JOIN the AFICIONADOS
To receive our world of travel and style delivered straight to your inbox.
Refreshingly green and inspirational: Bregenzerwald in the Austrian region of Vorarlberg captivates nature lovers and those who are fond of sophisticated culture, cutting-edge architecture, innovative craftsmanship and fine dining. Bregenzerwald’s 23 villages are located southeast of Lake Constance / Bodensee. The local people have always taken great pains to manage their environment in tune with a landscape shaped by agriculture. The villages have a striking appearance, with a surprising and exciting mix of traditional and contemporary (timber) architecture as found in Mellau-Damüls and Sibratsfäll.
Another jewel in the Habsburg empire, Bregenzerwald’s baroque splendour is perfectly complemented by the natural beauty of Lake Constance, one of the most iconic swimming and boating areas in Austria. Set against the back drop of wooded hills, Bregenzerwald plays home to exquisitely preserved churches, one of the oldest village squares in Europe, and the Angelika Kauffmann Hall, ranked as one of the best chamber music halls in the world. Music is so intrinsic to the hamlet Schwarzenberg that each year it holds the Schubertiade, a festival that focuses on the more obscure works of Franz Schubert, and many of the most famous international singers, accompanists and chamber music ensembles flock to participate.
The Hirschen "Young since 1755", is a love pot of heritage, wellness, art, culture, food and style – a Wunderkammer of familiar nostalgia reframed for the nomads who seek roots and prefer to sleep with history.
read moreMesmerhaus, once the sexton’s home, is today a wonderful style chameleon of ornate exteriors and simplistic elegant interiors. The effect is of refined originality, a heritage house reduced to its essence through a calming language of decorative stillness.
read more