Our top tips for your short trip to the Alpine town of Bludenz

Advertising: Contribution in cooperation with the Austrian National Tourist Office

From Bad Ischl to Wolfsberg, the Austrian Association of Small Historic Towns brings together 17 places steeped in history and charm. A colourful group and, above all, a fantastic source of inspiration for all those who are looking for ideas for alternative city trips. At the end of August, we visited Bludenz and Kufstein, the two small towns closest to Switzerland. In this post, I’ll explain why Bludenz is ideal for a short trip and show you our favorite places in and around the Alpine town. Because one thing you quickly notice in Bludenz: The next nature experience is only a stone’s throw away.

Bludenz – historic, charming and surrounded by mountains

With just under 15,000 inhabitants, Bludenz is the smallest of Vorarlberg’s five cities. However, with its convenient location at the intersection of various valleys and Alpine passes in early times, the traces of local settlement can be traced back to the pre-Roman Iron Age.

Even today, many people know Bludenz either from the passage over the Arlberg to Tyrol or as a transfer point for a detour to the Brandnertal, Montafon, Klostertal or the Grosse Walsertal. It would be worthwhile to take the ten-minute walk from the train station to the slightly higher old town. Here you will find lively, spruced-up alleys with pretty arcades and carefully restored buildings. Really pretty! And perfect for an extended stopover. Be it before or after wellness or hiking days in one of the surrounding valleys or just like that – as a basis for an enjoyable and at the same time sporty weekend.

• 

• 

Check-in in historic buildings

We arrive in Bludenz on a sunny Friday evening. The sun makes the brightly painted old town buildings shine in a warm light. The seats of the restaurants and cafés between Josef-Wolf-Platz, Kirchgasse and Werdenbergstrasse are well filled. The traffic-calmed old town is full of life. Luckily, we reserved our table in advance in the restaurant of the boutique hotel of the same name, Das Tschofen. On this late summer evening, I couldn’t imagine anything better than enjoying a delicious dinner on this secluded square directly opposite the Nepomuk Fountain.

In the course of the renovation of the old town, the Tschofen was converted from a former commercial building into a hotel, restaurant and café. A successful project from A to Z, even if there was certainly more than one challenge to overcome during the renovation phase behind these listed walls. The casual – for Bludenz almost cosmopolitan – concept is convincing! I think it’s great that the café / bar on the ground floor is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to at least 6:00 p.m. (or from Monday to Saturday until 10:00 p.m.).

• 

• 

Take a leisurely stroll through the old town on Saturday morning

After a nightcap in the cocktail bar Mr. Muk, what feels like ten steps next to the Tschofen, we fall into bed tired. The next morning, the old town is full of life again. On Wednesday and Saturday mornings, the weekly market takes place here. The ideal opportunity to acquire one or the other local delicacy. While you can of course have an excellent breakfast in the Tschofen, this morning we test ourselves through the breakfast menu of the nearby Café Fritz.

Afterwards we walk from Untersteinstrasse, where only a mural reminds us of the former city gate, along Werdenbergstrasse and Kirchgasse to the Upper City Gate. While the Montafon or Capuchin Gate was demolished in the middle of the 19th century in the course of the dawn of modernity to make way for the construction of the suburb, the Upper City Gate has been preserved together with the Lower City Gate at the southern end of Mühlgasse to this day. The Bludenz City Museum, which is housed in the premises of the Upper City Gate, is being completely renovated and is therefore currently closed.

Instead, we take the stairs up to the St. Laurentius Church, which dominates the cityscape of Bludenz with its striking onion dome. Right next to it is Gayenhofen Castle, the successor to the former Bludenz Castle. If you take part in one of the weekly city tours (Tuesday mornings) or book a private city tour, you will benefit from an “extra” at this point. The ascent to the church tower of the St. Laurentius Church with a phenomenal panoramic view over Bludenz and the surrounding area is only possible with a guide.

• 

• 

• 

• 

As a reward, we treat ourselves to two scoops of the “Eisprinza” homemade ice cream afterwards. For my taste, the ice cream creations are a bit too sweet. But whoever can get hold of the proud fourth place in the Falstaff public voting of Vorarlberg’s most popular ice cream parlors seems to be doing a lot right.

