle. Over a width of 150 metres and a height of 23 metres, 700 cubic metres of concentrated water per second plunge over the rocks here.

The quaint market town of Rankweil is dominated by this fairytale-esque basilica perched on a hill at its centre. This formidable building on the Liebfrauenberg is a landmark in the truest sense, visible from all over the valley. 

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. 

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.