Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label= Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

() of

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. It has the second-smallest geographical area after

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is the state with the second-highest population density (also after Vienna). It borders three countries:

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

(

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

and

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...

via Lake Constance), Switzerland ( Grisons and

St. Gallen , neighboring_municipalities = Eggersriet, Gaiserwald, Gossau, Herisau (AR), Mörschwil, Speicher (AR), Stein (AR), Teufen (AR), Untereggen, Wittenbach , twintowns = Liberec (Czech Republic) , website = ...

), and

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarch ...

. The only Austrian state that shares a border with Vorarlberg is

Tyrol Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...

, to the east. The capital of Vorarlberg is

Bregenz Bregenz (; gsw, label= Vorarlbergian, Breagaz ) is the capital of Vorarlberg, the westernmost state of Austria. The city lies on the east and southeast shores of Lake Constance, the third-largest freshwater lake in Central Europe, between Switze ...

(29,698 inhabitants), although

Dornbirn Dornbirn () is a city in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg. It is the administrative centre for the district of Dornbirn, which also includes the town of Hohenems, and the market town Lustenau. Dornbirn is the largest city in Vorarlb ...

(49,845 inhabitants) and

Feldkirch Feldkirch may refer to: Places * Feldkirch, Vorarlberg, a medieval city and capital of an administrative district in Austria ** Feldkirch (district), an administrative division of Vorarlberg, Austria * Feldkirch (Hartheim), a village in the munici ...

(34,192 inhabitants) have larger populations. Vorarlberg is also the only state in Austria in which the local dialect is not Austro-Bavarian, but rather an

Alemannic dialect Alemannic, or rarely Alemannish (''Alemannisch'', ), is a group of High German dialects. The name derives from the ancient Germanic tribal confederation known as the Alamanni ("all men"). Distribution Alemannic dialects are spoken by approxim ...

; it therefore has much more in common culturally with (historically) Alemannic-speaking

German-speaking Switzerland The German-speaking part of Switzerland (german: Deutschschweiz, french: Suisse alémanique, it, Svizzera tedesca, rm, Svizra tudestga) comprises about 65 percent of Switzerland (North Western Switzerland, Eastern Switzerland, Central Switz ...

, Bavarian Swabia, and

Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...

than with the rest of

, southeastern

, and

South Tyrol it, Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano – Alto Adige lld, Provinzia Autonoma de Balsan/Bulsan – Südtirol , settlement_type = Autonomous area, Autonomous Provinces of Italy, province , image_skyline = ...

. Vorarlberg is to a large extent mountainous. About 37% (97,000 hectares) of its surface is forest.

Etymology

''Vorarlberg'' literally means 'before the Arlberg'. The name ''Arl'' or ''Arlberg'' can be traced back to 1218 in various spellings ''(Arle, Arlen, Mons Arula, Arlenperge)'' and is derived from the numerous Arlen bushes there, the so-called mountain pines. Its nickname is ''Ländle'' ('small land'). The frame of reference for this was the much larger and more populous

County of Tyrol The (Princely) County of Tyrol was an estate of the Holy Roman Empire established about 1140. After 1253, it was ruled by the House of Gorizia and from 1363 by the House of Habsburg. In 1804, the County of Tyrol, unified with the secularised ...

, from which the small district west of the Arlberg tried to detach itself. In 1861, Vorarlberg was finally raised to a crown land with his own state parliament. On the way to the detachment from Tyrol, the identification with the 'Ländle' remained of great importance.

Geography

The main

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of w ...

s in Vorarlberg are the Ill (running through the

Montafon Montafon ( in local dialect: "''Muntafu''") is a 39 km long valley in the westernmost Austrian federal state of Vorarlberg. It is traversed by the river Ill (Vorarlberg) and extends from the city of Bludenz and the Verwall Alps in the nort ...

and Walgau valleys into the Rhine), the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

(forming the border with Switzerland), the Bregenzer Ache and the

Dornbirner Ach The Dornbirner Ach (also called ''Dornbirner Ache'') is a stream in Vorarlberg, Austria, with its source in the mountains near the alpine village (belongs to Dornbirn). It flows through one of the largest and most gorgeous gorges in Central Europ ...

. One of the shortest rivers is the

Galina Galina, Halyna, or Halina (russian: Галина; from Greek ''γαλήνη'' "Serenity") is an East Slavic feminine given name, also popular in Bulgaria and Slovenia during the period of Soviet influence. Galina is the standard transliteration fr ...

. Important

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

s, apart from Lake Constance are Lüner Lake,

Silvretta Reservoir The Silvretta Reservoir is a reservoir in Austria. It is located approximately above sea level and covers an area of . It, along with the Vermunt Reservoir, feeds the Obervermuntwerk II Pumped-storage hydroelectricity, pumped-storage power plant ...

, Vermunt Lake, Spuller Lake, the

Kops Basin Kops is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Alexander Kops, Dutch politician * Bernard Kops, British writer * Erland Kops (1937–2017), Danish badminton player * Hailey Kops (born 2002), Israeli pair skater * James Kops, Papuan r ...

and Formarin Lake; the first four were created for the production of

hydroelectric energy Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...

. However, even before the dam for the power plant was built, Lüner Lake was the largest mountain lake in the Alps. Most of this hydroelectric energy is exported to Germany at peak times. At night, energy from power plants in Germany is used to pump water back into some of the lakes. As there are several notable

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

s in Vorarlberg, such as the Silvretta, the

Rätikon The Rätikon is a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps, located at the border between Vorarlberg, Liechtenstein and Graubünden. It is the geological border between the Eastern and Western Alps and stretches from the Montafon as far as ...

, the Verwall and the

Arlberg Arlberg () is a massif between Vorarlberg and Tyrol in Austria. The highest peak is the Valluga at . The name ''Arlberg'' derives from the tradition of the "Arlenburg", who are said to have once established themselves on the Tyrolean side of the A ...

with many well-known skiing regions and ski resorts. The highest mountain is the Piz Buin, whose rocky peak of is surrounded by glaciers. The distance from Lake Constance and the plains of the Alpine Rhine valley across the medium altitude and high Alpine zones to the glaciers of the Silvretta range is a mere .

Administrative divisions

Vorarlberg is divided into four large districts, from north to south:

and

Bludenz Bludenz (; Alemannic: ''Bludaz'') is a town in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg. It is the administrative seat of the Bludenz District, which encompasses about half of the Vorarlberg's territory. Geography The town is located on the ...

. These districts appear on the automobile license plates in form of abbreviations: B, DO, FK and BZ.

