Bregenz

Bregenz, the capital of Austria’s Vorarlberg region is scenically situated on the eastern shores of Lake Constance, Central Europe’s third largest lake. The town offers a wide range of outdoor activities coupled with an excellent cultural programme. The medieval town centre is dominated by the mighty baroque St. Martins Tower (Martinsturm). Many exhibitions and events are held in the town throughout the year, the most famous being the annual Bregenzer Festspiele, a summer music festival featuring a different opera every two years. The operas are performed on a huge, open-air floating stage at the lake shore with music provided by the Vienne Symphony Orchestra. Popular outdoor pursuits in the region include cycling, mountain biking, hiking, tennis, paragliding and a host of water sports. An aerial gondola glides up to the Pfänder, which affords fabulous views of the local peaks as well as the Swiss Alps, the Allgau Alps, Lake Constance and the distant Tirol.