Bregenzerwald Bregenzerwald Travel Guide: Best Hotels, Restaurants & Experiences

The Bregenzerwald presents a landscape of rolling alpine meadows punctuated by villages where contemporary Austrian architecture sits alongside centuries-old wooden farmhouses. This corner of Vorarlberg, stretching from the Rhine Valley toward the Arlberg passes, developed its own distinct building tradition — the region's carpenters and craftsmen have shaped local aesthetics for generations, a heritage now celebrated through the Werkraum collective in Andelsbuch. Villages like Bezau, Schwarzenberg, and Egg maintain their agricultural rhythms while welcoming visitors to family-run guesthouses that have evolved into refined mountain retreats.

The culinary landscape draws from alpine dairy traditions perfected over centuries. Local Käse-Strasse producers craft the region's celebrated mountain cheeses, from aged Bergkäse to fresh Zieger, served in restaurants that pair traditional Vorarlberg dishes with wines from the nearby Bodensee region. Summer brings foraging season — wild herbs, berries, and mushrooms appear on menus throughout the valley — while winter transforms the scattered villages into quiet bases for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The absence of major resort development has preserved something increasingly rare: an alpine landscape where farming communities continue their seasonal patterns largely undisturbed.