Baggerlöcher Quarries (Rhine Valley)

Bodensee (Bregenz Shore)

Formarinsee

Lünersee

Silvretta Stausee

Vorarlberg has a distinct food culture within Austria, famous above all for its mountain cheeses such as Bergkäse and the pungent Vorarlberger Alpkäse. Riebel (a maize and wheat dish), Käsknöpfle (cheesy dumplings) and hearty meat dishes dominate, and the region’s bakeries and dairies are exceptional. After a cold high-alpine dive the rich, cheesy comfort food is especially welcome.

Hotel Schwärzler

Hotel Hofgarten

Hotel Scesa

Hotel Helvetia

Hotel Weisses Kreuz

Vorarlberg, Austria’s far west, is a small but spectacular diving region where the country meets Lake Constance and the high limestone Alps. The Bregenz shore of the Bodensee gives divers a slice of Central Europe’s largest lake, with the Uferwand wall, the Teufelstisch rock and pipeline dives plus a few sunken boats, though the richer diving lies on the German and Swiss sides. The true Vorarlberg specialities are the high-altitude lakes: the Lünersee at 1,970 m with its sheer dam wall and guided-only dives, the Silvretta Stausee reservoir with submerged alpine meadows, and the remote Formarinsee for independent expeditions. The Rhine-valley quarries (Baggerlöcher) offer warm, easy training with sunken objects and macro life. Vorarlberg is a region for divers who like their water cold, clear and dramatic, often requiring altitude certification and a guide.

Vorarlberg

Fly into Friedrichshafen (FDH) or Zurich (ZRH) and drive into Vorarlberg, or use the regional train to Bregenz and Bludenz. A rental car is essential for the high lakes and reservoirs; the Bodensee shore and quarries are reachable by bus and train.

Dive Sites in Vorarlberg

Baggerlöcher Quarries (Rhine Valley)

Bodensee (Bregenz Shore)

Formarinsee

Lünersee

Silvretta Stausee