01 - Overview
The Bregenzerwald Route runs some 57 kilometres from Lake Constance at Bregenz up the valley of the Bregenzer Ach - through the villages of the Bregenzerwald with their famous timber architecture and cheese culture to Schoppernau at the foot of the Bregenzerwald mountains. A steady but gentle valley climb, ideal by e-bike.
From the shore of Lake Constance at Bregenz, overlooked by the local Pfänder mountain, the route turns inland and gradually gains height into the valley of the Bregenzer Ach. Via Alberschwende or through the Ach gorge it reaches Egg, the main village of the lower Bregenzerwald; from here the path follows the river upstream, much of it on the bed of the former Bregenzerwald railway. In Andelsbuch the Werkraumhaus by Peter Zumthor is worth a stop, in Schwarzenberg the shingle-clad village square. Via Bezau with its cable car, on through Mellau and Au, the path runs to Schoppernau in the upper Wald, where the valley narrows and turns alpine. The Bregenzerwald is famed for its modern timber architecture (the “Umgang Bregenzerwald“ makes it tangible) and its dairies along the KäseStrasse. Because the route from the lake to Schoppernau climbs steadily but evenly and partly on gravel, it is most relaxed ridden down-valley - or up with the tailwind of an e-bike.
- Regions
- Vorarlberg
- Start
- Bregenz
- Finish
- Schoppernau
- Surface
- Paved · Gravel
- Network
- National
- Best season
- May - October
- Signposting
- fully signposted
- Families
- well suited
- Road-bike friendly
- Partly · Mixed surfacewell documented
89 % comfortably ridable, but a 4.4 km gravel stretch - nicer on a gravel or touring bike.
02 - Stages
3 stages · 57 km
01Bregenz - EggAlberschwende · Ach gorge · Andelsbuch27 km
Inland from Lake Constance: the most demanding part, climbing out of the Rhine valley into the lower Bregenzerwald via Alberschwende or the Ach gorge to Egg. Very doable by e-bike, with fine views back to the lake.
- Ascent
- 400 m
- Descent
- 235 m
- Duration
- 2.5-3.5 h
- Surface
- Paved · gravel
Surface (measured): paved 82 % · gravel 18 %
02Egg - BezauAndelsbuch · Schwarzenberg · Reuthe9 km
The heart of the Bregenzerwald: past the Werkraumhaus in Andelsbuch and the shingle-clad village square of Schwarzenberg, much of it on the old railway bed along the Bregenzer Ach to Bezau. Gentle, scenic, culturally rich.
- Ascent
- 180 m
- Descent
- 97 m
- Duration
- 1-1.5 h
- Surface
- Paved · gravel
Surface (measured): paved 82 % · fine gravel 18 %
03Bezau - SchoppernauMellau · Au21 km
Into the upper Wald: following the Bregenzer Ach via Mellau and Au to Schoppernau, where the valley narrows and turns alpine. A steady gentle climb, lined with dairies and the steep walls of the Bregenzerwald mountains.
- Ascent
- 397 m
- Descent
- 208 m
- Duration
- 1.5-2.5 h
- Surface
- Paved · gravel
Surface (measured): paved
03 - Elevation
Elevation across the full distance - move the cursor to read altitude and kilometre.
Elevation profile over 57 km. Ascent 977 m, descent 540 m. Lowest point 399 m, highest point 837 m.
Elevation from OSM geometry + Digital Terrain Model (DGM) Austria (10 m).
Hover the profile to see the point on the map - and vice versa.
04 - POIs & Services
- Pfänder & Pfänderbahn (lake panorama)
- Bregenz Festival - floating lake stage
- Werkraumhaus (Peter Zumthor)
- Shingle-clad village square & Angelika Kauffmann Museum
- Umgang Bregenzerwald (timber architecture)
- Bezau cable car (Baumgarten/Niedere)
- Brühlbach waterfalls & Bregenzer Ach
- KäseStrasse Bregenzerwald & dairies
- Wälderbähnle heritage railway
- Bregenzerwald mountains & Diedamskopf
Services along the route
- Bike hotelsCyclist-friendly inns and hotels in Au, Mellau, Bezau and Schoppernau
- E-bikeRental and charging in Mellau, Au, Andelsbuch and Damüls - recommended for the climb
- Bike serviceBike shops in Andelsbuch, Mellau, Au and Egg
- Refreshment stopsKäseStrasse dairies, the Lingenau cheese cellar, Bregenzerwald inns
- Rail & busThe Wälderbus and a seasonal bike bus link the valley villages
Service points along the route
- Drinking water75
- Repair station10
- Bike shop9
- Bike rental4
- Charging station83
Service points from OpenStreetMap. Coverage may be incomplete, some fountains are seasonal - verify before you rely on them.
05 - Impressions
Subersach bridge of the former Bregenzerwaldbahn railway in the Achtal near Egg, whose trackbed the cycle path partly followsPhoto: Subersachbrücke der ehemaligen Bregenzerwaldbahn · Asurnipal · CC BY-SA 4.0 Cycle and pedestrian bridge over the Grebanbach near Bezau in the BregenzerwaldPhoto: Rad- und Fußgängerbrücke bei Bezau · Asurnipal · CC BY-SA 4.0 Au in the valley of the Bregenzerache, the upper valley the cycle path followsPhoto: Talschaft Au im Bregenzerwald · Uoaei1 · CC BY-SA 4.0
06 - Public transit
- Bregenz rail hubÖBB on Lake Constance (Lindau, St. Margrethen, Zürich, Munich, Vienna); the lakeside start of the valley
- Landbus BregenzerwaldWälderbus network (lines 830/840/850) links Bregenz/Dornbirn with Egg, Bezau and Schoppernau
- Bike bus 8R1/8R2Seasonal bike bus with trailer (mid-May-early October), bikes for a fee; pre-book for groups
- WälderbähnleHeritage railway Bezau-Schwarzenberg on the former Bregenzerwald line (seasonal)
Note for 2026: in the Schnepfauer Wald between Schnepfau and Au the cycle path is closed due to rockfall; the diversion uses the busier Bregenzerwaldstraße (L 200) - check the status before your trip. The seasonal bike bus and the rail line to Bregenz make access and shortened stages easy; no train has run into the valley itself since 1980.
07 - GPX & TCX download
Download for GPS devices & apps
Clean track with elevation - imports as a single tour, compatible with Komoot, Garmin, Wahoo, Strava, RideWithGPS, OsmAnd.
Download stages individually (3)
Route derived from OpenStreetMap geometry - may differ slightly from on-the-ground signage. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0) · Elevation © DGM Austria (CC BY 3.0 AT). Redistribute with attribution.