Bregenz
Vorarlberg’s capital is beautifully located at Lake Constance, Central Europe’s third largest lake. It offers a dense cultural program coupled with a wide range of outdoor activities.
Bregenz, also known as The City by the Lake, is the capital of Vorarlberg, Austria's westernmost region. Located on the eastern shores of Lake Constance, it is home to Austria's most important harbour, the world-famous Bregenz Festival, and looks back on two millennia of history.
Must-Sees in Bregenz
The centrepiece of the 2000 year old city is the bulbous, Baroque St. Martin's Tower. In recent years, exceptional architects like Hans Hollein, Jean Nouvel, and Peter Zumthor as well as the "Vorarlberger Baukünstler" group have played an important role in shaping the city’s appearance. The Kunsthaus Bregenz is an architectural gem located opposite the marina from where boat trips leave to the island village of Lindau and the flower island of Mainau.
About Bregenz
The first settlements in the area of present-day Bregenz were established around 1500 BC. In the Celtic period (from around 500 BC), Bregenz was one of the most strongly fortified places in the region. After the Romans conquered the area, they built the city of Brigantium, a civilian city with a forum, temple district, market halls, a basilica and more. Extensive archaeological remains from this period have been preserved, e.g. mosaics. In the Upper City, Bregenz's old town, the city walls from the Middle Ages are still largely preserved today.
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Bregenz Festival
Since 1946, the Bregenz Festival has been an integral part of the city. Each summer, the finest opera al fresco is being presented on the world-largest lakeside stage on the shores of Lake Constance. Bregenz lake stage holds about 7.000 seats and is equipped with the latest state-of-the-art stage technology. Every two years, a different performance is played, and the stage structures change with the performance. Sometimes they become a serious competition to the official city landmark, the St. Martin's Tower.
In addition to the lake stage, also the Bregenz Festival House hosts a large number of performances indoors in the rooms of Kongresskultur Bregenz, providing space for up to 4.500 guests, depending on requirements.
In total, more than 80 performances are held during the festival, attracting approximately 200.000 visitors every year.