Bludenz day trip from the Arlberg: alpine town, Brandnertal and Lünersee

Bludenz day trip from the Arlberg: how far it is from Stuben

Bludenz lies at the western end of the Arlberg railway. From Stuben you first drive down to Langen am Arlberg and then on the S16 through the Klostertal. After around 30 kilometres you are at Bludenz station.

The table shows distances and driving times from the Ski Hotel Mondschein. The figures come from a route calculation on OpenStreetMap and apply to clear, dry roads. With snow, chains or Saturday holiday traffic, allow more time.

To get your bearings: seen from the Arlberg, the Brandnertal lies beyond Bludenz. So you always drive down into the valley first and then back up from Bludenz. From the town to Brand is around 12 kilometres by road.

By train and bus instead of the car

The nearest station for Stuben is Langen am Arlberg. This is where the western ramp of the Arlberg railway begins, running down through the Klostertal to Bludenz. According to the 2026 ÖBB timetable, the train takes around 25 minutes for this stretch.

Not every train stops in Langen, so check the current ÖBB timetable before your trip. How to get from Stuben to the station is on our page getting to Stuben. Ask at reception whether the house shuttle can also take you there for a day trip.

From Bludenz station, Landbus 580 runs into the Brandnertal. In the summer season it runs to the valley station of the Lünerseebahn, taking just under 50 minutes. Back to Bludenz it then runs every 30 minutes, with the last bus from the valley station at 5.30 pm.

Timetables and tickets for bus and train in Vorarlberg are on the transport association's site, vmobil.at. Plan your return as soon as you arrive in Bludenz, and the afternoon stays relaxed.

The alpine town of Bludenz in half a day

Bludenz has just under 15,000 residents and has had town rights since 1274. The town calls itself the Alpenstadt, the alpine town, and also the town of five valleys. The Walgau, Klostertal, Montafon and Brandnertal meet right here, and the Großes Walsertal joins the Walgau a few kilometres west at Ludesch.

Old town, Upper Gate and St. Lawrence's church

In the old town there are more than 100 shops and boutiques, plus weekly markets with regional produce. In the middle stands the Nepomuk fountain from 1730, by the sculptor Johann Ladner.

The town museum is housed in the Upper Gate. From the old town a covered stairway leads up to St. Lawrence's church with its Baroque tower and onion dome. Right next to it is Gayenhofen castle, today the seat of the district authority.

Milka from Bludenz

Bludenz is the town of the lilac cow. According to the manufacturer, the chocolate factory first went into operation in 1887. Today an average of a million bars a day come off the line.

For visitors there is the Milka Lädele, the factory shop with rarities and specialities. Check the opening hours before you go. How attached the town is to its chocolate was shown in 2008, when the 25th Milka chocolate festival drew around 30,000 visitors.

Muttersberg, the local mountain

Above Bludenz rises the Muttersberg. The cable car takes you up to 1,401 metres, and from the top you look down on the town and into the valleys. According to Vorarlberg Tourismus it runs from Friday to Sunday in winter, and daily again from the end of April.

At the top is the lift company's mountain inn, with hot food at lunchtime. The current times for the cable car and inn are on muttersberg.at. A look before you set off saves a wasted journey.

A railway town

Bludenz has had a station since 1872, and the Arlberg railway opened in 1884. That is why Bludenz is also called the railwaymen's town. A former railway depot, the Remise, is now a cultural centre with events.

The Brandnertal: Bürs, Bürserberg and Brand

The Brandnertal begins just south of Bludenz. Three villages lie one after another: Bürs at the valley entrance, Bürserberg higher up the slope and Brand further up the valley. To the south the Rätikon closes off the valley.

Bürs and the Bürser Schlucht

Bürs lies at 570 metres and borders Bludenz directly. At the entrance to the valley is the Bürser Schlucht gorge, part of which you can walk on a trail. It shows traces of the Ice Age: conglomerate rock, moraines and large erratic boulders.

Bürserberg and the Tschengla

Bürserberg lies at 871 metres. On the Tschengla, a high plateau of the village, people have been skiing since the 1960s. There are also stone circles there, promoted as ancient cult sites; experts doubt their authenticity.

