Att göra i Bregenz i Österrike - våra 12 bästa tips

What to see and do in Bregenz, Austria? During our winter trip to Vorarlberg, we took the opportunity to visit Bregenz, known for its beautiful location on Lake Constance and its annual opera festival. Here are our top tips!

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Bregenz in Austria

Bregenz is a pleasant little town which, despite having only 30,000 inhabitants, is the capital of the Austrian province of Vorarlberg. The city is in many ways a summer city, as people flock here to experience both Lake Constance and the immensely popular opera festival. We were here in the winter and experienced a quiet but cosy place.

Bregenz is located on Lake Constance in the federal state of Vorarlberg in western Austria, close to the border with both Germany and Switzerland.

What can you do in Bregenz?

So what can you see and do in Bregenz? Many people come to Bregenz for the opera and art, but there's also a lovely old town and the chance to enjoy the great outdoors. We've put together a list of our top tips.

1. Walk along the seafront promenade

The lake is attractive and regardless of the season, it feels natural to go down to Lake Constance and walk along the promenade, where you can spot the "fisherman's pier" from 1902. Right now it was cold and the water was mirror-like. In the summer, you can see both people swimming and boats chugging around.

Att göra i Bregenz i Österrike - Bodensjön

2. Take a boat ride on Lake Constance

If you visit Bregenz during the summer months, you might want to take a boat trip on Lake Constance. There is a regular boat that goes from pier to pier, and a boat that takes tourists to various events such as food and music.

3. Experience opera at the Bregenz Opera Festival

By far the most popular thing to do in Bregenz is to come here for the summer's big opera festival, which lasts a whole month every year and attracts lots of visitors.

At the time, the concert hall was a slightly sleepy building with large scaffolding around it, so we decided to show a press photo from one of the summer opera performances. Each opera is performed two years in a row, and then the stage is rebuilt for a new performance.

Press photo from the summer opera festival: Seebühne Carmen © Christiane Setz / Visit Bregenz

4. Visit the Vorarlberg Museum

The Vorarlberg Museum is located in the centre of the city, right next to Lake Constance, and tells the story of the federal state of Vorarlberg. The museum also has an interesting exterior. The walls are decorated with shapes representing ... the bottom of different types of pet bottles.

5. See art at Kunsthaus Bregenz

Considering that Bregenz is a relatively small town, there is an incredible amount of culture here. It's not just opera that attracts, but also art, for example. Among other things, you can visit the Kunsthaus Bregenz, which displays contemporary art, and which also has an unusually cool and special facade.

Att göra i Bregenz i Österrike - Kunsthaus

6. Strolling in the Lower Town

Bregenz is divided into an upper and a lower part of the city, with the upper being the old town and the lower being the lake. Along the lake you will find, among other things, a bunch of magnificent and special buildings.

Besides the Vorarlberg Museum and Kunsthaus Bregenz, you can check out the Vorarlberg Landestheater and the beautiful old post office. In the lower town you will also find all the restaurants and shops of the city.

7. Check out Europe's narrowest building

In a narrow, narrow alley, at 20 Kirchestrasse, there is a sign saying 'Das schmalste haus Europas ist nur 57 zentimeter breit', meaning 'The narrowest house in Europe is only 57 centimetres wide'.

According to our guide, the claim "the narrowest house in Europe" may be questionable, given that the building is apparently wider inside than at the façade, but one can at least conclude that the façade is very narrow.

8. Have a bagel at Cafesito

Looking for a coffee or something simple to eat? We snuck into Cafesito, where you can choose from a variety of bagels with rich fillings as well as muffins and other sweet pastries. A relaxed place with a nice atmosphere!

9. Look inside the church of St Gallus

An interesting thing to do in Bregenz is to check out the historic churches and chapels. The parish church of St Gallus, which dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries, is located on a hill above the town. The old town is also on a hill, but there was no room for the church, so in the past, when the whole population visited the church on Sundays, they had to walk out of town to get to their church.

Att göra i Bregenz i Österrike - St gallus

Perhaps the most notable thing inside the church is a large silver altar, which was lost for a long time, but then found its way back to its church.

10. Walk in the Old Town (Upper Town)

The old neighbourhood is located on a hill and is therefore also called the Upper Town. Here you can experience old-fashioned environments with walls and houses in old-fashioned style, often decorated with gates and shutters with red and black and white patterns.