Biosphere reserve Großes Walsertal

The

Biosphere Reserve Großes Walsertal The Biosphere Reserve Großes Walsertal (German: ''Biosphärenpark Großes Walsertal'') is a protected nature reserve in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. The area of the nature reserve covers 19,231 ha. There are 3,420 inhabitants and around ...

covers about 19,200 ha and hosts 3,420 inhabitants and around 180 farms (42% of which are organic ^{as of 2022}). The reserve strives for a sustainable economy and tourism in the region and provides a platform for discussion about society, politics and science. The Biosphere Reserve Großes Walsertal has been a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

biosphere reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

since 2000. Biosphere reserves are the ecological counterpart of the cultural world heritage sites. The biosphere reserve's aim is sustainable development, education and research as well as the protection of natural diversity. The

Nagelfluhkette Nature Park The Nagelfluhkette Nature Park (German: ''Naturpark Nagelfluhkette'') is a cross-border nature park between the Germany, German region of Allgäu and the Austria, Austrian state of Vorarlberg. The nature park encompasses the area of the three Na ...

is a cross-border nature park between the German Allgäu and the Austrian

Bregenzerwald The Bregenz Forest (german: Bregenzerwald, ) is one of the main regions in the state of Vorarlberg (Austria). It overlaps, but is not coterminous with, the Bregenz Forest Mountains, which belong to a range of the Northern Limestone Alps, specific ...

. The nature park is 24,700 hectares in size. It comprises a high level of

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...

which is the result of

Alpine transhumance Alpine transhumance is transhumance as practiced in the Alps, that is, a seasonal droving of grazing livestock between the valleys in winter and the high mountain pastures in summer (German ' from the term for "seasonal mountain pasture", '). T ...

(the cultivation of the land by humans) and the geological diversity. The Nagelfluhkette Nature Park offers guided hiking tours.

History

Before the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

conquered Vorarlberg, there were two Celtic tribes settled in this area: the

Raeti The Raeti (spelling variants: ''Rhaeti'', ''Rheti'' or ''Rhaetii'') were a confederation of Alpine tribes, whose language and culture was related to those of the Etruscans. Before the Roman conquest, they inhabited present-day Tyrol in Austria, ...

in the highlands, and the

Vindelici The Vindelici (Gaulish: ) were a Gallic people dwelling around present-day Augsburg (Bavaria) during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as by Horace (1st c. BC), as (; var. ) by Strabo (early 1st c. AD), as and (va ...

in the lowlands, i.e. the Lake Constance region and the Rhine Valley. One of the important settlements of the Vindelici was Brigantion (modern Bregenz), founded around 500 BC. The first settlements in and around Bregenz date from 1500 BC. A Celtic tribe named "Brigantii" is mentioned by Strabo as a sub-tribe in these region of the Alps. The area of Vorarlberg was conquered by the Romans in 15 BC and it became part of the

Roman province The Roman provinces (Latin: ''provincia'', pl. ''provinciae'') were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was rule ...

Raetia Raetia ( ; ; also spelled Rhaetia) was a province of the Roman Empire, named after the Rhaetian people. It bordered on the west with the country of the Helvetii, on the east with Noricum, on the north with Vindelicia, on the south-west ...

. It was later conquered by Allemanic tribes in c. 450 AD. It then fell under the rule of the Bavarians and was subsequently settled by the Bavarians and the Lombards. It later fell under the rule of the

Counts of Bregenz The county of Bregenz is recorded as part of the Holy Roman Empire between 1043 and 1160. It was in possession of the Udalriching family, who took the titles of counts of Bregenz. After 1160, Bregenz fell to the counts of Montfort-Bregenz (1160 ...

until 1160 and then to the

Counts of Montfort The counts of Montfort were a German noble dynasty from Swabia. They belonged to high nobility of the Holy Roman Empire and enjoyed the privileged status of imperial immediacy. The influential and wealthy counts of Montfort took their name from a ...

until 1525, when the Habsburgs took control. The historically-Germanic province, which was a gathering-together of former

bishopric In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

s, was still ruled in part by a few semi-autonomous

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

s and surviving prince-bishops until the start of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Vorarlberg was a part of

Further Austria Further Austria, Outer Austria or Anterior Austria (german: Vorderösterreich, formerly ''die Vorlande'' (pl.)) was the collective name for the early (and later) possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-wes ...

, and parts of the area were ruled by the Counts

Montfort of Vorarlberg The counts of Montfort were a German noble dynasty from Swabia. They belonged to high nobility of the Holy Roman Empire and enjoyed the privileged status of imperial immediacy. The influential and wealthy counts of Montfort took their name from a ...

. Following World War I there was a desire by many in Vorarlberg to join Switzerland. In a held in Vorarlberg on 11 May 1919, 80.75% of those voting supported a proposal for the state to join the Swiss Confederation. However, the proposed union never took place. Within Switzerland, the

Swiss French Swiss French (french: français de Suisse or ') is the variety of French spoken in the French-speaking area of Switzerland known as Romandy. French is one of the four official languages of Switzerland, the others being German, Italian, and ...

and

Swiss Italians The Swiss people (german: die Schweizer, french: les Suisses, it, gli Svizzeri, rm, ils Svizzers) are the citizens of Switzerland or people of Swiss ancestry. The number of Swiss nationals has grown from 1.7 million in 1815 to 8.7 million ...

were reluctant to take in another German-speaking area, and Swiss Protestants were somewhat cool to incorporating such a heavily Catholic area. Opposition came from outside Switzerland as well; for example, Italy wanted Switzerland to give up Ticino if there were any changes on Switzerland's eastern frontier. Vienna and the Allies also objected, out of concern for the balance of power in central Europe. The government of Vorarlberg opposed union with Switzerland, but began half-hearted negotiations with Bern after the overwhelming result of the referendum. When it became apparent that the Swiss were lukewarm at best to absorbing Vorarlberg as well, Vorarlberg remained with Austria. If Vorarlberg had joined Switzerland, then

would have been enclaved by Switzerland, as the situation of Lesotho, San Marino and

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...

. Following the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

Vorarlberg found itself occupied by French troops from 1945 to 1955, along with most of the state of

Demographics

The population of Vorarlberg is 397,094 (as of 1 January 2020). The majority (86%) of residents are of Austrian-Germanic stock with a cultural connection with Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west and Germany to the north. A sizable proportion of the population's ancestors came from the Swiss canton of Valais in migrations of "

Walser The Walser people are the speakers of the Walser German dialects, a variety of Highest Alemannic. They inhabit the region of the Alps of Switzerland and Liechtenstein, as well as the fringes of Italy and Austria. The Walser people are named a ...

s", including the

in the 19th century by invitation during the days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. There has been a sizable minority of Turkish descent since the 1960s. With around 150 inhabitants per square kilometer, Vorarlberg is the second most densely populated province in Austria after

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. With the conurbation between

and Hörbranz, it has one of the most densely populated areas in Europe. Due to the early industrialization in comparison to other Austrian states, Vorarlberg developed into a classic immigration state as early as the 19th century. The state, which is small in terms of area, has the highest proportion of immigrants next to Vienna. In 2015, this was around 16% of the total population. Residents of German origin make up the largest migrant group, closely followed by immigrants from

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

. People from countries of the former

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

are by far the third-largest immigrant group in Vorarlberg. According to 2021 figures of

Statistics Austria Statistics Austria, known locally as Statistik Austria, is the official name of Austria's Federal Statistical Office (german: Bundesanstalt Statistik Österreich), the country's agency for collecting and publishing official statistics related to Aus ...

