Side Events

There are plenty of toboggan runs, with many of them being scary, and you need to be an experienced sledge driver before you race down from the Pfänderdohle to Bregenz, for instance. The perfectly prepared toboggan runs in the entire state can also be covered on foot, or even by train if you prefer a bit of comfort.

Seeing what goes on behind the scenes at a schnapps tasting or chatting on a stroll through an orchard. A guided tour at the local producer Dietrichs Vorarlberg Kostbarkeiten creates a casual and entertaining setting for meetings, workshops and conferences. 

A very special natural monument takes you right down to the depths of the Cave Schneckenloch in Bizau. The biggest cave in Vorarlberg requires a certain degree of stamina and sure-footedness, yet once the visitors get back to terra firma they are usually lost for words, overcome by images of subterranean halls, stalactites and natural tunnels, some of which you have to crawl through.

Blades that reach into the water in sync. Leaders who set the pace. All in the same boat. Rowing has more to do with business than you might think.

The art of archery is underestimated – this sport is a far cry from our childhood games of cowboy and Indians. It demands a high degree of precision and concentration, discipline and inner tranquillity. All these are things which would be useful in daily life, if only we had gotten round to practising them.

Making clocks, pepper mills and lamps from wood – all of that and much more is possible at the workshops that the Bizau-based Bär company organises in the Bregenzerwald. The idea is right on trend because the more digital the world becomes, the greater the desire is to make something from scratch with your own hands. 

How does a steam locomotive actually operate? And how far can it go? You can find out all this and much, much more at Rhein-Schauen.

This bridge is high, fair enough. One hundred and six metres should suffice for a gentle fall on an elastic rope, as well as for a good adrenaline cocktail in your body. This jump is considered seriously cool – the extremely tough safety standards have been proving themselves accident-free since 1997. This is the perfect place for anybody bravely looking for the next adventure.

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. 

At the end of a hard day’s work in lovely meeting rooms, an exclusive wine-tasting session in any one of the many wine cellars in the region is the stylish way to finish off the evening. For instance, the water tower on Gebhardsberg built in 1079 has been afforded a new role since over a hundred different wines from the best wine-growing estates in Austria and the region of Bodensee-Alpenrhein have been stored in it.

For some, dashing through the woods at a speed of 130km an hour is just a speed kick at an altitude of 160 metres. For others, it is the craving for their own wings that you get for the duration of the flight at least. 

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. 

For all those who value self-expression in their team, the Tonhalle has opened a veritable creative paradise. In workshops which are quite literally hands-on, budding ceramic artists can design their own plates, cups, bowls, and figures. Ideas are given free reign, and participants get their hands dirty while crafting their own unique pottery creations. All in all, a wonderful atmosphere for the group to exchange ideas and get to know each other’s creative side.

The BUS:STOPs Krumbach are an extraordinary architectural project in which seven international architectural firms have worked together with regional partners to create small utility buildings in public spaces. 

The Barock­baumeister Museum is dedicated to the impressive history of the Au guild, which established itself in Au and Schoppernau as early as the 17th century.