Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
VORARLBERG
History
Vorarlberg has been inhabited since the early Stone Age but it wasn't until the Celts ar-
rived in 400 BC, followed by the Romans in around 15 BC, that lasting settlements were
maintained. Brigantium, the forerunner of Bregenz, was a Roman stronghold until around
the 5th and 6th centuries, when the raiding Germanic Alemanni tribes increased their in-
fluence and effectively took over.
Peace reigned in the province until the early 15th century, when it suffered substantial
damage during the Appenzell War with the Swiss Confederation. Relations with its neigh-
bour later improved to such an extent that in 1918 Vorarlberg declared independence from
Austria and sought union with Switzerland. The move was blocked by the Allied powers
in the postwar reorganisation of Europe; fears that an even smaller Austria would be easily
absorbed by a recovering Germany were certainly founded.
Today, Vorarlberg still looks first towards its westerly neighbours, and then to Vienna,
600km to the east.
Getting There & Around
AIR
Austrian Airlines flies to
St Gallen Altenrhein
(
www.airport-stgallen.com
)
in Switzerland, the nearest
airport.
Friedrichshafen airport
(
www.fly-away.de
)
, in Germany, is the closest major airport serving
domestic and European destinations.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
The A14/E43 connects the province to Germany in the north and the rest of Austria via the
14km Arlberg tunnel, which runs under the Arlberg mountains. To the west, there are
plenty of border crossings into Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Vorarlberg is broken down into Domino (individual zones). A Regio travel pass covering
one region costs €6.20/€15.50 for one day/week while a Maximo pass, costing €12.80/
26.50, covers the entire province. Single Domino tickets cost €1.30 and a day pass is
€2.40; these cover city transport in Bregenz, Dornbirn, Götzis, Feldkirch, Bludenz, Lech