, 60.7% of the population are

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

, and 7.6% are followers of other Christian denominations (3.8% Orthodox Christians, 2.5%

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

s, 1.3% other Christians). The second-largest religion, with a share of 12.2% is Islam. 0.6% of Vorarlberg's inhabitants profess another religion, while 18.9% profess no affiliation with any religion or denomination.

Population development

The historical population is given in the following chart: Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.7) id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1) ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:28 PlotArea = left:40 bottom:40 top:20 right:20 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:400 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal AlignBars = late ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:25 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:5 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo PlotData= color:skyblue width:22 shift:(-60,-5) fontsize:M anchor:till bar:1869 from:0 till:103 text:102,702 bar:1880 from:0 till:107 text:107,373 bar:1890 from:0 till:116 text:116,073 bar:1900 from:0 till:129 text:129,237 bar:1910 from:0 till:145 text:145,408 bar:1923 from:0 till:140 text:139,979 bar:1934 from:0 till:155 text:155,402 bar:1939 from:0 till:158 text:158,300 bar:1951 from:0 till:194 text:193,657 bar:1961 from:0 till:226 text:226,323 bar:1971 from:0 till:277 text:277,154 bar:1981 from:0 till:305 text:305,164 bar:1991 from:0 till:331 text:331,472 bar:2001 from:0 till:351 text:351,095 bar:2011 from:0 till:370 text:369,938 bar:2021 from:0 till:399 text:399,237 TextData= fontsize:M pos:(35,20) text:"Source: Statistik Austria"

Economy and infrastructure

Location

For several years, the Vorarlberg economy has been performing well above the Austrian average. While the overall Austrian GDP in 2004 rose by 2.0% in real terms, Vorarlberg recorded an increase of 2.9%. This came as a surprise, particularly as the major trading partners in Germany and Italy did not fare well. Owing to this robust economic performance, Vorarlberg was able to boost its gross regional product in 2014 to 15.2 billion euros according to the Economic Policy Department of the Vorarlberg Chamber of Trade. This translates into a nominal increase of 3.4% (cf Austria as a whole +5.2%). The

Gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is oft ...

(GDP) of the state was 19.1 billion € in 2018, accounting for 4.9% of the Austria's economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 43,000 € or 143% of the EU27 average in the same year. Vorarlberg is the state with the third highest GDP per capita in Austria. Vorarlberg and especially the Rhine Valley is one of the wealthiest areas in the world, with a very high standard of living. By far the biggest company in Vorarlberg is Alpla (plastic packaging), followed by Blum, Grass, Gebrüder Weiss (transport and logistics),

Zumtobel Group The Zumtobel Group is an Austrian company specialising in lighting headquartered in Dornbirn. Zumtobel engages in the development, production and sales of lighting, luminaires, lighting management and lighting components for indoor and outdoor ap ...

(lighting systems), Doppelmayr (cablecars), Rauch (beverages) and

Wolford Wolford, headquartered in Bregenz on Lake Constance in Austria, is a textile manufacturer of tights, bodysuits and underwear, as well as women's clothing and accessories. Wolford has 16 subsidiaries and markets its products in approx. 60 cou ...

(textiles). Currently, five breweries are located in Vorarlberg: Mohrenbrauerei August Huber (in

, since 1834), Brauerei Fohrenburg (in

, since 1881),

Brauerei Egg The Brauerei Egg, Simma, Kohler GmbH & Co. KG is a brewery in Egg in Vorarlberg (Austria). It was established in 1894. The Egg Brauerei is the smallest private brewery in Vorarlberg. The first beer was tapped in the brewery on March 24, 1894. In ...

(in Egg, since 1894), Vorarlberger Brauereigenosschenschaft – Brauerei Frastanz (in Frastanz, since 1902), Grabhers Sudwerk (in

, since 2016). Overall, the economic expansion of Vorarlberg is "very positive and for the future rated more dynamic than for the other states".

Agriculture

In addition to the flourishing textile, clothing, electronics, machinery and packing materials industries of the Alpine Rhine Valley, there is also a broad agricultural base, especially in the

(Bregenzerwald), which is known for its dairy products and tourism.

Alpine transhumance and cheese production

The three-level movement farming ("Dreistufenwirtschaft") is essential to the economy of the mountainous regions in Vorarlberg. It is also known as

and describes a seasonal

droving Droving is the practice of walking livestock over long distances. It is a type of herding. Droving stock to market—usually on foot and often with the aid of dogs—has a very long history in the Old World. An owner might entrust an agent to de ...

of grazing

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animal ...

between the valleys in winter and the high mountain

pasture Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep, or sw ...

s in summer. Vorderhopfreben Üntschenspitze 1

Alpine transhumance has a strong impact on the production of cheese in the Alps. It ensures that the cattle produces high-quality aromatic milk, the so-called '' Heumilch'' ("hay milk"), based on its special diet of natural meadow grass in comparison to

silage Silage () is a type of fodder made from green foliage crops which have been preserved by fermentation to the point of acidification. It can be fed to cattle, sheep and other such ruminants (cud-chewing animals). The fermentation and storage ...

. The use of hay milk in cheese production contributes to the distinctive flavour that determines more than 30 Alpine cheeses, including Vorarlberger Alpkäse,

Vorarlberger Bergkäse Vorarlberger Bergkäse ("Vorarlberg mountain cheese") is a regional cheese specialty from the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. It is protected within the framework of the European designation of origin (PDO). Characteristics Vorarlberger Bergk� ...

, Großwalsertaler Bergkäse, and Sura Kees. With the aim to support and preserve the local dairy production and the traditional agricultural heritage, the Bregenzerwald Cheese Route was founded in 1998. It is an organisation which connects farmers, traders and craftsmen. Along the cheese route, visitors are invited to watch the cheese production process and participate in culinary tastings. Many cultural habits like Yodel,

Alphorn The alphorn or alpenhorn or alpine horn is a labrophone, consisting of a straight several-meter-long wooden natural horn of conical bore, with a wooden cup-shaped mouthpiece. Traditionally the Alphorn was made of one single piece, or two par ...

Schwingen (from German ' "to swing"), also known as Swiss wrestling (French ') and natively (and colloquially) as ' (Swiss German for "breeches-lifting"), is a style of folk wrestling native to Switzerland, more specifically the pre-alpine parts of Germ ...

were developed during this time. This seasonal nomadism led to the rich culture, architecture and love for nature found in Vorarlberg. A significant cultural icon unique to this area is the festive movement of cattle from the pastures to the villages in autumn. This tradition is especially popular with tourists.

