Side Events

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.

Every year, the lake stage of the Bregenz Festival Theatre attracts thousands of spectators who are enchanted by the singers and musicians in the glow of the evening light. However, you need to take a guided tour behind the scenes of the stage to find out that sophisticated technology which functions perfectly both under and above water, is behind all of this.

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.

Five hours of exploring boundaries: that’s an impressive mountain experience with team-building aspects. There is a challenge for everyone and more can be achieved together than by yourself. 

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 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.

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. 

The name is intentional – the long-established Mohren brewery in Dornbirn has over time developed into an experience world with museum, guided tours, a creative brewery, tastings and attractive workshop rooms right at its heart. Interested visitors may enjoy making their own beer in a single day that takes in all the processes from malt crushing to mashing, purifying and cooking.

The newly constructed cooperative cheese cellar in Lingenau is home to 32,000 cheeses. A visit to the cheese – which matures for between four and 18 months – constitutes an impressive walk through the storeroom at 10.5°C.

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.

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.

The historic old town of Feldkirch at the foot of Schattenburg Castle and protected by a Buddhist monastery is home to many historical nooks and crannies, inns, taverns and markets and the legacy of the humanists who made history there long ago.

The Bregenzerwald wouldn’t be what it is today without the famous Wälderbähnle. The original steam engine still services a stretch of the line – a cosy journey through time, whatever your age.

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.

Guided e-bike tours greatly enlarge the network of tours that can be taken by groups, the mountains and their nature can be enjoyed in a state of relaxation, and your clothing is not quite as sweaty at the end of the tour.