Vorarlberg – 5 Regions in 5 Days

Vorarlberg

This summer we had the great opportunity to explore the region Vorarlberg in Austria! You will find Vorarlberg in the most western part of Austria. It borders with Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Vorarlberg has a mountainous landscape ranging from peaks around 1.000m. to 3.312m (Piz Buin in Montafon).  From the Netherlands it was a relatively short drive (9 hours) to get there. Vorarlberg consists of 6 different regions and we visited 5 of them in 5 days!

1. Kleinwalsertal

Our first stop in Vorarlberg was Kleinwalsertal. The funny thing about this region is that it is only accessible through Germany! If you live in another region of Vorarlberg or Austria you’ll have to drive through Germany to get there. During our short stay in the region we had quite a lot of rain, but we were still able to see some of its beauty. We found a great 360 degrees panoramic view on the top of the Kanzelwand. It was only an easy 30 min hike from the top station of the Kanzelwandbahn.

2. Bregenzerwald

On our second day in Vorarlberg we visited Bregenzerwald. Fun fact about this region: they have about as many people as cows. We had a beautiful sunrise hike planned to the top of the Kanisfluh, but unfortunately it rained the whole time and we weren’t able to do it. If you have the chance you definitely should do this hike! Bregenzerwald is known for its beautiful mix of old and modern architecture. An example is a tiny village called Schönenbach. In order to get here you need to drive over a private road for about 9 km. You’ll end up the middle of nowhere in a beautiful quiet valley.

3. Lech – Zürs am Arlberg

Lech-Zürs is probably best known in our home country because the Dutch royal family goes skiing here. Maybe they should also try some summer hiking because this region has lots to offer in summer as well! In winter Lech-Zürs has “The White Ring”: a 22 km long panoramic ski route around Lech. In summer this translates to “The Green Ring”: a 3-day hiking trail over mountain ridges, through valley bottoms and past mountain lakes. We hiked the first stage of the Green Ring from the top of the Rüfikopf all the way down to Zürs. Besides the Green Ring there are many opportunities to go up in the mountains with several gondola’s and walk, for example, to the top of the Mohnenfluh for spectacular views.

4. Klostertal – Bludenz region

Klostertal is part of the “Alpenregion Bludenz”. It  is home to some amazing mountain peaks, waterfalls and lakes. The Formarinsee was even named the most beautiful place in Austria back in 2015! Even though they have all this beauty, the region has somehow still not been discover by mass tourism. Make sure to go there while it’s still nice and quiet! Unfortunately we didn’t have the time to hike to the Formarinsee, but we did go hunting for some hidden (and not so hidden) waterfalls and we hiked to the top of the Muttjöchle in the Sonnenkopf area!

5. Montafon

Montafon is a 39 km long valley that borders with Switzerland. The highest mountain is Piz Buin (3312 m). You should definitely visit this region if you want to see the highest peaks of Vorarlberg from up close. We did a spectacular hike in the Golm area. We started at the top gondola station (Grüneck) and from there we hiked over 3 peaks (Kreuzjoch, Latschätzkopf and Golmer Joch) and then down to Matschwitz, where we spent the night. It was amazing! We’ve only visited the Golm area, but there is so much more to discover in Montafon!

This post was made in partnership with Vorarlberg Tourismus who sponsored our trip to Vorarlberg, Austria. Our opinions and photos are our own