Bregenz travel guide
Opera on the lake, the Pfänder and boats to Lindau
Vorarlberg's lakeside capital, with opera on a floating stage and a cable car up the Pfänder. June to September is the season, with the festival from late July to late August. One or two days, plus time for the Bregenzerwald. Costs run high, especially in festival season, and Schengen rules apply.
Vorarlberg's capital rises in terraces from the eastern shore of Lake Constance to the foot of the Pfänder, with Germany a short way up the shore and Switzerland across the Rhine delta. It is a small, orderly town that comes alive in summer, when the Bregenz Festival puts opera on a stage floating in the lake.
The lake stage is the reason most people know the name. Productions are huge, with sets rising straight out of the water, and each one stays for two summers, with performances from late July to late August. The audience sits on a tiered stand on the shore. Rooms in town are scarce in those weeks and prices climb.
Up the hill, the Oberstadt is the old walled upper town, and it is easy to miss. Its landmark is the Martinsturm, a tower with a huge onion dome over Roman foundations; the chapel at its base has medieval frescoes and costs nothing to enter. Down by the water, the Kunsthaus Bregenz is Peter Zumthor's cube of etched glass panels, showing changing contemporary art.
Take the Pfänderbahn cable car to the 1,064 m summit for a view across the whole lake to the Swiss and German Alps. Next to the top station a small wildlife park keeps ibex and deer. Footpaths lead back down through the woods if you would rather walk than ride.
Lake boats run from April to October. Vorarlberg Lines sails to the island old town of Lindau just over the German border, to the Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen, and on longer trips to the flower island of Mainau and to Konstanz.
Cheese from the Bregenzerwald hills to the east anchors the local cooking. Order Käsknöpfle, small dumplings layered with sharp mountain cheese and crisp fried onions, at a traditional inn such as the Maurachbund on Maurachgasse. The Bregenzerwald itself, with its timber farmhouses and cheese dairies, makes a good second day.
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Top things to do in Bregenz
A floating opera stage, Zumthor's glass art house, a walled upper town and boats to three countries.
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Best time to visit Bregenz
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Warm, lake boats on full timetables and the festival from late July to late August.
Quieter and cheaper; boats run from April to October and the Pfänder trails are clear.
During the festival, rooms in Bregenz sell out and prices rise sharply; book early or stay in Lindau or Dornbirn and come in by train.
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Getting there
Trains from Zurich and Vienna
Fly into Zurich, about 100 km west, and take a direct train; Friedrichshafen, 40 km across the lake, has a few budget routes and Altenrhein, 20 km over the Swiss border, has few flights. Munich is about 2 hours 30 minutes away. Railjets from Vienna run every two hours, about 7 hours via Salzburg and Innsbruck.
- Zurich (ZRH)
- About 100 km, by direct train or car
- Friedrichshafen (FDH)
- About 40 km, with a handful of budget routes
- Altenrhein (ACH)
- About 20 km over the Swiss border, few flights
- From Vienna
- Railjets every two hours, about 7 hours via Salzburg and Innsbruck
- Driving from Vienna, the quickest road runs through Germany; at Rosenheim choose between Munich's traffic and the Arlberg tunnel route via Innsbruck. Austrian motorways need a vignette.
- The Hauptbahnhof has luggage lockers, useful if you arrive on festival day before check-in.
- The Hauptbahnhof stands near the lake, a short walk from the promenade.
Where to stay
By the lake stage, up in the Oberstadt or over the border in Lindau
The town is small enough that nowhere is far from the water, but the two halves feel very different after dark. Lakeside hotels put the station, the boats and the festival seating within a few minutes on foot. The walled upper town is a short climb and much quieter. In the four festival weeks, beds run short and the neighbouring towns become the overflow.
- Lakeside centre
- By the promenade, harbour, Kunsthaus and festival stage; easiest for the train, busiest in July and August
- Oberstadt
- The old walled town, small guesthouses and quiet nights, with a steepish walk back up after an evening by the lake
- Lindau or Dornbirn
- Cheaper beds in festival weeks and a short train ride away, but you depend on the last train home
Getting around
Lakeside cycle paths, Stadtbus routes and Vorarlberg Lines boats
Walk: the station, harbour, Kunsthaus and lake stage line the shore, and the walled Oberstadt is a short climb above. In summer, cycle the lakeside paths. Stadtbus Bregenz runs five routes, the Pfänderbahn cable car climbs to the 1,064 m summit, and Vorarlberg Lines boats sail to Lindau and Konstanz from April to October.
- Pfänderbahn
- Cable car from the town to the 1,064 m summit
- Lake boats
- Vorarlberg Lines to Lindau, Friedrichshafen, Mainau and Konstanz, April to October
- City bus
- Five routes; day and weekly tickets for longer stays
- Seetaxi
- Motorboat trips for up to ten people from the gondola harbour
- Round trips on the Bregenz bay are an easy way to see the Austrian, German and Swiss shores in one afternoon; check the day's departures at the harbour.
- Taxis wait at the station, and car-sharing cars are parked around the centre.
Know before you go
What makes Bregenz worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- An evening at the lake stage, with the set lit up over the water as the sun goes down.
- The Pfänder summit, looking over Lake Constance to Swiss and German peaks.
- The Martinsturm, its onion dome above the Oberstadt and frescoes in the free chapel below.
- A boat to Lindau, the German island town across the bay.
- Käsknöpfle in a traditional inn, made with Bregenzerwald cheese and fried onions.
Good to know
- Festival tickets for the lake stage go months ahead; take a warm layer for the evening by the water.
- Switzerland uses francs, so carry a card that works abroad on day trips across the border.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Bregenz, month by month
Bregenz is wet for a lake town, with July bringing about 191 mm of rain. July highs reach around 24°C.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Bregenz (Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics, via Wikipedia).