In 2025 the Loischkopfbahn was rebuilt as a gondola with ten-person cabins. In around eight minutes it runs from the Tschengla at 1,169 metres to the Loischkopf at 1,785 metres, replacing two older chairlifts.

Brand, the Walser village

Brand lies at 1,037 metres. In the 14th century twelve Walser families settled in the high valley, and the village is first mentioned in 1347. On the border with Switzerland stands the Schesaplana at 2,965 metres.

In Brand, the Dorfbahn and the Palüdbahn take you into the ski area. The Panoramabahn runs across to the Burtscha saddle and links Brand with Bürserberg. Its cabins pass up to 210 metres above the Mühlitobel ravine.

Skiing in the Brandnertal

The Brandnertal is not part of Ski Arlberg; it is a separate ski area run by the Bergbahnen Brandnertal. For winter 2026/27 the lift company gives daily operation from 12 December 2026 to 29 March 2027, with the lifts running from 8.30 am to 4 pm.

If snow and weather allow, things carry on into the evening. On Tuesdays there is night tobogganing in Brand from 5.45 pm to 9.30 pm. For ski tourers, selected runs stay open until 10 pm, on Tuesdays in Bürserberg and Wednesdays in Brand. You can find out about tickets and prices directly from the Bergbahnen Brandnertal.

The Lünersee at the head of the valley

The Lünersee lies at 1,970 metres at the head of the Brandnertal. It was once considered the largest natural mountain lake in the Eastern Alps. Since 1959 a dam has held back more water, and today it is one of the large reservoirs in western Austria.

The Lünerseebahn takes you up. Its cabin holds 65 people and climbs 411 metres in around six minutes.

• Path round the lake: just over 6 kilometres, around two hours, about 100 metres of climbing, possible with a pushchair
• Douglasshütte on the shore: a stop for lunch
• On to the Gafalljoch: around three hours with 300 metres of climbing

The Lünerseebahn is a summer lift. In 2026 it ran daily from 23 May to 26 October, from 8 am to 5 pm; next year's dates are on luenersee.at. In summer you stay at the Mondschein Chalet with private spa suites, the only one of our houses that is open all year.

Two day plans from Stuben

In winter: the town and the Muttersberg

Take the train from Langen to Bludenz in the morning. Walk through the old town, climb up to St. Lawrence's church and pick up chocolate for home at the Milka Lädele. From Friday to Sunday you can then ride up the Muttersberg.

This suits a day when visibility on the mountain is poor. It also suits your arrival day by train: the trains from Zurich and from Lake Constance run via Bludenz. Check-in at the Mondschein starts at 3 pm, so there is time for a stop in the old town.

In summer: Lünersee and the Bürser Schlucht

By car you are at the valley station of the Lünerseebahn in around 50 minutes. Go early, walk the path round the lake before noon and have lunch at the Douglasshütte. On the way back, stop in Brand or at the Bürser Schlucht.

On the way: the Klostertal and the Montafon

Between Stuben and Bludenz lies the Klostertal with Klösterle, Wald and Dalaas. On this western ramp the Arlberg railway loses height over a good 25 kilometres, with gradients of more than 30 per thousand. From the train window you see the valley from above.

The Montafon also branches off at Bludenz. If you are planning several trips, combine the town with the Brandnertal on one day and go to the Montafon on another.

Back in Stuben: three houses to stay in

Bludenz is a day trip; your base stays in Stuben at around 1,400 metres. The Ski Hotel Mondschein has stood at Hannes Schneider Promenade 9 since 1739. The Arlberg Motel, a bed and breakfast, is right next to the valley station of the Albona I lift. Both houses open in winter.

After a day in the valley you eat in your own house. The Alte Gaststube cooks à la carte, and the Chef's Table seats no more than eight guests. The Chef's Table received 95 points in Falstaff 2026. Times and reservations are under restaurants and Chef's Table.

Reception will answer questions about trips, trains and buses on +43 5582 511.