How This Tiny Alpine Region Became an Unexpected Cultural Hotspot

When you think of an active Alpine holiday—complete with mountain meadow hikes, world-class dining, and ample skiing—you may immediately think of Tyrol, home to the famous winter sports destination of Innsbruck. But veer just to the left, and you’ll come across a place where modern art and design ethos, culinary tradition, and deep connection to nature form a tight bond: Vorarlberg. It may be one of Austria’s smallest states (second only to Vienna), but the country’s westernmost Alpine region packs an impressive punch. 

This year, a host of new accommodations are arriving on the scene, including this mobile standalone glass-and-wood lodge in Brandnertal, the very first of its kind; this family-friendly hotel in Montafon, the only five-star Leading Hotels of the World property in a German-speaking country; and this Alpine eco-lodge in Lech made entirely of larch, spruce, and stone pine. For lovers of slick, stylish design, there’s never been a better time to visit.

Bordering Germany, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein, Vorarlberg has traditionally been closer to the Germanic mindset than to the Austro-Hungarian one. Geographically isolated from the rest of Austria by the Arlberg mountain range, it was a place where a distinct culture developed: one where a culture of craftsmanship and self-sufficiency could flourish. “The people of Vorarlberg are industrious,” says Helga Rädler, a local cultural guide. “They used to put their rest benches to the back of the house so that no one could see them when they were taking a break.”

Fear not, though: traveling throughout Vorarlberg is as relaxing as rumbling through mountainside meadows can get. Like its neighbors, Vorarlberg has plenty of traditional Alpine appeal. Wooden houses are typically clad with shingles—a 19th-century innovation that allows structures to withstand changing weather by expanding in the rain and contracting in the sun—while flowering fields are filled with roaming cows, overshadowed by some of Europe’s tallest peaks. And amid all this, you’ll also spot plenty of world-class contemporary architecture, a rich culture of regional gastronomy, and a range of conceptual art that extends all the way up to the clouds.