Bregenzerwald day trip from the Arlberg: from Stuben over the Hochtannberg

Where the Bregenzerwald begins, seen from Stuben

The Bregenzerwald is a valley region in the north of Vorarlberg, with 23 villages and around 32,000 residents. It stretches from Alberschwende and Langen near Bregenz up to Schröcken and Warth. Warth still lies up in the Lechtal, while Schröcken is already beyond the Hochtannberg pass on the Bregenzer Ach.

So from Stuben you come into the region from above. The road leads over the Flexen pass to Lech, on to Warth and over the Hochtannberg pass at 1,676 metres to Schröcken. After that it runs downhill into the valley of the Bregenzer Ach.

Two things are worth knowing before any trip. The road between Lech and Warth is closed from the end of November to the beginning of May. And the Ski Hotel is only open in winter, whereas the Mondschein Chalet with private spa suites is open all year.

In winter on skis from Stuben to Warth and Schröcken

Warth-Schröcken is part of Ski Arlberg. Your ski pass is valid there just as it is on the Albona above Stuben. In winter you make the journey on skis, because the road between Lech and Warth is closed then.

From Stuben you ski to the Flexenbahn and via Zürs to Lech. There the Auenfeldjet takes you to Warth. Since winter 2013/14 this lift has linked Lech Zürs with Warth-Schröcken. Read more about the runs there under Lech and Oberlech from Stuben.

If you want to ski the whole arc, take on the Run of Fame. The route is 85 kilometres long, collects 18,000 vertical metres and links Warth, Schröcken, Lech, Zürs, Stuben and St. Anton. You can ski it in either direction. According to Warth-Schröcken, average skiers need a whole day.

Allow plenty of time for the way back, as there are several lifts between Warth and Stuben. Which lifts are running right now is shown on our page Arlberg live with lift status.

Season and terrain

Ski Arlberg gives 2 December 2026 as the start of the season. Warth-Schröcken gives 4 December 2026 to 11 April 2027 for its area. At the Steffisalp-Express and the Salober there is practice terrain for children and beginners. For open terrain the tourist board cites around 200 kilometres of deep-snow runs; there you are better off with a mountain guide. More on both villages is on the page skiing in Warth-Schröcken.

In summer over the Hochtannberg pass

From the beginning of May the road between Lech and Warth is open again. Then you drive from Stuben over the Flexen pass, through Lech and Warth to the top of the pass and down to Schröcken. The Bregenzerwald road runs over the pass.

For road cyclists this is a well-known loop. Vorarlberg Tourismus describes the Au, Schoppernau, Hochtannberg pass, Lech tour as 61 kilometres with 1,338 metres of climbing. From Au to the top of the pass it is uphill all the way.

Without your own car, take the bus. Line 852 runs from Schoppernau via Schröcken to Warth. In 2026 it serves the Warth to Lech section only from 30 May to 1 November. In Schoppernau you change to line 840 to Bregenz or line 850 to Dornbirn.

Distances from Stuben in summer

The figures come from a route calculation based on OpenStreetMap. On pass roads with cyclists, hairpins and photo stops, you will need more time.

By car to the Bregenzerwald in winter

While the road between Lech and Warth is closed, the way into the valley of the Bregenzer Ach goes the long way round. You drive from Stuben down to Langen and on the S16 towards Bludenz.

From there you have two options. The first runs through the Großes Walsertal and over the Faschinajoch to Damüls and Au. The second runs on the A14 to Dornbirn and from there via Egg into the middle Bregenzerwald. You can see which road is open in the morning on the ÖAMTC traffic service.

Driving times in winter

In winter Ski Arlberg recommends full winter equipment with snow chains in the car. How to get to Stuben yourself, including by train via Langen am Arlberg, is under getting to Stuben.

Schröcken, Schoppernau and Au in the upper valley

Schröcken

Schröcken lies at 1,269 metres at the foot of the Hochtannberg pass. Walser settlers arrived around 1300. The parish church burned down in 1863 and was rebuilt by 1867. In summer, with children, the adventure park is worth a visit. Three courses with 42 stations between them lead through the forest and over the white water, and children can climb from age six.

Schoppernau

Schoppernau, at 852 metres, is the birthplace of the writer Franz Michael Felder, who lived from 1839 to 1869. A two-stage gondola runs up the Diedamskopf, a ski mountain in winter and a starting point for walks in summer. The Felder museum is one of the sights of the Au-Schoppernau area.

Au

Au lies at 800 metres and is home to the Auer Zunft, the Au guild of builders. Master builders from Au, among them Michael and Franz Beer, shaped the Baroque in southern Germany, Switzerland and Alsace. The Barockbaumeister museum has told this story since 2021.

Damüls, Mellau and Bezau

Damüls

Damüls lies at 1,430 metres and is a Walser village. In 2006 it was given the title "snowiest village in the world", with an average of 9.30 metres of fresh snow per season. In the parish church of St. Nicholas you can see the frescoes of a paupers' Bible, uncovered in 1950.

Mellau

Mellau lies at 688 metres on the Bregenzer Ach, below the Kanisfluh, whose highest point, the Holenke, reaches 2,044 metres. From here the Mellaubahn runs into the Damüls-Mellau ski area, linked since 2009. For guests from the Arlberg it is a separate area with no lift connection and its own ski pass.

Bezau

The Wälderbähnle starts in Bezau, a narrow-gauge heritage railway. It runs around 5 kilometres via Reuthe to Schwarzenberg, and the trip takes 20 minutes. The original Bregenzerwald railway ran from 1902 on around 35 kilometres between Bregenz and Bezau.

Cheese, timber and craftsmanship

The KäseStrasse Bregenzerwald

The KäseStrasse, or cheese route, is a network of farmers, cheesemakers, innkeepers and craft businesses. In summer, fresh hay milk is made into cheese right on the alpine pastures. At the cheese cellar in Lingenau you can taste cheese from the region. You book the tasting online in advance with the KäseStrasse.

If you would rather have your cheese at your own table in the evening: at the Ski Hotel there is fondue in the Bilderzimmer every evening from 6 pm. More under restaurants and fondue at the Mondschein.

Architecture in the Bregenzerwald

Timber shapes the villages. Old farmhouses stand next to new buildings made of wood with great care. The Werkraum Haus in Andelsbuch, designed by the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, shows the region's craftsmanship.

For a walk, the Umgang Bregenzerwald works well. It consists of 12 village walks, with rust-coloured columns marking the stations with their buildings and design.

Lake Constance at the end of the road

Drive on and you reach Bregenz on Lake Constance. From Stuben it is around 84 kilometres on the S16 and A14, all year round and without a pass road. In July and August the Bregenz Festival plays on its lake stage; in 2027 from 21 July to 23 August.

In summer you can turn this into a loop. Drive there on the motorway to Bregenz and back via Egg, Bezau, Au and the Hochtannberg pass to Stuben. In winter you drive back from Au over the Faschinajoch or via Dornbirn.

Your base in Stuben am Arlberg

The Mondschein is in Stuben, not in the Bregenzerwald. Even so, Stuben is well placed for trips there: in winter over the pistes to Warth, in summer over two passes to Schröcken. Read more about the village itself under Stuben am Arlberg.

In winter you stay at the Ski Hotel Mondschein, an inn since 1739, around 300 metres from the Albona lift. The house is open from December to mid-April and has a wine cellar from the 17th century.

In summer and all year round the Mondschein Chalet at Stuben 55 is open. The private spa suites have a sauna, infrared cabin or hot tub depending on the suite, and some have an open fireplace. Check-in is from 3 pm.