In the Rappenloch Gorge, the path is attached directly to the rock face in places. Rock folds and fossils bring the geological history of this natural landscape to life. As you explore, you’ll encounter a landscape whose geological traces are part of the experience of the trail.
Gorges, a lake and trails
The hike leads through the Rappenloch Gorge to Lake Staufensee, goes around the lake and then returns to the starting point along the same route. On the south shore is the historic Ebensand run-of-river power station, which has been in operation since 1899 and lies along the loop. This route brings a natural landscape and a piece of technological history together.
To reach the trail entrance, take Landbus route 177 directly from Dornbirn railway station to the Dornbirn GĂĽtle stop. From there, it takes about ten minutes to walk to the entrance to the Rappenloch Gorge. Keep the seasonal restriction in mind when planning your visit: the Rappen and Alploch gorges are closed during the winter months for safety reasons.
The Karren-Kante is located at the top station of the Karren cable car: a twelve-metre-long glass walkway with panoramic views. The views of the gorges and the panorama from this walkway offer different highlights; one discovery takes you into the natural landscape, while the other offers panoramic views from the top station.
Discover the city’s history on foot and by bike
The “City Traces: Industry and Change” circular route tells the story of Dornbirn’s industrial rise and decline, as well as its continuities and breaks, at 15 stops. You can also explore the route in individual walkable sections, for example between inatura and Sägen, or between the Karren cable car and Gütle. The themes extend beyond individual buildings, focusing on how the city has changed.
Cyclists can explore a variety of historical and scenic perspectives. The Lustenau Historical Cycling Route connects 13 stops; 17 information boards trace the story from the earliest settlements to the 20th century. They also draw attention to surviving historic buildings and changes in municipal structures. Another perspective is offered by the route from GaiĂźau along the Old Rhine, through Lustenau and on to Dornbirn: it is mostly flat and technically easy, and is suitable for trekking bikes, gravel bikes, everyday bicycles and e-bikes. This offers cyclists a choice between exploring historical traces and a route described in terms of terrain and bicycle types.
Museums: nature, the city and remembrance
At inatura – Erlebnis Naturschau Dornbirn, the habitats typical of Vorarlberg—mountains, forests and water—as well as the human body are presented through interactive experiments, displays, films and images. The Dornbirn City Museum has a different focus: selected objects and artworks on three floors tell key chapters in the city’s history and depict everyday life in Dornbirn as a major economic centre in the Rhine Valley. The museum is housed in a 200-year-old patrician house right on the market square.
Music and photography history also have their own perspectives. The Schubertiade Museum is housed in a building dating from 1659 and shows how posterity has preserved Schubert’s work. At the FLATZ Museum – Centre for Photography, exhibitions of photographic art curated by international guest curators rotate. Readings, lecture series, discussions and performances round out the programme.
The Mohrenbräu Beer Experience World presents the history of brewing interactively and using multimedia across more than 700 square metres and four floors. Its centrepiece is the fully preserved historic brewing system from the Schäfle inn brewery in Satteins, dating from the 19th century and in operation until 1917. At the Austrian-Swiss Rhein-Schauen Museum, meanwhile, the focus is on the history of the Rhine, including its high waters and floods.
More perspectives in Hohenems and Lustenau
In Hohenems, the Jewish Museum commemorates the Jewish community of Hohenems. A permanent exhibition and a changing exhibition explore Jewish life today. Also in Hohenems, the Schlossberg and Glopper areas are protected for their largely natural character and their high landscape and ecological value. History, the present and the landscape each provide their own thematic focus here.
The different trails and museums offer a variety of ways to explore the area: geology and the lake, industrial change, city history or Jewish life today. Choose the themes that interest you most, and keep the seasonal closure in mind when visiting the gorges.
Discover more destinations: Dornbirn, Lustenau, Hohenems, Bludenz, Bregenz, Feldkirch.
Go to the main travel overview: Vorarlberg.