Kunsthaus, Martinsturm and the Pfänder before a lakeside dinner
Start the morning on the lakeside promenade and walk west to the festival stage, whose set stands in the water through the summer and can be seen from the shore even when nothing is playing. Turn back to the Kunsthaus, Peter Zumthor's glass-clad cube, for whatever contemporary show is on, and look into the vorarlberg museum next door on Kornmarktplatz for the region's history.
Around midday, climb into the Oberstadt. Follow the line of the old walls, find the Old City Hall of 1662, and go up the Martinsturm (May to October) under its great onion dome; the chapel at its foot, with medieval frescoes, is free. After lunch, ride the Pfänderbahn to the summit for the view across the lake to the Swiss and German Alps, visit the wildlife park by the top station, and walk part of the way down through the woods.
Evening belongs to the water: a table at a lakefront inn, a drink at the BeachBar on the promenade, or in season a performance on the lake stage. With a second day, take a Vorarlberg Lines boat to Lindau's island old town, or head inland into the Bregenzerwald for cheese dairies and timber villages.
Opera on the Seebühne and Lake Constance rain
Book early for the Bregenz Festival, late July to late August, when the headline opera plays on the floating Seebühne, its sets rising from the lake; each production runs for two summers. Bring a warm layer for the evening performances. Rooms vanish once the programme is out, so many visitors sleep in Lindau or Dornbirn.
Weather is part of the deal. Summer is warm, with July and August highs around 24C, but Bregenz is wet: July averages about 190 mm of rain, the most of any month, with June and August close behind. Pack a rain jacket alongside the sunglasses.
Spring brings the Bregenzer Frühling dance festival, and April to October is when the lake boats sail. Winters are mild by Austrian standards, about 4C by day and hovering round freezing at night, but grey and quiet, with no boats.
Käsknöpfle in the upper town and Lake Constance whitefish
Order Käsknöpfle, small dumplings layered with sharp Bregenzerwald cheese and crisp fried onions, at a traditional inn such as Gasthaus Maurachbund in the upper town, and Felchen, Lake Constance whitefish, grilled or pan-fried along the shore. Check opening days before you go, as they change with the season.
Lake fish is the other local food. Felchen, the whitefish of Lake Constance, appears grilled or pan-fried on menus along the shore. The Wirtshaus am See, right on the lakeside promenade, is well regarded and has outdoor tables by the water.
For something casual, the BeachBar on the same stretch of promenade runs through the summer with sand and loungers, quiet by day and loud after dark. Serious cheese lovers should go to the source: the Bregenzerwald villages to the east have dairies that sell direct and inns that serve Käsknöpfle by the panful.
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How we research our Bregenz travel guide
Bregenz Festival dates, lake boats and rail links were checked with the city, Austria.info and ÖBB.
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Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of BregenzAustria.infoÖBB Austrian Federal Railways
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Bregenz.
Getting there
Zurich, about 100 km away, has far more flights and a direct train. Friedrichshafen, across the lake, is closer but has only a handful of budget routes. From Vienna, Railjets take about 7 hours.
General
The Bregenz Festival runs from late July to late August, with the main production on the lake stage and each staging kept for two summers.
Yes, one day covers the town, the Kunsthaus and the Pfänder. Add a second for a boat to Lindau or a trip into the Bregenzerwald.
Gasthaus Maurachbund in the upper town makes the cheese dumplings the old way, and lakeside places such as the Wirtshaus am See grill the whitefish. For a full panful, go to the source in the Bregenzerwald.
The Pfänderbahn cable car runs from town to the 1,064 m summit, where a small wildlife park keeps ibex and deer. Footpaths lead back down through the woods.
The lakeside puts you on foot to the station, boats and festival seating; the Oberstadt is quieter at night. In festival weeks, Lindau and Dornbirn are cheaper and a short train ride away.
Changing contemporary art shows inside a cube of etched glass panels by the lake. It closes on Mondays and stays open late on Thursdays.
Easily. Lindau in Germany is a short boat or train ride, Switzerland begins across the Rhine delta, and round trips on the lake pass all three shores in an afternoon.
Walk: the station, harbour, Kunsthaus and lake stage line the shore, and the walled Oberstadt is a short climb above. In summer, cycle the lakeside paths. Stadtbus Bregenz runs five routes, the Pfänderbahn cable car climbs to the 1,064 m summit, and Vorarlberg Lines boats sail to Lindau and Konstanz from April to October.
Bregenz is best known for:
- An evening at the lake stage, with the set lit up over the water as the sun goes down
- The Pfänder summit, looking over Lake Constance to Swiss and German peaks
- The Martinsturm, its onion dome above the Oberstadt and frescoes in the free chapel below
- A boat to Lindau, the German island town across the bay
- Käsknöpfle in a traditional inn, made with Bregenzerwald cheese and fried onions
The town is small enough that nowhere is far from the water, but the two halves feel very different after dark. Lakeside hotels put the station, the boats and the festival seating within a few minutes on foot. The walled upper town is a short climb and much quieter.
Timing & weather
From April to October, with daily sailings to Lindau and Friedrichshafen and longer trips to Mainau and Konstanz.
Warm, with highs around 24C in July and August, but wet: July averages about 190 mm of rain, so pack a rain jacket for evenings at the lake stage.
Visa & documents
Austria is a Schengen country. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Crime rates in Austria are very low. The main risks are in the mountains: changeable weather, avalanches and hiking accidents. Check avalanche warnings before skiing off-piste, start hikes early after checking the forecast, carry insurance that covers mountain rescue, and call 112 in any emergency.
