Stroll through villages, admire architecture

What are the origins of Bregenzerwald’s unique look and feel? Which values and ideas have helped to shape the area and what qualities and characteristics might attentive visitors notice in the villages and surrounding nature? “Umgang Bregenzerwald” is a series of 12 short paths through the villages that attempt to provide answers to these questions.

Immerse yourself in a unique environment. See and feel how people interact with their surroundings, the landscape, regional products, their homes, their culture, and other people and with themselves. This is idea behind the “Umgang Bregenzerwald” (village walks). Approximately 30,000 people live in the 23 villages within the valley community of Vorarlberg, an area known for preserving tradition yet being surprisingly open to new ideas. Insights into the behaviour, the “Umgang” of the people of Bregenzerwald, are illuminated along 12 newly created circuit paths through 13 villages in the region. Those who follow these routes will discover select objects, providing insight into a unique way of life that continues today.

Along a given path, 7 to 10 welcome distractions, in the form of rust-coloured steel columns, highlight a particular building, a special man-made structure, unique artisanal aspects, ecological details, artistic facets, or culinary or our touristic works. A type of magnifying glass can be found atop each column. Pressing a button activates a light that is visible through the glass magnifier, illuminating a drawingl and a question about the object at hand. An accompanying informational folder provides answers and further details.

Practical: Beside the informational folders an accompanying book entitled “Umgang Bregenzerwald” contains texts from authors who live outside of the region yet feel somehow connected to the Bregenzerwald, as well as personal stories from residents of the Bregenzerwald. The book and accompanying folders are available from any one of the tourist offices and from the Bregenzerwald Tourismus office in Egg. Please plan in anywhere from 1.5 to 4 hours for the village walks.

Guided village walks

You can learn more about the special features of regional architecture, regional crafts and the culture of life in the Bregenzerwald during the guided walking tours, which take place every Tuesday and Friday from May to October. From January to April, the guided tours take place every Friday.

Registration: no later than 5 p.m. the day before at the respective tourist office.
Meeting point: 9.30 a.m. at the respective tourist office.
The guided tour lasts about two hours, participation is free of charge.

• Umgang Bregenzerwald: Guided village tours
• More information about “Umgang Bregenzerwald”
• Interactive “Umgang Bregenzerwald”

“Umgang Bregenzerwald” in winter

It is also possible to take these walks in the winter individually (cleared paths, winter hiking paths): Schoppernau, Mellau, Bizau, Andelsbuch, Hittisau, Krumbach. These walks are only partially accessible in the winter:  Au, Bezau-Reuthe, Schwarzenberg, Egg, Lingenau, Langenegg. Please contact the tourist information office or your host for information about variants which are possible.