Bregenz, Austria: Self-Guided Walking Tour

Bregenz is a compact Austrian city on the eastern shore of Lake Constance, close to both Germany and Switzerland. It combines lake views, alpine scenery, historic architecture, and an international atmosphere. Neywo offers a free audio guide for Bregenz with 36 narrated places.

Explore Bregenz’s highlights

Kunsthaus Bregenz

Designed by the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor and built between 1990 and 1997, Kunsthaus Bregenz (KUB) presents temporary exhibitions of international contemporary art, offering a different encounter with each visit.

Künstlerhaus Bregenz

Housed in the Palais Thurn und Taxis (formerly Villa Gülich), Künstlerhaus Bregenz has been an international centre for contemporary art since 1984, showcasing changing artistic programmes.

Burg Hohenbregenz

This medieval castle ruin sits on a hilltop above Bregenz, giving it a strong presence over the surrounding landscape. Nearby, Gebhardsberg rises to 598 metres and the Känzele rock face has been a climbing area since the 1980s.

Kriegerdenkmal Bregenz by Albert Bechtold (Parish Church of St. Gallus)

The Parish Church of St. Gallus (Stadtpfarrkirche St. Gallus) stands on Kirchplatz, is a protected monument and belongs to the Bregenz deanery within the Diocese of Feldkirch.

Anton-Schneider-monument

A point of interest in the city that commemorates Anton Schneider.

Jodok-Fink-monument

A monument in Bregenz honouring Jodok Fink.

Martinskapelle (Martinsturm)

The Martinsturm began as a grain store, was transformed into a tower in 1601 with a loggia, onion dome and lantern, and now offers a 360° view over Bregenz. Inside the tower lies the Martinskapelle, a small chapel that adds a second identity to the landmark.

Evangelische Kirche Hl. Kreuz

Built between 1862 and 1864 in the Gothic Revival style by architect Christian Friedrich von Leins, this Protestant church was the first in the Austro‑Hungarian monarchy to receive electric lighting and heating (1904). It contains a 1923 stone crucifix by Albert Bechtold and an organ built in 1981 by Rieger Orgelbau.

Herz-Jesu-Kirche

Located on Kolpingplatz on a small plateau 413 metres above sea level (about 17 metres above the average level of Lake Constance), this Roman Catholic parish church is protected as a historic monument.

Pfarrkirche Mariahilf

Erected as Vorarlberg’s memorial church after World War I, the Pfarrkirche Mariahilf was designed by Clemens Holzmeister and consecrated in 1931; it is today a protected historic monument.

Vorarlberg Museum

Founded in 1857, the museum holds roughly 150,000 objects from archaeology, history, art history and folklore, presenting the art, history and culture of Vorarlberg in a cross‑border context.

Territorial Abbey of Wettingen-Mehrerau

This Cistercian abbey lies on the shores of Lake Constance west of the city centre. The abbot holds the title Abbot of Wettingen and Prior of Mehrerau and presides over the Mehrerau Cistercian Congregation; its official Latin name is Abbatia territorialis Beatae Mariae Virginis de Maris Stella et de Augia Majore.

Villa Raczyński

Also known as Kloster Marienberg, this Dominican convent’s buildings and surrounding garden are protected historic monuments.

Ehregutaplatz

Known as the Hugo von Montfort Brunnen and also as an honorary remembrance of Franz Schubert, the square features the Gedenkstein Franz Schubert memorial stone.

Garten der Villa Thurn und Taxis

Connected to the Palais Thurn und Taxis (now Künstlerhaus Bregenz), this garden originated as the Villa Gülich and is today a protected historic space.

Download Neywo and explore Bregenz

Neywo’s free audio guide for Bregenz includes 36 narrated places and offers two self‑guided walking tours:

• Bregenz Upper Town: Towers, Convents and the Narrowest House – 2.76 km, 117 minutes, 11 stops (Künstlerhaus Bregenz, Kapuzinerkloster u. -kirche hl. Antonius von Padua, Kirchstraße 29, Hugo von Montfort Brunnen, Martinsturm, Herz-Jesu-Kirche, Altes Rathaus, Parish church of St. Gallus, Kloster Thalbach, Villa Raczyński, Burg Hohenbregenz)
• Bregenz Lakeside Culture: Stage, Glass Cube and Memory – 2.08 km, 85 minutes, 9 stops (Bregenzer Festspiele, Festspielhaus Bregenz, Light Tunnel, weather column, Kunsthaus Bregenz, Nepomukkapelle, Vorarlberg Museum, Vorarlberger Landestheater, Mahnmal für den Widerstand gegen den Nationalsozialismus)

Each story plays automatically as you reach the site, letting you explore at your own pace with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages.

See also

• Austria
• Graz
• Innsbruck