When you think of an action-packed Alpine holiday – including alpine meadow excursions, world-class dining and skiing aplenty – you probably immediately think of Tyrol, the famous Home of the winter sports resort of Innsbruck. But turn left and you’ll find a place where the spirit of modern art and design, culinary traditions and a close connection with nature form a strong link: the canton of Vorarlberg. It may be one of Austria’s smallest states (after Vienna), but the country’s westernmost Alpine region packs an impressive punch.
Photo: Yulia Denisyuk
Many new accommodations have opened this year, including a mobile free-standing glass-and-timber cabin in Brandnertal, the first of its kind home; this family-friendly hotel in Montafon is the only 5-star Leading Hotels of the World in German-speaking countries; this alpine ecolodge in Lech is built entirely of larch, spruce and stone pine. For lovers of smart, sleek design, there’s never been a better time to visit.
Bordering Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Vorarlberg has historically been closer to the Germanic way of thinking than to the Austrian-Hungarian one. Geographically isolated from the rest of Austria, the Arlberg Mountains are a place where a unique culture develops: a culture of craftsmanship and self-sufficiency can flourish. “People in Vorarlberg are hardworking,” says local cultural guide Helga Rädler. “They used to put the rest benches at the back of the house so that no one could see them while they were resting.”
Fear not though: in Vorarlberg Traveling is as relaxing as rumbling through mountainside meadows. Like its neighbours, Vorarlberg has a lot of traditional Alpine charm. Log houses are often covered with shingles – a 19 century innovation that allows structures to withstand changing weather by expanding in the rain and contracting in the sun – while flower fields are full of All roaming cows, overshadowed by some of Europe’s tallest mountains. Amidst it all, you’ll also find plenty of world-class contemporary architecture, a rich local culinary culture, and a collection of conceptual art stretching all the way to the clouds.
