Bregenzerwald · Furkajoch · Faschina Day
Vorarlberg balcony roads, high meadows and compact pass rhythm.
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Why this ride
Vorarlberg balcony roads, high meadows and compact pass rhythm. Out of Dornbirn and back again: 155 km, roughly 3 h 21 in the saddle. The stops in between: Bregenzerwald villages and Rankweil. The climbs: Faschinajoch high road and Furkajoch pass road. It tops out at 1,761 m. Faschinajoch is subject to seasonal closure - check it is open before you set off. It is a high-mountain day.
Roadbook
- Dornbirn exit gate
fuel · 437 m
Dornbirn is the biggest town in Vorarlberg, with nearly fifty thousand people, and it sits at a hinge in the landscape. To the west lies the flat floor of the Rhine valley and, beyond it, Lake Constance and the Swiss hills. To the east the land rises abruptly into the green, steep country of the Bregenzerwald, with the Karren, a hill above the town reached by a cable car, giving a view of the lake and the Alps. The town lies at about 437 metres.
It is a prosperous, practical place, with an old textile industry and a modern trade-fair centre, and the centre has a pleasant pedestrian zone with cafes and bakeries. Nearby, the Rappenlochschlucht, a narrow gorge carved by the Dornbirner Ach, has a path with wooden walkways, and is a favourite walk. The town's market square is lively on Saturday mornings, and local cheeses and sausages are worth buying.
For a rider, Dornbirn is an excellent finishing point, with fuel stations on every approach and the motorway close by. The A14 Rhine valley motorway runs along the valley, and in Austria a vignette is required for motorways, so make sure you have one if you plan to use it. The best riding is on the roads up into the Bregenzerwald, which twist through steep meadows and woods, with views of farms and the occasional waterfall. Traffic is light, but cyclists are common, and the weather can change quickly in the mountains.
The evening light over the Rhine valley is lovely, and in autumn, a warm southerly wind called the Föhn can bring remarkable clarity to the air, with the mountains seeming close enough to touch. On the other hand, it can make the weather unsettled, so watch the sky.
If you are ending a ride here, try a Kaspressknödel, a cheese dumpling in broth, or a plate of Käsespätzle, cheese noodles with fried onions. They are the right food for a day in the mountains, and the cafes and inns around the old centre serve both.
- Bregenzerwald villages
scenic · 700 m
Above the town of Egg, the Bregenzerwald opens out into a landscape of green slopes and wooden farmhouses that looks like a picture-book version of Austria, and the villages along the Bregenzer Ach are among the best in the Alps. Andelsbuch, Egg and Großdorf are small places, each with a church spire and a cluster of houses, set in a wide valley at about seven hundred metres. The Bregenzerwald is part of Vorarlberg, Austria's westernmost state, and it has its own dialect, its own costumes, and a strong sense of itself.
The architecture is the first thing you notice. The old farmhouses are covered in dark wooden shingles, and the modern buildings, many of them designed by local architects, carry on the tradition with clean lines and carefully chosen wood. In Andelsbuch, the Werkraum Haus, designed by the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, is a showcase for local craftsmen, and it is worth a stop even if you only look at the building. The valley takes its craft seriously, and carpenters, cabinet makers and joiners have built a reputation across Europe.
Cheese is the other pride. The Bregenzerwald has a Cheese Route, a network of dairies and farms that sell Bergkäse, a hard mountain cheese, along with Alpkäse made on the high pastures in summer. Cows are driven up to the alps in early summer and brought back down in September, and when the herds return, decked with flowers, the villages celebrate with a festival. You can taste the product in almost any inn, with Käsknöpfle, a dish of small cheese dumplings with fried onions, a local staple.
The roads here are a pleasure. The L200 follows the valley through villages and meadows, with easy bends and good surfaces, and it is a fine way to begin a day. Side roads climb to the high pastures and viewpoints, and they get narrow, so watch for tractors and farm vehicles. Wet weather can come down quickly, and the clouds sit on the hills in a way that adds to the atmosphere, but cold mornings and showers are common, so carry a layer.
For fuel, Egg and Andelsbuch have stations in the valley, but Dornbirn, about twelve kilometres west, is much bigger, and has everything. Cafes and inns are plentiful, and a slice of cake with coffee is never hard to find.
- Faschinajoch high road
pass · 1486 m
At 1,486 metres, the Faschinajoch is a gentle pass, and it manages to be one of the prettiest in Vorarlberg. The road links the Bregenzerwald with the Großes Walsertal, climbing from Au through meadows and spruce woods to a broad saddle with a handful of hotels and a ski lift or two. From the top, the views open up toward the Lechquellen mountains, a pale limestone massif with a few snowfields that linger deep into summer.
The village just below, Damüls, makes the claim of being among the snowiest places in the Alps, and the winter snowfall here is indeed enormous. In the cold months, the road is often lined with drifts, and the whole region becomes a ski area. In summer, the same meadows are full of wildflowers and cowbells. Damüls is also known for its tiny church, which has medieval frescoes inside, a rare treasure for a place so remote.