Afternoon excursion to the Muttersberg

So, we used the morning to have a fine breakfast, explore the sights of the old town and eat ice cream. Now it’s time for a detour into the countryside. The Muttersberg is Bludenz’s local mountain and a popular local recreation destination and starting point for extended hikes. Today we are wearing light shoes and want to enjoy the beautiful view. This project can be implemented excellently on the sun terrace of the Alpengasthof Muttersberg.

Then we follow the signposts of the Alpine Art circular route. The 2.5-kilometre-long circular trail leads past six stations created by well-known artists – all with a connection to Vorarlberg – with just a few metres of elevation gain. Some of the artworks are surprising, thought-provoking and deal with the different perspectives on life in the mountains. The circular route can be completed in about an hour. Note that it is not designed to be obstacle-free and leads over steps and along narrow, rooted forest paths.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Dine with a view above the rooftops of Bludenz

Back from the Muttersberg, we don’t dive straight back into the alleys of the old town, but head for another panoramic location for the second dinner in the Alpine town. The sun terrace of the Schlosshotel Dörflinger above the old town gives us the third panoramic view of the day. On the clearly arranged two-page menu, you will find modern interpretations of classics of Austrian cuisine.

• 

• 

Discover the side valleys of the Alpine town on foot

If you book two nights in Bludenz, you will have enough time for a detour to one of the side valleys that come together here. One hike that connects Bludenz with the Klostertal is the cultural-historical “Sunna Trail“, which was newly opened in 2019. The theme trail leads in about 5 hours from Nüziders via Bludenz to Braz in the Klostertal and can also be walked in stages and/or vice versa. And that’s exactly what we have in mind. For this we take the bus to Braz, where we meet hiking guide Anna.

Before we follow the “Sunna Trail” in the direction of Bludenz, we pay a visit to the Dünser family’s Mottnerhof. Saskia Dünser is not only a farmer and hostess of a holiday apartment with heart and soul, but also serves as chairwoman of the Klostertaler Bauerntafel. The Klostertaler Bauerntafel is an association of local producers and aims to strengthen the added value of products produced in the valley through direct marketing. For example, in Braz, a few steps from the Traube bus stop, there is a self-service fridge where you can find all the ingredients for a fine picnic along the path of the “Sunna Trail”.

Packed with a loaf of bread, eggs, cheese, sausage and vitamins in the form of tomatoes and lettuce from Anna’s grandmother’s garden, they then head over hill and dale along the “Sunna Trail”. The hiking trail leads from Braz over sun-drenched commons and through the foothills of the Klostertal mountain forests – a European protected area. At various points, information boards reveal exciting facts about the surrounding nature and local customs.

• 

• 

There is also no shortage of beautiful resting places. If you’re out and about on a sun-drenched day, like us, you should take a bold look at the “Klangraststätte” on your hiking map. The perfect spot to try your way through the variety of products at the Klostertaler Bauerntafel.

Shortly after the Klang service area, a path branches off in the direction of Rungelin. Rungelin belongs to the municipality of Bludenz, but forms an independent and rather pretty town centre. A worthwhile variation for all those who want to get to know more facets of Bludenz.

Practical tips for your stay in Bludenz

• Bludenz can be reached from Zurich in less than 2.5 hours by train (around six direct connections daily).
• From the first night you will receive the guest card, with which you can use all means of transport of the Vorarlberg transport association at no extra charge.
• Furthermore, the guest card offers various discounts on mountain railways (e.g. 10% on the Muttersbergbahn) as well as leisure activities.
• You can beat the rainy weather with a detour to the Val Blu (indoor pool/sauna).
• If you walk through the alleys of Bludenz, you will discover a “unicorn” here and there. The mythical creature appears in various myths and legends and is also the mascot of the traditional Bludenz brewery Fohrenburger.
• At the end of August, the Alpinale takes place in Bludenz. The winners of the Short Firm Festival will be awarded – no surprise – with a golden unicorn.
• In addition to Fohrenburger, Milka is another culinary institution in Bludenz. In the Milka-Lädele on Fohrenburgerstrasse you can stock up on chocolate as you like.
• Not far from Bludenz is the Formarinsee – one of the most beautiful places in Austria.