Bregenz is the capital of Vorarlberg, Austria's westernmost province, sitting on the eastern shore of Lake Constance (Bodensee) where the lake meets the alpine foothills. It is a compact, attractive town, and the lake gives it an almost coastal feel — unusual for landlocked Austria.
The town is best known for the Bregenzer Festspiele, held each summer on a spectacular floating stage on the lake. The operatic productions staged here use the lake's surface and the sky as a backdrop; the stage sets are engineered on a scale matched nowhere else. It is one of the most unusual performance venues in Europe.
Above the modern lakeside town, the Oberstadt has medieval fortifications, the Church of St Martin with 14th-century frescoes, and good views over the lake. The Martinsturm — a medieval tower capped with an enormous baroque onion dome — is the most distinctive landmark. A cable car rises to the Pfänder mountain, 1,064 m, with a panorama across the lake to Germany and Switzerland and a wildlife park near the summit.
The Kunsthaus Bregenz and the Vorarlberg Museum sit side by side on the lakeside, forming a cultural cluster that would not embarrass a city five times the size. The lake promenade is the place to swim, cycle, or simply watch the Alps catch the evening light across the water.