Energy sector

The energy sector is one of the founders of Vorarlberg's economy, in which hydropower is the most important source of energy. This is mainly used for the production of peak current. Vorarlberg was the first region in Europe where more sustainable energy was produced than consumed. Green electricity from Vorarlberg is therefore also sold to the German Westallgäu, to Switzerland and to other Austrian provinces. The largest electricity producer in Vorarlberg is Illwerke AG. They produce 75% of the electricity in Vorarlberg, mainly by hydropower. Fachhochschule Vorarlberg 1

Education

Currently, the ''Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences'' (german: Fachhochschule Vorarlberg, links=no) in

is the only higher education institution in Vorarlberg. Originally founded as technical school in 1989, it achieved status of an officially recognized university in 1999. It offers Bachelor's and master's degrees in business, engineering and technology, design and social work. About 1350 students have enrolled for the term 2018/19. The Fachhochschule Vorarlberg is considered one of Austria's best applied universities in the field of technology.

Tourism

The tourist industry employs a considerable number of Vorarlbergers. There are around 12,000 employees working in this industry which represent approximately 11% of the total workforce (107,575 in 2015). Arrivals are slightly higher in winter (1.23 million in 2015) than in summer (1.14 million in 2015). The real difference lies in overnight-stays indicating that Vorarlberg is a strong winter destination. Overnight-stays in winter reach as high as 5.11 million which is quite large when compared to the summer season with 3.7 million overnight stays. The largest (and best-known) touristic regions are: * the

* the

-District * the

region (including the high-class ski resorts

Lech Lech may refer to: People * Lech (name), a name of Polish origin * Lech, the legendary founder of Poland * Lech (Bohemian prince) Products and organizations * Lech (beer), Polish beer produced by Kompania Piwowarska, in Poznań * Lech Poznań, ...

and Zürs) * the

Brandnertal The Brandnertal (also Brandner Tal) is a valley in the Austrian province of Vorarlberg as well as a ski resort named after the valley. Geography The Brandnertal is located in the southern part of Vorarlberg, in the far west of Austria. Adjacent ...

* the

Kleinwalsertal Kleinwalsertal is a valley in the Austrian province of Vorarlberg and part of the Bregenz district. It includes the municipality of Mittelberg and consists of three villages along the River Breitach. Due to the geographic location in the Allg� ...

and * the

Großwalsertal The Großes Walsertal (german: Großes Walsertal, Großwalsertal) is a valley located in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. It is a side valley of the Walgau and stretches from there north to the mountainous center of the country. The end of the ...

Winter

The greatest tourist attractions are the mountains and the numerous

ski resorts A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In ...

. In the cold season, winter sports enthusiasts will find ideal conditions for their favourite sport:

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...

cross country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreatio ...

, freeriding, snowboarding,

ice skating Ice skating is the self-propulsion and gliding of a person across an ice surface, using metal-bladed ice skates. People skate for various reasons, including recreation (fun), exercise, competitive sports, and commuting. Ice skating may be per ...

sled dog A sled dog is a dog trained and used to pull a land vehicle in harness, most commonly a sled over snow. Sled dogs have been used in the Arctic for at least 8,000 years and, along with watercraft, were the only transportation in Arctic areas ...

rides, carriage rides, tobogganing, snow and fun parks. Stuben am Arlberg Panorama

Vorarlberg's largest ski resorts include: *

Ski Arlberg The Ski Arlberg ski area is situated in the Arlberg massif in the states of Vorarlberg and Tyrol (Austria). Since the winter of 2013–14, the villages of Lech, Oberlech, Zürs and Zug have been linked to the Warth- Schröcken ski area which ma ...

** Stuben am Arlberg **

- Zürs and Oberlech ** Warth and Schröcken *

Silvretta Montafon (Ski area) The Silvretta Montafon ski area is located in the Montafon valley in Vorarlberg (Austria). It is one of Austria's ten largest ski areas. Geography The Silvretta Montafon ski area is located in the south of Vorarlberg, the westernmost province o ...

* Damüls-Mellau (Ski area) * Diedamskopf * Großes Walsertal/ Fontanella-Faschina * Klostertal The ski resorts Silvretta Montafon and

(which is partly located in

) are the two largest ski areas in Vorarlberg. Ski Arlberg is the largest connected ski area in Austria since the season of 2016/17. It offers 305 km of slopes and 111 lifts. It includes Lech, Zürs, Oberlech, Warth, Schröcken, Stuben and the Tyrolean municipalities of St. Anton and St. Christoph. Der Weiße Ring

The places

and Zürs are known for their exclusivity and luxury, for which reason many prominent people go to these ski resorts. An example of this is the

Dutch royal family The monarchy of the Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy. As such, the role and position of the monarch are governed by the Constitution of the Netherlands. Consequently, a large portion of it is devoted to the monarch. Roughly a third of ...

which goes there on skiing holidays every year and has been staying in the prestigious ''Gasthof Post'' for four generations. A famous ski race is ''Der Weiße Ring'' ('The White Ring') where skiers race from Lech to Zürs. The 22 km long route is named after its ring-shaped track and the snowy conditions in this region. It is considered to be particularly difficult. The ''Ski Ride Vorarlberg'' is a combination of skiing, touring and freeriding while crossing Vorarlberg. The route starts in the

in the north, continues through the

Bregenz Forest The Bregenz Forest (german: Bregenzerwald, ) is one of the main regions in the state of Vorarlberg (Austria). It overlaps, but is not coterminous with, the Bregenz Forest Mountains, which belong to a range of the Northern Limestone Alps, specific ...

, over the

and the Klostertal to the

Montafon valley Montafon ( in local dialect: "''Muntafu''") is a 39 km long valley in the westernmost Austrian federal state of Vorarlberg. It is traversed by the river Ill (Vorarlberg) and extends from the city of Bludenz and the Verwall Alps in the n ...

in the south. The guided tour usually takes up to 7 days and is intended for experienced skiers. Damüls-Mellau is a notable ski area in terms of reliable snow conditions. In 2007, Damüls was named 'snowiest village in the world'. During the measuring period, the average snow height per winter season was approximately 9.30 m. Skiers from these regions include

Anita Wachter Anita Wachter (born 12 February 1967) is a former World Cup alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist from Austria. She focused on the technical events and specialized in giant slalom. Biography Born in Bartholomäberg, Montafon, Vorarlberg, ...

Egon Zimmermann Egon Zimmermann (8 February 1939 – 23 August 2019), often referred to as Egon Zimmermann II, was a World Cup alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist from Austria. Zimmermann won the Olympic downhill at Patscherkofel in 1964 and won se ...

Gerhard Nenning Gerhard Nenning (29 September 1940 in Lech – 22 June 1995 in Bregenz) was an Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It i ...

Mario Reiter Mario Reiter (born 5 November 1970 in Rankweil) is a former alpine skier from Austria. He won the gold medal in the combined event at the 1998 Olympics The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nag ...

Hubert Strolz Hubert Strolz (born 26 June 1962), nickname "Hubsi", is a former alpine skier from Austria. At the 1988 Olympics in Calgary he won a gold medal in the combined and silver in the Giant Slalom. Career In the World Cup, he won a combined competi ...

, and Hannes Schneider, as well as the ski-jumper Toni Innauer.

