A circular hike that starts and ends in the village center, trails to chapels and a winter hike from the direction of Mellau show different sides of Schnepfau. When planning your trip, it makes a difference whether you focus on snow-free hiking trails, a tour combining cycling and walking, or a winter route.

Hiking Around Schnepfau

The Schnepfau–Hirschau–Schnepfegg–Schnepfau circular hiking trail starts and ends in the village center. It runs at the foot of the Kanisfluh and passes through the places named in the route before returning to Schnepfau. If you are looking for a loop with the same starting and finishing point, you can include this route as a separate option in your plans.

The Wirmboden Chapel is also accessible from the village center: during the snow-free months, the walk there is around two kilometers long and involves just over 200 meters of elevation gain. Another walking option starts at the parking lot on Schnepfegg. From there, a good, wide path leads to Unterhirschbergalpe. The starting points and destinations set these routes apart from the loop that begins and ends in the village center.

On the bike-and-hike route from Schnepfau, you first cycle to Schnepfegg. From there, a long trail leads across the Hirschbergalpen to the Hirschbergsattel. The hiking section follows the southern slope of the Hirschberg to the summit and offers expansive panoramic views. The route is clearly divided: first the ride to Schnepfegg, then the longer section on foot.

Via Ferratas and Different Access Routes

For the Wälder via ferrata, use the parking lot on the eastern edge of Schnepfau; from there, it is about a ten-minute walk to the starting point. The parking lot for the Abendrot via ferrata is on the northeastern edge of the village, also about a ten-minute walk from the starting point. The two access routes therefore have a similar stated walking time, but the parking lots are in different locations. The Abendrot via ferrata is rated difficulty E; this rating may be updated. Before your tour, check the current difficulty rating as well as parking and access conditions.

Plan for the Season and Your Journey

The hike to Wirmboden Chapel is intended for snow-free months. As a seasonal alternative, the winter hike runs from the Mellau cable cars via Engevorsäß to Schnepfau.

Bus routes 840 and 850 serve the Schnepfau Dorfplatz stop. Check the timetable for your travel date if you plan to arrive by bus. This keeps the connection part of your specific day’s plans without assuming that the timetable is valid year-round.

Chapels, Natural Monument and Local Traditions

The Wendelinskapelle on Schnepfegg is a pilgrimage site with valuable old votive tablets and 19th-century altars. Wirmboden Chapel represents more recent building history: Vorsäß owners built it in 2016, contributing a great deal of their own labor. Architects Innauer Matt designed the building using regional stone and wood.

Nature and local customs are also distinctive themes in Schnepfau. The village linden tree is designated a natural monument. Die Burg is a small island mountain with exceptionally diverse, unspoiled vegetation. When the music association performs, its members wear the original traditional men’s costume of the Bregenzerwald. These places and traditions reveal a different side of trip planning than the hiking trails: alongside choosing a route, you can also make chapels, the natural monument and local customs themes of your stay.

Discover more destinations: Warth, Schröcken, Lauterach, Doren, Mellau, Rehmen, Alberschwende, Großdorf

Go to the main travel overview: Bregenz.