Hohenems brings together a range of discoveries: an almost completely preserved Jewish quarter, museums dedicated to music and literature, historic buildings and the Rheinauen recreation centre. When choosing where to stay, it is worth deciding what matters most: Would you like the city’s history to take centre stage, are you particularly interested in Schubert, or would you like to combine culture with a trip to the water?
Jewish heritage and history
The preserved Jewish quarter includes a synagogue, a mikveh, a schoolhouse and an almshouse. Together, these buildings form an ensemble connected with the Jewish history of Hohenems. The permanent exhibition at the Jewish Museum in Villa Heimann-Rosenthal presents the history of the Jewish community from its beginnings to its end under National Socialism after 1938.
The Jewish cemetery is another part of this historic heritage. It has 370 surviving gravestones and has been a protected monument since 1967. It is locked. Visitors can collect the key from the Jewish Museum by leaving an identity document as a deposit. Check this procedure again before your visit. That way, you can plan your visit to the cemetery around a specific access requirement rather than assuming it is freely accessible.
Schubert, literature and milling history
The Franz Schubert Museum traces the composer’s life and work through rooms built shortly before his birth. It is housed in a former rectory whose foundations date back to the early 16th century. One room is dedicated to listening to Schubert’s music. The museum garden also offers views of Hohenems’ historic town centre. History, rooms and music come together here, so the visit need not be reduced to a simple exhibition of biographical details.
The Schubertiade Museum takes a different approach: it explores how later generations have engaged with Schubert’s works and life. At Literaturhaus Vorarlberg, selected, representative rooms in the historic Villa Franziska and Iwan Rosenthal bring writing and language to life as an ongoing process. Those interested in architectural history will also find a distinctive landmark in Hohenems Palace: it is considered the most significant Renaissance building in western Austria. The C and A manuscripts of the Nibelungenlied were discovered in its library in 1755 and 1779.
Guided tours of the palace are regularly offered. As it is privately owned and not freely accessible, check in advance when a tour is scheduled. This means visiting the palace is different from exploring the publicly accessible parts of the town. Stoffels Säge-Mühle offers another glimpse into historic technology: 35 milling machines and other exhibits trace the development of milling technology from 1880 to computer-controlled mills.
Ruins, art and gardens
Alt-Ems Castle was built in the 12th century, and its grounds stretched for 800 metres. The barbican, the walls of the palas and the base of the powder tower, with its loopholes overlooking the Rhine Valley, have been made visible again. The Große Schlossbergrunde takes just a few minutes to reach the ruins and the “Gsätzle” viewpoint. This route connects the castle’s architectural history with two named destinations, while making clear that the ruins should not be confused with the Renaissance palace.
Smaller cultural themes also add to the picture: the lower church of St. Konrad contains murals by artist Heilgard Bertel. The garden at the Alte-Zeiten-Museum preserves old varieties of grain and showcases useful plants once grown in the region. These examples range from mural painting to agriculture and technology—a fitting selection if you would like to discover Hohenems through more than just one museum theme.
Chocolate, the weekly market and the Rhine meadows
At the Fenkart Chocolate World, a self-guided, interactive tour takes visitors from processing cocoa beans to making various kinds of chocolate and sweet treats. Visitors can also make their own chocolate bar. As this activity needs to be available when you plan to take part, it is best to check before your visit. For a different local experience, visit the Hohenems weekly market, held on Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., except on public holidays.
The Rheinauen recreation centre in Hohenems/Altach has more than 130,000 square metres of bathing area and is located in the Old Rhine nature reserve. It includes a 400-metre-long side channel of the Old Rhine. The “Über die Grenze” audio cycle path follows the Old Rhine to Hohenems and then passes the recreation centre. So alongside museums and architectural history, there are also opportunities to explore water and landscapes. If you are looking for accommodation in Hohenems, you can use these different interests to help plan your stay; it is best to check the respective conditions when planning specific guided tours and hands-on activities.
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