Summer

In the summer, mountain sports like

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

, mountain biking,

climbing Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or any other part of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders), to small boulders. Climbing is done ...

and trail-running play a big role in Vorarlberg's tourism. In total, Vorarlberg has more than 5,500 kilometers of hiking trails in different heights for both experienced and inexperienced walkers. Many ski areas operate cable cars throughout summer which makes them ideal for mountaineers. All over Vorarlberg, theme hikes are being offered, e.g., culinary hikes, herbal walks, educational hikes for children, and night walks. The theme route "Gauertaler AlpkulTour", which extends through the cultural landscape of the

in the

mountains, is a popular walking route among tourists. Lake Constance is a pivot for hikers, pilgrims, fishers and bird watchers. For a long time, it has served as a reference point for important pilgrims' paths, including the Lake Constance walking path, parts of the pilgrimage route to

Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of S ...

and the European hiking routes E1, E4 and E5. Offering some 1,500 kilometers of marked mountain bike trails, Vorarlberg attracts cyclists of all skill levels. Guided mountain bike tours are held in the

and Klostertal. The

bike school offers various bike-related activities including bike camps, technique courses and racing bike tours.

Culture

Language

Owing to their location isolated from the rest of Austria, most Vorarlbergers speak a very distinct German dialect that other Austrians might have difficulty understanding, since the dialects in the rest of Austria form part of the Bavarian-Austrian language group, whereas the Vorarlberg dialect is part of the Alemannic dialect continuum. Alemannic dialects are also spoken in Liechtenstein, Switzerland (as Swiss German),

, the south west of Bavaria and the

region of France. The Vorarlberg dialect is further divided into a number of regional sub-dialects (e.g. that of the Montafon, the Bregenzerwald and Lustenau are some of the most distinct) which tend to differ considerably from each other. In fact even within these regions the dialects may vary from one town or village to the next.

Traditional garb

Traditional costumes ("

tracht ''Tracht'' () refers to traditional garments in German-speaking countries and regions. Although the word is most often associated with Bavarian, Austrian, South Tyrolian and Trentino garments, including lederhosen and dirndls, many other German- ...

") have a long history in Vorarlberg. Many valleys and villages have their own kind of garb, each with special characteristics from certain style periods. The Bregenzerwälder garb is the oldest, it originated in the 15/16th century and is also called "d'Juppô" ( Bavarian: "Juppe"). The Montafon garb is inspired by the baroque era. A whole set of Tracht consists of several elements: the "Juppe" (the apron), a headgear (caps, hats), a blouse, a "Tschopa" (jacket), and stockings. The hairstyle (for example braided hair) can also be part of the Tracht. In the 1970s, very few Vorarlbergers wore tracht. The reason for this was strict regulations with regard to the people wearing Tracht. For example, Bregenzerwälder ladies with short hair ought not to wear tracht, because their hair was too short for the suitable hair style ("Wälderzöpfe"). It was only when the regulations were loosened and the clothes were individualised in the 1990s that wearing tracht became more popular. Today, traditional garb is mainly worn on festive occasions. In the Juppenwerkstatt Riefensberg, tracht is still traditionally manufactured. There is a "national association for people wearing traditional costume" (''Landestrachtenverband'') that supports Vorarlberg's Tracht wearing inhabitants and music chapels. File:Weiße Juppe 7.JPG, Bregenz Forest tracht: girl in a white "juppe" File:JuppeManufaktur.JPG, Woman fabricating a traditional juppe costume in

Bezau Bezau is a town in the Bregenz Forest region, in the western Austrian state of Vorarlberg. It is part of the district of Bregenz. Bezau is a popular tourist destination around the year, due to its vicinity to ski resorts and hiking trails. Its p ...

(2007) File:Schäohüte.JPG, Women wearing Bregenz Forest costumes and "Schäohüte" (summer straw hats)

Cuisine

The influence of the Alemannic cuisine of neighbouring countries works more on Vorarlberg cuisine than Austrian cuisine. Cheese and other dairy products play a major role in traditional Vorarlberg meals. Typical dishes from the Vorarlberg region are: ''Käsespätzle'' or ''Käsknöpfle'' (noodles of flour and eggs with cheese and onion), ''Riebel'' (dish of corn and wheat semolina, served spicy or sweet), ''Flädlesuppe'' (broth with savoury pancake strips), ''Grumpara mit Käs'' (peel pastry with cheese), ''Öpfelküachle'' (apples baked in pancake dough, topped with sugar and cinnamon). ''Mostbröckle'' (pickled and smoked sausage), originally from Switzerland, is also a very popular product.

Regional dairy products

* Bergkäse ("mountain cheese"). The texture of the Bergkäse is rather hard, sometimes with small holes or cracks, with a strong taste, which is sometimes nutty. In the strict sense, Bergkäse is a cheese produced in the low mountain range (between 600 and 1500 m). Examples of Vorarlberg's Bergkäse are the

or ''Großwalsertaler Bergkäse'' named "Walserstolz". * Alpkäse ("mountain pasture cheese" or "alp cheese"). Alpkäse is a hard cheese that resembles Bergkäse in taste and texture. The difference between these cheeses lies in the period and place of production. Bergkäse is produced year-round, so even in winter, when the animals are in the stables and fed with hay. Alpkäse is a seasonal product, only produced in the summer between May and September on high mountain meadows above 1500 m (Alpine pastures or alps), where the animals graze Alpine herbs. An example is the ''Vorarlberger Alpkäse''. * Sura Kees ("sour cheese"). Originally from the

valley, Sura Kees has been known there since the 12th century and resembles the Tyrolean gray cheese. It is a low-fat cheese with a mild aroma reminiscent of cream cheese, its taste varies from mildly spicy to sour, always with a salty undertone. The Sura Kees is usually served with vinegar, oil and onions, or alone on black bread or eaten with potatoes.

Festivals and annual events

Vorarlberg provides cultural attractions of all kinds. The

Bregenzer Festspiele Bregenzer Festspiele (; Bregenz Festival) is a performing arts festival which is held every July and August in Bregenz in Vorarlberg (Austria). It features a large floating stage which is situated on Lake Constance. History The Festival becam ...

is the best known festival of the region and poses one of Austria's cultural highlights since 1946. It annually takes place in the months of July and August. With operas and musicals such as

Die Zauberflöte ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a ''Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that includ ...

