Discover Riefensberg: Moorland, Trails and Juppen Craftsmanship

Riefensberg combines protected moorland, scenic trails and a vibrant craft heritage. Anyone planning a trip with nature experiences and cultural discoveries will find a range of opportunities here for active days, quiet observation and shared activities. When choosing your holiday apartment, you can therefore consider whether you would prefer to focus on hikes, landscapes or the special features of the Bregenzerwald Juppe.

Moorland and Mountain Views

Kojen Moos in the municipality of Riefensberg is protected as a nature reserve. It preserves an extensive moorland complex of the Kojen moors with hydrology typical of raised bogs. This habitat is characterised by diverse plant and animal life, much of which is endangered. This makes the area a special destination for anyone who wants to discover not only viewpoints but also distinctive landscapes during their trip.

At 1,303 metres, Kojen is the municipality’s local mountain and can be reached from Riefensberg via several hiking trails. From the summit, the view extends across the entire Vorderwald, the Allgäu and as far as Lake Constance. Directly below Kojenstein is also Kojenloch, a 10-metre-long, tunnel-like cave that passes through the summit of Kojen. These striking landscape features give a hike a clear destination and provide varied impressions along the way.

Hiking Trails for Different Day Plans

Thirty kilometres of well-maintained and uniformly signposted hiking trails lead through the Riefensberg area and into the neighbouring municipalities. This provides a wide selection of trails for planning your days, without every activity having to be of the same kind. The circular hike to Dorferhöhe leads from the village centre along a well-developed hiking trail to Dorferhöhe and offers views over Riefensberg.

The Owl Trail starts at the rectory, leads across the Jagdbach stream to a waterfall, continues to Oberdorf and the Dorfer Höhe viewpoint, and then returns to the village. The barefoot trail, with its 22 stations, can also be included in your trip planning. It comprises 22 stations with various natural ground materials and creates a deliberate contrast to a classic mountain hike.

The “Boundless Panoramic View” trail is designated for Riefensberg and is 11.5 kilometres long. The Riefensberg Dorf bus stop is in the immediate vicinity of its starting point. You can take this information into account when planning your excursions and choosing your starting point. The 3D archery course also offers archery in the forests; rental equipment is available on request.

Juppen Workshop and Local History

The Juppen Workshop showcases a special cultural aspect of Riefensberg. It is a glazed-linen manufactory, exhibition venue and course location. To this day, the workshop produces glazed linen pleating according to an old recipe and on historic machines: the deep-black, glossy fabric, laid in countless pleats, used for the Bregenzerwald Juppe.

The Riefensberg Juppen Workshop opened as a demonstration workshop in 2003 to preserve the craft of traditional costume production and the associated equipment. The production of the traditional Bregenzerwald Juppen and the wearing of the women’s traditional costume were added to the national inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2021 at the request of the Riefensberg Juppen Workshop. The local history also goes back a long way: Riefensberg’s first church was completed in 1430 on the site of a previously demolished chapel and rededicated to Saint Leonard.

More Places for Planning Your Trip

If you would like to compare Riefensberg with other destinations, you can also discover Au, Hörbranz, Lauterach, Bezau, Lingenau, Bizau, Sulzberg and Schoppernau.

For the higher-level travel overview: Bregenz.