By Vicky · Published Oct. 18th, 2022 · Updated Nov. 22nd, 2022
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Follow this walking tour around Bregenz, a cute town on the edge of Lake Constance with museums, views and a cable car up the local mountain.
Page Contents:
Location
This walk starts from the tourist information office in the centre of Bregenz, near the two main museums and the central square of town.
Bregenz Walking Tour Map
Get the route by downloading the .gpx or .kml file below. For navigation with Maps.me on your mobile phone, simply download the .kml file and open to add it to the Maps.me bookmarks.
Tips for Bregenz Walking Tour
- It’s best to visit Bregenz in clear weather, else you won’t be able to enjoy the lakeside views.
- For good exercise, hike up the nearby Pfänderbahn Trail for incredible views.
- For a gentler stroll, check out the Lindau Four Hills Walk or walk around the historic city of nearby Lindau.
- Check out other walks on our Germany Hiking Page.
Top Sights in Bregenz
On this self-guided walking tour you’ll see the main sights and attractions of Bregenz. Half a day to one day is the perfect amount of time to spend in Bregenz.
- Upper Town of Bregenz
- Volralberg Museum
- Kunsthaus Bregenz
- Bregenz Harbour
- Lake Promenade
- Pfänderbahn
Bregenz Walking Tour Route
This walking tour starts from Bregenz tourist office. It’s open weekdays 9am-6pm and Saturdays 9am-12pm.
Directions: From the tourist office, head into the main square and continue up the road beyond. In the next, smaller square, head slightly right and continue walking along the road up the hill to the Old Upper Town of Bregenz.
1. Upper Town of Bregenz
The upper town of Bregenz is the oldest part of the city. There’s a historic city gate at the entrance, Inside is probably the most delightful part of Bregenz, so definitely worth the short walk up. To the left at the entrance is Martinsturm.
Martinsturm
Key Information: Open May-Oct, Tue-Sun, 10am-6pm. Tickets cost €4/1.50 per adult/child.
Martinsturm, or Martin’s Tower (Website, Tripadvisor Reviews*), is an old tower and the symbol of the city. The history of the tower starts in 1250, when a warehouse was built into the city walls. The tower was later extended, even including a little chapel in the 14th century. There are exhibits inside about the history of Bregenz (German only) and you can also enjoy a panorama over the town and lake below.
Other Buildings in the Upper Town
As you walk around the old upper town of Bregenz, make sure to head to the far end to see the Altes Rathaus, a beautiful, large half-timbered building. Back towards the front is the Deuringschlössle, a three-storey manor house dating from the 14th/15th century. You can actually see this better later on during the walking tour.
Directions: Leave Bregenz Old Town by walking down Meißnerstiege, a small lane to the left of the Deuringschlössle which heads underneath a pretty bridge. Head out to the main road and left.
Walking down from the Old Town
Just before Thalbach Monastery turn right and up some steps to St. Gallus Church. This is a big church with a little garden and some views of the old town.
Directions: Continue walking out the far side of the church and turn right on the road that bends around the corner. Head up onto the path by the left side of the road.
The Capuchin Monastery is now on your left, with the best views of the Old Town and the Deuringschlössle to your right. Head left on the path around the church, along the little lane and right into Thurn and Taxis Park. There are some really beautiful trees in this park!
Directions: Leave the park in the righthand corner and down a lane to a main road. Head right at the road and then left at the T-junction on Kirchstraße.
Walk along Kirchstraße, a cute street with little shops and cafes. Don’t forget to look out for the smallest house in Europe (57 cm wide) at Number 29. Soon you’ll be back in a square in the centre of town, and the main shopping area.
Directions: Head down the street, then right towards where you started to visit the museums.
2. Vorarlberg Museum
Key Information: Open Tue-Sun, 10am-6pm (until 8pm on Thursdays) and on Mondays that are public holidays. Tickets are €9 per adult with slight reductions for seniors and youths – under 19 are free.
The Vorarlberg Museum (Website, Tripadvisor Reviews*) is located between the inner city and the lake. The current building was designed and reopened in 2013 and has won several prizes for its architecture. The design is somehow inspired by Roman Pots from the museum’s collection, though it’s slightly hard to see the link.
Vorarlberg is the westernmost province of Austria and this museum presents its history, culture and geography with over 150,000 artefacts. There are some English descriptions, though not all objects have an English caption. However, most of the museum’s staff are happy to talk to you about the objects in English. There’s a great viewpoint from the panoramic windows on the top floor.
Directions: Just past the Vorarlberg Museum is the distinctive building of the Kunsthaus Bregenz.
3. Kunsthaus Bregenz
Key Information: Open Tue-Sun, 10am-6pm (until 8pm on Thursdays). Tickets are €11 per adult with slight reductions for seniors and youths – under 19 are free.
The Kunsthaus Bregenz building is designed to reflect the changing lights and colours of the day as they reflect off the translucent glass facade. Inside are constantly rotating exhibits of contemporary art from around the world.
Directions: Head towards the lake. Turn slightly left at the main road to cross it and the railway beyond. Then walk right to explore the waterfront.
4. Bregenz Harbour
Bregenz Harbour offers great views over the lake and cute boats bobbing in the water. In Roman times, Bregenz was an important place, and still an important place for trade on the lake later on. The harbour at Bregenz was first mentioned in 1294 though now there are some very modern features. The Molo is a pair of newly designed lighthouses, very minimalistic. The park area and steps here are popular spots for sunsets over the lake.
Directions: Walk back from the Molo and continue along the lakefront.
5. Lake Promenade
There are more good views from the lakeside promenade. Look out for Fisher’s Pier, a cute old white pier built in 1902. In 1922 it became a launch site for seaplanes, and now it’s a posh bar in the evenings. As you walk around the little harbour area you can see Bregenz Lake Stage (Website) in the distance. In summer, operas are performed on this stage, floating over the lake waters, during the Bregenzer Festspiele, or Bregenz Theatre Festival.
Directions: From here, return to the main square. To get to the Pfänderbahn lower cable car station, head out of the far side of the square towards the mountains. Wind your way through the streets and you will reach the cable car station.
6. Pfänderbahn
Key Information: Open every day 8am-7pm. Tickets are €14.20/8.20 for a return/one-way trip.
One of the most popular things to do in Bregenz is to take the Pfänderbahn, or Pfänder Cable Car, up to the top of a mountain for amazing views over Lake Constance and the Alps. If you want some good exercise, a nice alternative is to hike up and down the Pfänderbahn. This route takes you up through forests and fields, with lovely trees and some nice views of the lake.
Best Places to stay in Bregenz
Budget: Hotel Ibis Bregenz* is a decent hotel in the middle of Bregenz with clean bright rooms and a quiet location.
Comfort: Grand Hotel Bregenz* is a modern hotel with a central location and everything you need for a stay in Bregenz.
This is the end of the Bregenz Walking Tour. If you want to get out on the lake, head back to the harbour and take a boat trip. The Voralberger Lines have hour-long tourist trips on the lake for roughly €13.60 per adult. Alternatively, you can catch a ferry to Lindau or further afield.
For a gentle countryside stroll nearby, check out the Lindau Four Hills Walk or walk around the historic city of nearby Lindau. If you’re looking for more walks and hikes, see our Germany hiking page.
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