Dornbirn between Gorge, Urban History and Cycling Routes

Dornbirn can be discovered in many different ways: with a hike through Rappenloch Gorge, by gaining insights into urban history and the brewing tradition, or on a mostly flat cycling route. There are also museums, historic buildings and scenic viewpoints. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Dornbirn, you can therefore choose your location according to the pace you want for your holiday: nature experiences, cultural attractions, cycling tours or a mixture of these.

Gorge, Staufensee and Karren Cliff

A defining natural experience is the trail through Rappenloch Gorge. In places, it is attached directly to the rock face. Visible rock folds and fossils illustrate the geological history of the natural area. The hike leads through Rappenloch Gorge to Lake Staufensee, follows around the lake and then returns to the starting point along the same route.

On this circuit, the historic Ebensand run-of-river power station is located on the southern shore of Lake Staufensee and has been in operation since 1899. It is also important for your planning to note that Rappen Gorge and Alploch Gorge are closed during the winter months for safety reasons. From Dornbirn railway station, Landbus route 177 runs directly to the Dornbirn Gütle stop. From there, you can reach the entrance to Rappenloch Gorge on foot in about ten minutes.

Another excursion leads to the Karren Cliff. The glass walkway is 12 metres long and is located at the mountain station of the Karren cable car. It offers panoramic views. During your stay, you can therefore choose between a hike featuring a gorge and a lake and a mountain-station experience with a special viewpoint.

Museums between Natural History and Urban History

inatura – Erlebnis Naturschau Dornbirn presents the habitats typical of Vorarlberg—mountains, forests and water—as well as the human body. Interactive experiments, display objects, films and images make the topics accessible in different ways. At the Mohrenbräu Beer Experience World museum, you can learn more about the history of brewing on more than 700 square metres and across four floors. One historic feature there is the fully preserved brewing system from the Schäfle inn brewery in Satteins, dating from the 19th century and in operation until 1917.

The Dornbirn City Museum is housed in a 200-year-old patrician residence directly on the market square. Across three floors, selected objects and works of art present important chapters of the city’s history as well as everyday life in Dornbirn as a central economic hub in the Rhine Valley. The FLATZ Museum – Centre for Photography, by contrast, focuses on photographic art. The changing exhibitions are curated by international guest curators; the museum also hosts readings, lecture series, discussions and performances.

Historic Routes and a Flat Cycling Excursion

Anyone wishing to read Dornbirn’s history as a city while walking can follow the “City Traces. Industry and Change” circular route. At 15 stations, it tells the story of Dornbirn’s industrial rise and decline, as well as continuities and breaks. The route can also be explored in individual walkable sections, including the stretch between inatura and Sägen and the one between Karren cable car and Gütle. This is suitable for travel planning where you do not necessarily want to schedule an entire route for a single day.

For cycling days, the route from Gaißau along the Old Rhine via Lustenau to Dornbirn is a good option. It is mostly flat and technically easy, making it suitable for trekking bikes, gravel bikes, practical everyday bicycles and e-bikes. Another historical highlight is the Lustenau Historic Cycling Circuit. It connects 13 stations covering various aspects of Lustenau’s history and uses 17 information panels that span the period from the beginnings of settlement to the 20th century. They also point out preserved historic buildings and changes in municipal structures.

Further Regional Perspectives

Hohenems also broadens the cultural and landscape perspective. The Jewish Museum Hohenems commemorates the Jewish community of Hohenems and presents a permanent exhibition as well as a changing exhibition on Jewish life today. The Schlossberg and Glopper areas are protected because of their largely natural character and their high landscape and ecological value. The Schubertiade Museum is housed in a building dating from 1659 and shows how Schubert’s work has been preserved by later generations. At the Austrian-Swiss Rhein-Schauen Museum, the history of the Rhine, including its high waters and floods, is presented.

For further orientation, you can visit the pages for Lustenau, Dornbirn and Hohenems. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can then decide whether your days away should be shaped mainly by gorge hikes, city museums, photographic art, historic routes or a cycling tour. The connection provided by Landbus route 177, the walkable sections of the City Traces route and the flat cycling route offer different points of reference for planning your trip.

For the overarching travel overview: Vorarlberg.

More Destinations

More places within the same destination:

Feldkirch, Bregenz, Bludenz.