(''The Magic Flute''), West Side Story and Carmen, the Bregenzer Festspiele draws hundreds of thousands of spectators every year. Noteworthy is the ''Seebühne'', an impressive stage in Lake Constance where scenes are played. The Bregenzer Frühling is a dance festival in

that has been held since 1987 during spring time. Dance ensembles from all over the world perform their new productions, along with Austrian premieres. Each year, five different dance ensembles perform at the Bregenzer Frühling. Montafoner Resonanzen is a music festival in the

region. It is a series of events held annually on weekends in August and September. Each weekend is dedicated to another genre (classical, jazz, Austrian folk musik, organ, cross-over). The locations vary each year. Guests may combine hiking and eating out with the concerts, considering the musical performances are held at extraordinary locations like the Tübinger Hütte at 2,191 m ( Gaschurn) or the Panoramagasthof Kristberg. The Poolbar Festival is a modern music and culture festival in

. Being held annually between July and August, it attracts around 20,000 visitors featuring music, exhibitions,

poetry slam A poetry slam is a competitive art event in which poets perform spoken word poetry before a live audience and a panel of judges. While formats can vary, slams are often loud and lively, with audience participation, cheering and dramatic delivery. ...

s, fashion and an architectural prize. ALPINALE opening night 2020

The annual

Schubertiade A Schubertiade (also spelled Schubertiad) is an event held to celebrate the music of Franz Schubert (1797–1828). Modern Schubertiades also include concert series and festivals, such as the Schubertiade Vorarlberg. History During Schubert's life ...

in Schwarzenberg is the most important

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wo ...

festival worldwide. A Schubertiade is usually dominated by Franz Schubert or his compositions. It is an informal meeting where casual music is played or recited by friends clubs or musicians, both on a professional and amateur level. The first Schubertiade took place in

Hohenems Hohenems (High Alemannic: ''Ems'') is a town in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg in the Dornbirn district. It lies in the middle of the Austrian part of the Rhine valley. With a population of 15,200, it is the fifth largest municipality in Vorarlb ...

in Vorarlberg in 1976. Every year in August, about 30 international short films are screened at the Alpinale Short Film Festival in

. The Literaturfest Kleinwalsertal is a

literary festival A literary festival, also known as a book festival or writers' festival, is a regular gathering of writers and readers, typically on an annual basis in a particular city. A literary festival usually features a variety of presentations and readings ...

consisting of lectures, workshops, poetry slams and exhibitions and takes place in autumn. The

light art Light art or The Art of Light is generally referring to a visual art form in which (physical) light is the main, if not sole medium of creation. Uses of the term differ drastically in incongruence; definitions, if existing, vary in several asp ...

festival Lichtstadt Feldkirch lets international artists fill the city of Feldkirch with light objects, projections and sculptures. Its first edition was held in 2018 and attracted 30.000 visitors. The festival takes place every other year. FAQ Bregenzerwald Kapelle Niedere 2020

The FAQ Bregenzerwald is a social forum in the form of a festival. Hosting lectures, panel discussions, concerts, guided walks as well as culinary tastings, it aims at highlighting social issues in the society in a very broad context. The Montforter Zwischentöne is an interdisciplinary festival in

that takes place three times a year. Each series is based on a specific topic which is artistically and dramaturgically interpreted without genre-orientated boundaries. There are contributions from the fields of music, poetry, architecture, science, dance etc. The festival addresses issues of social and personal development on site and provides impetus for urban and regional development. Tanzcafé Arlberg is a series of concerts taking place at ski huts in

/ Zürs for two weeks in the springtime. It is intended to entertain skiers aside the ski piste by providing live music to dance to. The concerts range from pop to swing to rock'n'roll and to ska. The series of events includes a workshop on

Lindy Hop The Lindy Hop is an American dance which was born in the Black communities of Harlem, New York City, in 1928 and has evolved since then. It was very popular during the swing era of the late 1930s and early 1940s. Lindy is a fusion of many danc ...

. Bezau Beatz is a music festival that has been taking place in Bezau in August since 2008. The Bludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik is a festival of contemporary music in

that was founded in 1988. The aim of the festival is to make contemporary music audible in Bludenz. Furthermure, Vorarlberg is host to a variety of fairs, conventions and expositions including the public health event Medicinicum Lech, the literary festival Literaricum Lech, the annual interdisciplinary symposium Philosophicum Lech as well as the design fair and festival POTENTIALe in Feldkirch.

Museums

The most visited museums in Vorarlberg are the

Kunsthaus Bregenz The Kunsthaus Bregenz (KUB) presents temporary exhibitions of international contemporary art in Bregenz, Vorarlberg (Austria). History Commissioned by the State of Vorarlberg and designed by the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, the Kunsthaus B ...

, the vorarlberg museum,

inatura The inatura – Nature Experience (German: ''Inatura – Erlebnis Naturschau Dornbirn'') is an interactive natural history museum in Dornbirn, Vorarlberg (Austria). It originated in 2003 from the former "Vorarlberger Naturschau" and was set up on f ...

(interactive nature adventure show and natural history museum) in Dornbirn and the Jewish Museum of Hohenems. Smaller museums include the Angelika Kauffmann Museum in Schwarzenberg, the

Hittisau Women's Museum Hittisau Women's Museum (german: Frauenmuseum Hittisau) is a museum in Hittisau, Austria, devoted to women. It was founded in 2000Rolls-Royce Museum and

Mohren Biererlebniswelt The Mohren Biererlebniswelt is a museum about the history of the Mohrenbrauerei, Mohren brewery, the art of brewing and regional brewing customs and is located at the headquarters of the Mohren brewery in Dornbirn, Vorarlberg (Austria). It was open ...

in Dornbirn, the

Egg Museum The Egg Museum is a local history museum located in Egg in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. It is the oldest regional museum in Vorarlberg. The museum was founded in 1904 and reopened again in 1988. The museum's collection is centred around the ...

in Egg and the Juppenwerkstatt Riefensberg (manufacturer of traditional women's garb), the Felder museum in

Schoppernau Schoppernau is a town in the Bregenzerwald Region (Bregenz district) of the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. Schoppernau has an area of 47.64 km2. Population History Until the 10th century, Schoppernau seems to have been pristine forest. Schop ...

, the Schattenburg museum and the Heimatmuseum Bezau. The Wälderbähnle or Bregenzerwald Museumsbahn (''Bregenzerwald Railway'') is a narrow-gauge heritage railway that today links Schwarzenberg to

amidst picturesque alpine scenery. For an overview, see ''

List of museums in Vorarlberg This list of museums in the state of Vorarlberg, Austria contains museums which are defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non ...

''. File:Inaturateich.jpg, The

museum File:Vorarlberg Museum innen 2013 06.jpg, Inside the vorarlberg museum File:JüdischesMuseumHohenems.JPG, Jewish museum of Hohenems

Architecture

The baroque masters of the Guild of Au in the 17th/18th century

In 1651, Michael Beer founded the Auer Zunft (Guild of Au) which is an important community of Vorarlberg builders, sculptors and carpenters who specialized in baroque building. In Au-

from 1670 to 1700, more than 90 percent of all male workers were builders. Master builders and craftsmen from the

in particular, but also from other parts of today's Vorarlberg, played a leading role in the 600 churches and monasteries that were built in the Baroque style in the 17th and 18th centuries. The master craftsmen of Au trained over 1,800 apprentices during a long construction boom which followed the Thirty Years' War. These new master builders were active throughout the Lake Constance area, but also in

, Bohemia and the South German region. Well-known works by baroque master builders include the monasteries and churches in Birnau, Weingarten and Einsiedeln. Many important members of the Auer Zunft came from the architect families Beer, Moosbrugger and Thumb.

