Side Events

The Austria Guides have developed guided and themed tours of the city that present a wide variety of places, people and cultures and prove that it is the mix that makes Dornbirn the exciting city that it is.

Creative minds and technical skills are required here. The task is to build a soapbox that can be raced from pre-made kits. There are no limits to creativity here. The next two hours will see participants fastening, measuring, building, glueing, painting and carrying out several test runs.

For a few weeks, a small festival with a large fan community attracts international stars and an international audience to Schwarzenberg and Hohenems. Established in 1976, the famous Schubert Festival grew to such an extent that it now hosts over 90 events a year.

A different type of natural museum. The inatura – Erlebnis Naturschau is not something for simply looking at – it has been developed so that it can be explored, felt and discovered. It is a highlight for fans of science and nature and, compared with classic museums, it represents a refreshingly relaxed change.

Fantastic opportunities to escape the hustle and bustle of the city exist in and around Dornbirn. For example, the guided tours through the Rappenloch and Alploch gorges. But it never is actually completely quiet in the cool gorges because the gurgling and rushing of the Dornbirner Ach remain constant companions.

If your team is short of ideas for activities or a Christmas party, look no further than Livia Begle’s workshops. Cooking together allows everyone to think outside the box, try new dishes and get to know their colleagues better. 

Give your tired feet some fresh air and experience the joy of walking barefoot through meadows and forests. This is not only therapy for your otherwise confined feet, it’s also medicine for the soul and your entire physical body.

Two architectural worlds combine at Museum Bezau – a typical Bregenzerwald farmhouse from the 18th century, a listed building, and a modern addition built mostly using local handworkers. 

The only Women’s Museum in Austria plays host to varying exhibitions on women past and present, from a regional or supra-regional perspective. Frauenmuseum Hittisau aims to make clear the cultural contributions of women and shows one or two exhibitions a year on topics relevant. 

While the head is spinning in meeting rooms in the mornings, the cobwebs can be blown away by the fresh mountain air on the Karren in the afternoons. Dornbirn's local mountain is right at the heart of it all and the cable car takes visitors up to 976 metres in no time at all. 

The crunch of the snow, the crisp air, the panoramic views… a snowshoe hike brings you into the heart of wintery nature, to enjoy alpine landscapes with a sense of true calmness.

As the peak gets nearer and stress reduces with each passing second, the Pfänder mountain reveals the impact of having this nature paradise a stone’s throw from the city centre.

Chocolate brings happiness, so they say. You can put this theory to the test at Fenkart’s World of Chocolate while making your own chocolatey creations and trying out some new delicacies.

How can gin be so subtle? How can kummel liqueur be so sophisticated? And what inspires these combinations of flavours? Participants on a guided tour at MAAN – makers of fine spirits in Alberschwende – will discover the love, patience and quality that goes into every bottle. 

Canyoning involves walking from the top to bottom of Vorarlberg’s most beautiful gorges using a wide variety of different types of movement: from simple walking and easy climbing to abseiling, sliding and jumping, everything is included. Admittedly, it sounds a bit intimidating at first, but the tours are accompanied by guides and the level of difficulty and the choice of gorge is always tailored to the group.