Favorite places for family vacations in Vorarlberg!
The Bregenzerwald in Vorarlberg has long been on our wish list for the next family vacation. We love to discover new things on vacation and combine that harmoniously with excursions into nature.
In Vorarlberg, we were particularly attracted by the charming little mountain villages and the countless handicraft businesses in the region. Do you know, for example, the house facades with wooden shingles, which are all made individually and by hand? In addition, numerous culinary highlights are waiting to be enjoyed by parents and children alike. Every village has its alpine dairy and you can taste the most delicious cheeses.
The tasty stores with a focus on sustainability and organic products show that the region is moving with the times.
Vorarlberg is one of the smallest federal states in Austria and borders Germany as well as Switzerland and Lichtenstein. Scenically, Vorarlberg is hard to beat with the Bregenzerwald and the striking mountain ranges. Great outdoor activities where you can immerse yourself in nature, traditions and cuisine as a family awaits throughout the region.
The icing on the cake in this special region for us is the HALWINA HIDEAWAY. A vacation home full of tradition and modernity made for families. In the middle of a forest clearing on the mountain, the vacation home is in all its beauty and offers you both a retreat and a far-reaching view.
In this article, we reveal the most beautiful places for your family vacation in Vorarlberg.
Where to sleep: clearly in the HALWINA HIDEAWAY!
The HALWINA Hideaway is a newly built vacation home in Sibratsgfäll in the middle of a forest clearing. Attention to detail traditions and modernity are at home here. You live away from any hustle and bustle in the most wonderful tranquility of nature. A real mountain hideaway, therefore, which underlines the beauty of the Bregenzerwald. Have time together, surrounded by fir trees and high mountains in a house that is a masterpiece of good taste.
Does that immediately make you wide-eyed? We can understand that perfectly. The house immediately turned our heads. The house and farm of Edith’s grandparents Hanna and Alwin used to stand there. But since the house could no longer be preserved, Edith and Peter Seppele used the innovative ideas of architects and craftsmen from the region to create a refuge for families. With the twist of modernity and tradition, they have succeeded. Many pieces of furniture and details in the total of two vacation apartments are reminiscent of the old days. Wood is the central element of the house and gives it its warm character. Underlined by soft and harmonious colors and probably the most beautiful wallpaper in the bedrooms, everyone immediately feels at home.
In the kitchen-living room, nothing is lacking. Even the pantry has the basics for cooking and a small stock of wine. Be sure to grab a glass of wine and cozy up by the windows for sunset. Watching the sun slowly disappear behind the mountain range and bathe the sky in the most spectacular colors is something very special and will be remembered by young and old alike. By the way, with a crackling fire-tiled stove, it is extra cozy on cold days in the HALWINA. Here you find out more about the vacation home.
In the morning you can walk 15 minutes into the village and get breakfast at the bakery Dorner. Be sure to try the Hildegard cookies. They are worth their weight in gold on every hike with children. On the way home you can make a detour to the wooden playground in the village or say good morning to the cattle at the Dorner farm.
After breakfast, you’re off on a discovery tour.
What to explore: Hikes and excursions that please parents and kids.
As already written at the beginning, the mountain world that lies at your feet in Vorarlberg in summer and winter is uniquely beautiful. For your family vacation in Vorarlberg, this means an incredible number of opportunities to immerse yourself in the nature and traditions of the region.
- You should put the hike to Schönenbach on your vacation plan. Schönenbach is one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful pre-settlement in the Bregenzerwald. In addition, the Jagdhaus Egender awaits you there with local delicacies. Be sure to try the sweet Riebelknödel for dessert. In winter you can take your sleds with you and test the downhill runs along the way now and then. Click here for the tour description.
- Directly in front of the front door of the HALWINA Hideaway runs the Georunde Rindberg. The power and might of nature can be seen, felt, and experienced. Because in May 1999 there was a landslide in Sibgratsgfäll that lasted a whole 6 months. Several houses were destroyed, but not the Felber’s house. It still stands as a walk-in and very crooked museum on the mountain. Be sure to look inside the house with your children. The geometry is completely messed up and a good sense of balance is an advantage. According to our kids, the house is more exciting than any roller coaster ride. In total, you’ll be out for an hour.
- Visit the official most beautiful place in Austria – Körbersee. The mountain lake is only accessible on foot or on skis in winter. You park at the Hochtannbergpass parking lot. The driving time from HALWINA is a good hour. From there, you first head towards the Kalbelesee. Then you dive right into the mountain world and after a short way uphill you can already see the Körbersee in front of you.
- Hiking and sledding are possible on the Hochhäderich. A great family hike, which is even possible with strollers without any problems. It goes through the Kojental nature reserve via the Alp-Erlebnis-Pfad in the direction of Alpstüble Moos. Back at the Almhotel you can visit the adventure playground in front of the door and enjoy the view of the mountains. Read all about the tour here.
- Extra tip for the winter: In winter, the Krähenberg ski lift is just a few minutes drive from HALWINA. The two lifts and slopes as well as the small kiosk are made for families. The slopes are quiet and relaxed and you can ski there with your children away from the hustle and bustle of the big ski resorts. In addition, the tickets are very affordable.
Where to Eat: We know who makes the best cheese spaetzle in the country.
When you live in a house like the HALWINA, it’s hard to get the kids excited about going to a restaurant outside the hallowed walls. The spacious kitchen is made for cooking together.
That’s why our recommendation is as follows. Make cheese spaetzle with Sabine. Who is Sabine, you rightly ask? She is the good soul at HALWINA and lives right next door. When you arrive, she welcomes you with a smile, gives you the best tips about the region, and makes the very best “Käsespätzle”. She will gladly visit you one evening during your stay and show you her family recipe. The children can join in and have the most fun. Afterward, we will eat. As a pastry chef, Sabine has many more tricks up her sleeve. Did you know, for example, that it’s best to rinse pastry bowls and scrapers only with cold water?
Although HALWINA has a small stock of regional food, if you want to cook in the beautiful kitchen, you can’t avoid shopping. That’s where we can recommend Badhus, two towns away. Badhus is the name of the unpacked store with a nice café in one. You can only buy organic products fresh from the region. If you haven’t thought of the screw-top jars, you can take some with you for free at Baldhus.
If you still feel like going to a restaurant one day, we have the following recommendations from Edith and Sabine for you:
Where to store: cool manufacturers from the region right near you.
Do you love regional handicrafts just like we do? Then the Bregenzerwald is the right place for you because here you can stock up on local delicacies and discover innovative manufacturers for your own home.
You might know Clarissa Kork from social media. The vegan cork leather products for design lovers and families with kids are handmade, right in the Bregenzerwald. Recently a store opened in Hittisau, which is conveniently located just a few minutes away from HALWINA.
Right next to it, you will find the alpine Sennerei Hittisau. With the kids, you can test your way through the large selection of cheeses and take the best pieces home with you. But also directly in Sibgratsgfäll a visit to the village Sennerei is worthwhile, which can be perfectly combined with a walk to the bakery.
If you want to marvel at even more handicrafts from the Bregenzerwald, head to the Werkraum. From a diverse assortment of regional products, you can find new favorite pieces. Everything is handmade. Furniture, special design elements, Bregenzerwald food, natural cosmetics, and much more.
Those were our tips for your family vacation in Vorarlberg! Have fun and a wonderful time.