Traditional architecture

The independent architecture of the

Bregenzerwälderhaus The Bregenzerwälderhaus, Bregenzerwaldhaus or Wälderhaus ("Bregenz Forest house") is a house type from the Bregenz Forest region in Vorarlberg (Austria). It is a log building with a gable roof which combines residential and agricultural living ( ...

, the

Montafonerhaus The Montafonerhaus (or Montafon house) is a house type in the Montafon valley in Vorarlberg (Austria). It is built as a mixed construction of stone and wood. The Montafonerhaus was a popular type of house from the 15th to the 20th century. These s ...

, the Rheintalhaus from the Dornbirn region and the "Walserhaus" are particularly relevant to historical architecture. Their designs trace back to the 15th century. The traditional materials used for building these houses are stone and wood. They are important features of the mountainous Alpine landscape. File:Einhof Loch 266 Schwarzenberg.jpg, alt=,

in Schwarzenberg File:Montafonerhaus Partenen (1).JPG, alt=,

in Partenen File:Walserhaus Vandans 176 Innenvens.jpg, alt=, Walserhaus in

Vandans Vandans is a town located in the Bludenz district in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. Located 650 m (2133 ft) above sea level, it is known for its skiing and hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpat ...

File:Rheintalhaus 01.JPG, alt=, Rheintalhaus in

Rankweil Rankweil is a town in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg, in the district Feldkirch. It is the second largest town in the district Feldkirch and the eighth largest town in Vorarlberg. Geography Rankweil is located in the southern Rhine ...

Art Nouveau

The style that dominated in Vorarlberg at the turn of the century is characterised by the "Heimatstil", the Southern German variant of Art Nouveau. An example for this style is the Löwenapotheke in the Rathausstraße in

by Otto Mallaun. Other notable representatives of Art Nouveau architecture in Vorarlberg are: Ernst Dittrich in

(e.g., Feldkirch's Regional Court, State Directorate of Finances) and Hanns Kornberger in

(e.g., the mansions "Grabenweg Nr. 8" and "Schulgasse Nr. 17)" and in

(e.g., the former hospital).

Neue Vorarlberger Bauschule and contemporary architecture

The Neue Vorarlberger Bauschule evolved organically the second half of the 20th century, always involving craftsmen and locals in the building process. Today, it is regarded as one of the most important pioneers of the New Alpine architecture. With the typical architecture of Vorarlberg still recognizable, it combines

tradition A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

and

modernity Modernity, a topic in the humanities and social sciences, is both a historical period (the modern era) and the ensemble of particular socio-cultural norms, attitudes and practices that arose in the wake of the Renaissancein the "Age of Reas ...

: clean lines, glass and local wood. Its harmonious mix creates interesting contrasts as in half-timbered houses. Comfort and quality of life are important criteria. Currently, many private houses and public buildings are renovated by architects, favoring local timber and limiting energy expenditure. Well-known award-winning architectural projects include the

, vorarlberg museum in Bregenz, Michelehof Hard and Hotel Krone Hittisau. Vorarlberg museum in Bregenz 2

Contemporary architecture in Vorarlberg has made a label for a demanding architecture of a fruitful confrontation between traditional construction and modern interpretation. Some examples of more recent architecture are: North-east sight-1

* vorarlberg museum in

: The museum by Cukrowicz Nachbaur Architekten was awarded the International Architecture Award 2014, Best Architect's Award 2014 in gold, Vorarlberg Client Award 2015, Austrian Museum Award 2016, among others. *

: The Kunsthaus was built by the Swiss architect and Pritzker Prize winner

Peter Zumthor Peter Zumthor (; born 26 April 1943) is a Swiss architect whose work is frequently described as uncompromising and minimalist. Though managing a relatively small firm, he is the winner of the 2009 Pritzker Prize and 2013 RIBA Royal Gold Medal. E ...

, received the Mies van der Rohe Award in 1998. * LifeCycle-Tower ONE (LCT ONE) in Dornbirn: From 2010 onwards, Vorarlberg had been investing in research on renewable energy sources and energy-efficient houses in order to achieve self-set climate targets. In 2012, the first modular wooden hybrid complex of eight floors was built: the LifeCycle-Tower I. It is 27 m high and made of wood and concrete. In this architectural design, load-bearing elements are not covered. The benefits of this innovative project are environmental and energy efficiency, 90 % less CO₂ emissions, a much shorter construction and industrial production time of the components. * Montforthaus, 20h45

BUS:STOP project in Krumbach: In 2014, the municipality of Krumbach in the

constructed seven bus stops that were designed by international architect offices in partnership with local partner architects and craftsmen. The project goes under the name of BUS:STOP Krumbach. These extraordinary bus stops received special recognition as part of the Austrian National Architecture Awards as well as the National Award for PR. * Werkraum Haus von Peter Zumthor in Andelsbuch 1

Werkraum Haus von Peter Zumthor in Andelsbuch 1

Skyspace Lech The Skyspace Lech is a walk-in art installation by James Turrell in Tannegg/ Oberlech in Vorarlberg (Austria). In 2014, James Turrell conceptualised the ''Skyspace Lech'' design specifically for this location to make the skyspace integrate itse ...

in Oberlech: A

skyspace A skyspace is an architectural design in which a room, which is painted in a neutral color has a large hole in its ceiling which opens directly to the sky. The room, whose perimeter has benches, allows observers to look at the sky in such a way a ...

is an enclosed space which is open to the sky through a large hole in the ceiling. The architectural design puts the colour-changing light at the walls and in the sky during sunrise and sunset into focus. The Skyspace Lech is a walk-in art installation by

James Turrell James Turrell (born May 6, 1943) is an American artist known for his work within the Light and Space movement. Much of Turrell's career has been devoted to a still-unfinished work, ''Roden Crater'', a natural cinder cone crater located outsid ...

in Oberlech. * Montforthaus Feldkirch: The convention centre was re-opened in 2015. The Montforthaus is a public venue for balls, conventions, concerts and theatre performances.

Architectural initiatives

The

Werkraum Bregenzerwald The Werkraum Bregenzerwald (literally "Bregenz Forest workroom") is a cooperation and association of craftsmen and traders in the Bregenz Forest (Austria) founded in 1999. When the association was founded, almost a third of its members were carpe ...

is an association of craftsmen in the

founded in 1999. It aims at networking and supporting craft, design and technology businesses in the area. The publicly accessible place is used to present the craftsmanship, to promote building culture in cooperation with architects and to increase design competence and quality of craftsmanship with the preferred involvement of young people. Occupying the Werkraum Bregenzerwald since 2014, the travelling exhibition ''Getting Things Done'' demonstrates the quality of Vorarlberg's architecture by means of 230 selected projects. It offers a distinct view of how building culture has evolved from the late 1950s until the present. Organized by the Austrian Cultural Forum network, the exhibition will be show in over 20 locations around the world.

Architecture trails

The Vorarlberg Institute for Architecture (VAI) and the ''Vorarlberg Tourist Board'' collaborated for the development of the so-called architecture trails. Each trail has a different theme: "New impressions", "Art and culture", "Timber and loam", "Old and new", "Revitalised villages" and "Architecture and landscape". These tours take visitors to both urban and rural regions in order to illustrate architectural variety in Vorarlberg by select examples. These examples are characterized by a functional mix, spatial versatility, formal radicalism, ecological far-sightedness and social integration.