These valleys were settled by the Walser, a people who moved from the Valais in Switzerland in the Middle Ages, taking their language and customs with them to the high Alpine slopes. They were skilled at farming at altitude, and settled places that others avoided. The Großes Walsertal, on the far side of the pass, keeps that heritage, and the Walser dialect still lives in the villages. The valley is a biosphere reserve, protected by UNESCO for its landscape and culture.
For a rider, the Faschinajoch is a relaxed climb with open bends, good tarmac and long sightlines, and it is also a link in a loop with the Furkajoch, which makes a satisfying day. The road gets busy at weekends, with cyclists in particular working their way up, so share the road. In rain or low cloud, the visibility can fall suddenly, and in winter, snow and ice make the road a matter for chains and winter tyres. Check the conditions before setting off outside the summer months.
Fuel is not available on the pass, so fill up in the valley. Au has a small supply, and Bludenz, about fourteen kilometres away, and Dornbirn are the larger towns with proper stations. The hotels near the summit serve coffee and cake, and the terraces make a fine place to rest.
- Furkajoch pass road
pass · 1761 m
The Furkajoch is the highest paved pass in Vorarlberg, at 1,761 metres, and it is quiet in a way few Alpine passes are. The road, number L193, runs from Damüls on the east to Laterns on the west, a narrow, winding strip of tarmac that follows the contours of the mountain. It rises through spruce forest and then through open alpine pasture, with steep drops on one side and rock on the other. On the western side, the view stretches out across the Rhine Valley toward Switzerland, and on a clear day, you can see the peaks of the Säntis.
This is a road that demands attention. It is narrow, with tight hairpins, short straights and few barriers, and it is only open in the warmer months, usually from late spring until the first snow in autumn. A winter closure is standard, so check before heading up in early or late season. Surfaces are generally good, but there are patches of gravel after rain, and cattle sometimes wander across the road. Meet a bus at a hairpin and you will quickly learn the value of a patient mind.
The pass is called Furka after the Latin for fork, a common name in the Alps for a place where paths divide. For centuries, it was a route for herders and traders, who moved cattle and cheese between the valleys. Today, the pastures at the top are still grazed in summer, and the tinkle of cowbells is the usual soundtrack. In the alpine meadows, you may spot marmots, chamois and, with luck, an eagle overhead.
In late June, the meadows are full of gentians, orchids and alpine roses, and in September the air is clean and crisp, with sharp light on the peaks. Fog, however, can roll over the pass in minutes, so be ready to slow down and use your lights.
Nothing at all is sold on the summit itself beyond a small alpine hut or two that may serve a drink in season, so fill up before the ascent. Laterns and Damüls have a few guesthouses, but the nearest proper fuel stops are in Hohenems and the Rhine Valley, some fourteen kilometres away, or in the villages of the Bregenzerwald. Pack a jacket and take it easy on the descent.
- Rankweil food reset
food · 470 m
Rankweil is the practical, friendly town that sits where the Walgau meets the Rhine Valley, about ten kilometres from the Swiss border, and it is a place riders pass through more often than they stop. With about twelve thousand people, it has the services you want, including fuel stations, supermarkets, bakeries and cafes, and it makes a good place to rest and refuel before heading up into the hills. The town lies at about 470 metres, in a wide valley between the Vorarlberg mountains and the Rhine, and it is easy to reach from the motorway.
What sets Rankweil apart is the church on the hill. The Basilica of Our Lady, known as the Liebfrauenberg, stands on a rocky outcrop above the town, a fortified church with a tall tower and thick walls that have watched over the valley for centuries. It has been a pilgrimage site since the Middle Ages, and the view from the top, across the rooftops to the mountains, is lovely. A covered stairway leads up from the centre, lined with the stations of the cross, and the climb takes only a few minutes.
Food is the pleasant part of a stop here. Vorarlberg has a proper cuisine, and the signature dish is Käsknöpfle, little dumplings of dough covered in melted mountain cheese and topped with crisp fried onions, usually served with apple sauce and a green salad. It is the kind of lunch that makes the afternoon ride feel slow. Local bakeries make good bread and pastries, and a coffee and a slice of cake in a cafe is easy to arrange.
The surrounding roads are a gateway to better riding. To the east, the roads climb into the Laternsertal and up to the Furkajoch, while to the west, the valley road leads toward Feldkirch, an attractive medieval town with a castle and old arcades. The Rhine Valley itself is flat and busy, but turn off into the side valleys, and the roads become narrow, quiet and winding.
In summer, the valley can be hot and humid, with thunderstorms building over the mountains in the afternoon. Spring and autumn are more comfortable, with sharp, clear light on the peaks. Traffic around Rankweil is heavy at commuting times, so if you can, start your day early.
- Back to Dornbirn
finish · 437 m
The route ends here after 155 km.