Kauns – Natural Area, Berneck Castle and Special Trails

Kauns can be discovered through historic buildings, distinctive landscapes and several clearly designated trails. Between Berneck Castle, the Kauns-Kaunerberg-Faggen nature reserve and the pilgrimage church of Kaltenbrunn, there are various starting points for planning your day. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Kauns, it is therefore worth considering in advance whether your trip will focus more on nature, culture or a variety of activities.

Natural Area and Educational Trail

The Kauns-Kaunerberg-Faggen nature reserve comprises dry grasslands, rock bands, shrub and woodland islands, as well as overgrown dry-stone walls made from cleared fieldstones. These different landscape elements give the area a diverse character. Anyone who wants to take the natural area itself into account when planning their trip, rather than focusing only on individual sights, will find a particular point of interest here.

The Kaun Forest and Shrub Educational Trail runs through the nature reserve. The themed trail is 2.7 km long and starts and ends at the Kauns municipal office. This provides a precisely designated route with a fixed starting and ending point for planning the day. The tour to Aifneralm also starts at the municipal office in Kauns.

Berneck Castle and Protected Cultural Sites

Berneck Castle, also called Schloss Berneck or Bernegg, is a castle complex built around 1200. On its southern side, a gallery runs above a 130 m high rock face and offers a view down into the depths. The chapel of Berneck Castle is dedicated to Saint Bartholomew. These individual details make the castle a prominent cultural attraction for anyone who wants to combine historic buildings with an impressive architectural setting during their trip.

There are also protected religious buildings to take note of in the village itself. The Catholic parish church of St. James the Elder in Kauns is a listed monument. The Chapel of the Holy Cross, also known as Schranz Chapel, is likewise a listed monument in Kauns. Those interested in churches, chapels and historic village scenes can include these buildings in their exploration without limiting the trip to a single theme.

Trails for Different Types of Holiday Days

The Kauns–Kaltenbrunn pilgrimage trail begins in Kauns and ends at the Kaltenbrunn pilgrimage church. Together with the educational trail and the tour to Aifneralm, it offers a choice of different directions. For families or travel groups with differing preferences, it may be useful not to structure the day around just one main destination: nature observation, historic sites and a trail leading to a pilgrimage destination each provide a different focus.

Another local speciality is the Kauner Herb Corner. This is a herb garden at the organic farm of Verena and Edgar Buchhammer. The garden complements the themes of landscape and culture with an insight into the world of herbs and an agriculturally oriented setting.

Finding the Right Accommodation in Kauns

When looking for a holiday apartment in Kauns, you can therefore first decide on your preferred holiday focus. A trip with an interest in history places Berneck Castle, the castle chapel and the listed churches at the centre. Those who want to give greater importance to the natural area can focus on the nature reserve and the 2.7 km forest and shrub educational trail. For planning with several activity destinations, the aforementioned starting points at the Kauns municipal office and the beginning of the pilgrimage trail are also important information.

This leaves Kauns open to a variety of travel ideas: historic discoveries, landscape experiences, a herb garden or trails leading in different directions. When choosing your accommodation, consider which of these focuses best defines your trip, and then plan the individual experiences according to your own interests.

Discover More Places

You can find more destinations at the same level under Sankt Jakob Am Arlberg, Vergötschen, Sankt Anton Am Arlberg, Schönwies, Ischgl, Kappl-Bach, Kaunerberg and Strengen.

To the higher-level travel overview: Landeck.