Sporting events

Winter

The White Ring is a ski race in the Ski Arlberg ski area. In 2009, the Guinness World Records confirmed that the White Ring is the longest ski area in the world at 22 km. It consists of 5 runs, 6 lifts and a cross-country trail. In the season 2012/13, the first

SBX World Cup Montafon The SBX World Cup Montafon a snowboard competition that takes place annually in the Montafon in Vorarlberg (Austria) as part of the FIS Snowboard World Cup. The competitions are held at the Hochjoch in Schruns in the Silvretta Montafon ski are ...

was held as part of the FIS Snowboard World Cup. The World Cup takes place annually in December in the

. The races are held in the Silvretta Montafon ski area, starting a little below the Hochjoch summit and finishing near the cable car's mountain station. The difference in altitude between start and finish is around 200 m. The first Open Faces Freeride Contest took place in 2017. The most previous contest was held from 24–27 February 2022 in the Silvretta Montafon ski area. The contest was the first 4-star qualifier of the season 2022. The length of the freeride slope is 450 m, its vertical drop is 350 m and it has a steepness of up to 60°.

Summer

The

Hypo-Meeting The Hypo-Meeting is an annual athletics (sport), athletics competition that takes place in the Mösle stadium in Götzis in Vorarlberg (Austria) held in the spring (late May, early June). In its history, a total of three world records have been se ...

is an athlectics competition which is held annually in May/June in the Mösle stadium in

Götzis Götzis is a town in the western Austrian state of Vorarlberg. The Alpine Rhine valley municipality belongs to the district of Feldkirch. Population Events The town is well known for its annual hypo-combined events meeting, the so-called Hyp ...

. It is organised by the

International Association of Athletics Federations World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body fo ...

(IAAF) and sponsored by the Hypo Vorarlberg Bank, thus its name. The first Hypo-Meetings have been organised as contests for men starting in 1975. The women's contests have been added in 1981. The Montafon-Arlberg Marathon is a mountain marathon with 1,500 meters in altitude in the middle of the European protected area Verwall. In 2007,

hosted the 13th World Gymnaestrada event, in which about 21,000 gymnasts from 56 federations participated. In 2019, Dornbirn hosted the event again, see 16th World Gymnaestrada. File:GOTZ0416 400m eitel (48038992192).jpg, Men's 400 metres race at the 2019

in Götzis File:Gymnaestrada2007 Wolfurt03.jpg, Impression of the 2007 World Gymnaestrada in Vorarlberg File:SprüngeDamüls03.jpg, Ski cross skier in

Damüls Damüls is a village community and popular tourist resort in the district of Bregenz in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg. Damüls is known for its abundance of snow. In 2006, Damüls was awarded the honorary title "the snowiest villag ...

Notable people

The following notable people are born in Vorarlberg: Hugo Von Montfort

* Franz Anton Beer (1688–1749), baroque master builder * Lorenz Böhler (1885–1973), surgeon * Artur Doppelmayr (1922–2017), entrepreneur and

cableway Cable transport is a broad class of transport modes that have cables. They transport passengers and goods, often in vehicles called cable cars. The cable may be driven or passive, and items may be moved by pulling, sliding, sailing, or by driv ...

pioneer (see Doppelmayr) *

Franz Michael Felder Franz Michael Felder (May 13, 1839 – April 26, 1869) was a social reformer, author and farmer from Vorarlberg (Austria). Life Born in Schoppernau, Vorarlberg Franz Michael Felder grew up in very simple mountain farming circumstances. Having ...

(1839–1869), writer, farmer, social reformer *

Michael Köhlmeier Michael Köhlmeier (born 15 October 1949 in Hard, Austria)

(born 1949), writer *

Hugo von Montfort Hugo von Montfort (1357 – 4 April 1423) was an Austrian minstrel of the Late Middle Ages. Life Hugo VII was a scion of the comital house of Montfort at Bregenz, head of an old and influential Swabian family of nobles, holding numerous ...

(1357–1423) an Austrian minstrel * Patrick Ortlieb (born 1967), alpine ski racer and MP of the

FPÖ The Freedom Party of Austria (german: Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs, FPÖ) is a right-wing populist and national-conservative political party in Austria. It was led by Norbert Hofer from September 2019 to 1 June 2021.Staff (1 June 2021"A ...

(1999–2002) *

Stefan Sagmeister Stefan Sagmeister (born August 6, 1962) is an Austrian graphic designer, storytelling, storyteller, and typographer based in New York City. In 1993, Sagmeister founded his company, Sagmeister Inc., to create designs for the music industry. He has ...

(born 1962), graphic designer and typographer * Hans-Jörg Schelling (born 1953),

ÖVP The Austrian People's Party (german: Österreichische Volkspartei , ÖVP ) is a Christian-democratic and liberal-conservative political party in Austria. Since December 2021, the party has been led provisionally by Karl Nehammer. It is currentl ...

-politician and Austria's Federal Minister of Finance (2014–2017) *

Matthias Strolz Matthias Strolz (born 10 June 1973) is an Austrian politician. He is the founder of the political party NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum and was its first leader and a member of Austria's National Council from 29 October 2013 until 26 ...

(born 1973), NEOS-politician (2013–2018) * Ingrid Thurnher (born 1962), ORF-anchorwoman

Sport

Wiltrud Drexel Wiltrud Drexel (born 16 August 1950) is an Austrian former alpine skier and Olympic medalist. She received a bronze medal in the giant slalom at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo ( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great R ...

(born 1950), alpine ski racer *

Marc Girardelli Marc Girardelli (born 18 July 1963) is an Austrian and Luxembourgish former alpine ski racer, a five-time World Cup overall champion who excelled in all five alpine disciplines. Biography Born in Lustenau, Austria, Girardelli started skiing at ...

(born 1963), alpine ski racer * Katharina Liensberger (born 1997), alpine ski racer * Christine Scheyer (born 1994), alpine ski racer *

(born 1967), alpine ski racer

Notes

External links

Official website
(in German)
Official touristic website
(in English)
Information about Vorarlberg and its peopleThe 7 architecture trails of Vorarlberg
* {{Authority control NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union States of Austria First-level administrative divisions by country

Etymology

Geography

Administrative divisions

Biosphere reserve Großes Walsertal

History

Demographics

Population development

Economy and infrastructure

Location

Agriculture

Alpine transhumance and cheese production

Energy sector

Education

Tourism

Winter

Summer

Culture

Language

Traditional garb

Cuisine

Regional dairy products

Festivals and annual events

Museums

Architecture

The baroque masters of the Guild of Au in the 17th/18th century

Traditional architecture

Art Nouveau

Neue Vorarlberger Bauschule and contemporary architecture

Architectural initiatives

Architecture trails

Sporting events

Winter

Summer

Notable people

Sport

See also

Notes

External links