Discover Bludenz: Culture and Mountain Region

Bludenz is the centre of a mountain region with five valleys. The Vorarlberg Alpine Region lies in the far west of Austria and includes the Brandnertal, the alpine town of Bludenz, the Klostertal and the Großes Walsertal Biosphere Park. Its highlights range from historic buildings and mountain hikes to gorges, protected areas and regional culture. When planning your holiday, it is worth first considering which of these aspects interests you most.

Mountain hikes and art on Muttersberg

The Muttersbergbahn cable car takes you up to Muttersberg, at an altitude of over 1,400 metres. There, you can hike to the Fraßenhütte and the summit cross of Hoher Fraßen. The “Alpine Art Muttersberg” circular trail offers something different: six stations were designed by artists. The trail combines a visit to the mountain with art in the public spaces along the route, while the hiking destinations Fraßenhütte and Hoher Fraßen each offer a specific goal.

The summit hike to Gamsfreiheit also offers a distinctive experience. It provides views of the Großes Walsertal, the Klostertal and the Montafon, as well as in the direction of the Rätikon. If you would like to experience the landscape in several directions on a hike, this offers a different focus from the circular trail with its six art stations. When planning, then, it is not just the altitude of Muttersberg that matters, but also whether you would rather focus on a named hiking route or art along the way.

Gorge and protected nature

The Bürser Schlucht offers rare insights into recent geological history and features a forest with an almost primeval character. The path through the “Bürser Schlucht” natural monument leads back to Bürs via the “Kuhloch” and takes about two hours. You can reach the gorge on Landbus L580, getting off at either “Bürs Dorfmitte” or “Bürserberg Gemeindeamt”. The approximate time required and the named stops both provide useful, practical reference points for planning your trip.

Nature experiences and protected areas are also part of the wider region. The Großes Walsertal was recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere Park in November 2000 and is considered a model region for sustainable living and economic activity. The Gadental European protected area provides a habitat for endangered species such as the rock ptarmigan and lady’s slipper orchid. In the Klostertal, the Verwall and Klostertaler Bergwälder European protected areas offer unspoilt nature and quiet retreats; in summer, they invite you to hike and explore. These protected landscapes complement the specific hiking routes with a closer look at habitats and regional nature topics.

City history, mining and regional products

The Upper Gate forms the historic gateway to Bludenz’s old town. The Frühmesshaus Museum focuses on exhibitions about the cultural history of the Montafon and the history of the local community of Bartholomäberg. Mining offers another way to explore cultural history: the 2.7-kilometre “Silberpfad am Kristberg” educational trail has twelve partly interactive stations that convey the fascination of mining. The city gate, museum and trail each offer a different focus, from Bludenz’s old town and the history of the Montafon and Bartholomäberg to the region’s mining heritage.

Regional products are also part of the experience. The shop in the biosphärenpark.haus sells regional products such as speciality cheeses and sausages, as well as handicrafts. Walserstolz mountain cheese is made exclusively in the Großes Walsertal using traditional handcraft methods. The specific place of sale and clearly defined place of origin make regional products tangible without reducing the subject to a single dish.

Compare cycling and winter sports options

If you want to make physical activity the focus, you can compare different activity profiles. The Brandnertal Bike Park offers 30 kilometres of trails across eleven main routes, with numerous variants. The Raggal ski area has three drag lifts and seven kilometres of groomed pistes. The figures describe different kinds of offerings: trails and route variants on the one hand, lifts and groomed pistes on the other. When planning your trip, you can first decide which sport you want to pursue, rather than treating the offerings as equivalent options.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Bludenz, it helps to have a clear idea of what you want your stay to centre on: culture in the city, hikes and mountain scenery, protected nature, or a particular cycling or skiing experience. That way, you can choose your base according to your own travel plans rather than just a general idea of a mountain holiday.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Sankt Gallenkirch, Nüziders, Raggal, Sankt Anton Im Montafon, Schruns, Silbertal, Sonntag, Thüringerberg, Tschagguns, Partenen, Stuben Am Arlberg, Vandans, Nenzing, Sankt Gerold, Bartholomäberg, Bludenz, Braz, Bürserberg, Dalaas, Damüls, Fontanella, Gargellen, Gaschurn, Klösterle, Lorüns, Lech, Brand, Blons, Innerbraz, Bürs, Bludesch, Municipality of Ludesch, Buchboden.

To the overarching travel guide: Vorarlberg.