Att göra i Bregenz i Österrike - gamla stan

There's a nice view of the church of St Gallus, where people used to go to worship, and you can check out the Martinsturm tower, where you'll find the Martinskapelle chapel.

Att göra i Bregenz i Österrike - Martinsturm

People live in the old neighbourhood, but there are currently no shops or restaurants, which makes the area very calm and quiet, even in summer.

11. ride the Pfänderbahn

Pfänder is a mountain in Bregenz with a height of 1064 metres above sea level. You can take the Pfänderbahn cable car up here for panoramic views of both the city and Lake Constance.

12. Experience nature in Vorarlberg - hiking or skiing

Last but not least, we have to mention the nature in Vorarlberg. If you visit Bregenz in the winter, you can go downhill or cross-country skiing, or perhaps go on a winter hike, snowshoeing or tobogganing (sledding). In the summer, hiking, cycling, climbing, fishing or even paragliding can be on the agenda.

READ MORE: Culinary winter walk in glorious Vorarlberg
READ MORE: Cross-country skiing in Austria - ski school in Vorarlberg

More to see and do in Bregenz

Want to experience even more in this interesting city? Here you will find more suggestions for things to see and do in Bregenz, for those interested in culture and history.

Galleries with art, there's a whole bunch in Bregenz.
Guided tour in the city is interesting. In summer, regular tours in German are organised. Ask at the tourist office for tours in English.
Church of the Sacred Heart is a neo-Gothic style church from the early 20th century (Kolpingplatz 1).
Nepomuk Chapel is a baroque chapel from 1757 (Kornmarktplatz).

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

There is of course more to see and do in the neighbourhood of Bregenz. For example, you can visit the lovely town of Feldkirch, Dornbirn, the largest city in Vorarlberg, or one of the many cosy villages in the area. Feel free to read all our tips on making a winter trip to Vorarlberg. It is also very close to both Germany and Switzerland.

Even more things to see and do in Bregenz?

Have you visited Bregenz, Vorarlberg or Lake Constance? Do you have more tips on what to see and do in Bregenz?

Facts about Bregenz in Austria

Country: Austria
Federal Republic of Germany: Vorarlberg
Residents: Around 30 000 (2023)
Sea: Lake Constance
Read more: You can find more information at the city's website.

Travelling to Bregenz

Flight: You can fly to Zurich in Switzerland and from there you can take a train (one hour and 15 minutes) or a hire car. Another option is to fly into Munich customs.
Car: Travelling by car from Rostock in Germany to Bregenz takes about 9 hours, if you count pure mileage.

4 Comments

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BP says:

Impressive that you managed to see so much of Bregenz even though you arrived late. Bregenz seems to be a cosy city with a cool mix of modern and old.
The scene from an opera performance is absolutely fantastic. What a surreal building. The wall with bottoms from pet bottles reminds me of a climbing wall. Cool!

29 January 2023 - 17:35

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  We checked out Bregenz on the last day of our trip, walking around with a guide. Nice! 🙂
  
  31 January 2023 - 1:31
  
Annar Aas says:

Nice report. In the last years of the 70's I drove bus trips to opera performances in Bregentz. The trips were always linked to visits to Mainau and Vadutz in Licstenstein. That was when my grandfather was young. Really fun to follow you.

30 January 2023 - 9:17

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Thank you very much! And then interesting! We still have to visit Mainau and Vaduz!
  
  30 January 2023 - 17:27

Things to do in Bregenz, Austria - our top 12 tips

Bregenz in Austria

What can you do in Bregenz?

1. Walk along the seafront promenade

2. Take a boat ride on Lake Constance

3. Experience opera at the Bregenz Opera Festival

4. Visit the Vorarlberg Museum

5. See art at Kunsthaus Bregenz

6. Strolling in the Lower Town

7. Check out Europe's narrowest building

8. Have a bagel at Cafesito

9. Look inside the church of St Gallus

10. Walk in the Old Town (Upper Town)

11. ride the Pfänderbahn

12. Experience nature in Vorarlberg - hiking or skiing

More to see and do in Bregenz

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

Even more things to see and do in Bregenz?

Facts about Bregenz in Austria

Travelling to Bregenz

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