Hohenems: Discover Culture, History and the Rhine Floodplains

Hohenems combines impressive evidence of Jewish history with music, literature, traditional crafts and nature experiences along the Old Rhine. Those planning a trip with varied interests will find museums and historic buildings here, as well as the audio cycling trail, the bathing area at the Rheinauen Leisure Centre, a weekly market and special culinary experiences. The city is therefore ideal for varied travel plans in which culture and relaxation each have their own place.

Discover Jewish history first-hand

A central focus is the former Jewish Quarter. The almost completely preserved ensemble includes a synagogue, a mikveh, a schoolhouse and a poorhouse, conveying the Jewish history of Hohenems. In Villa Heimann-Rosenthal, the permanent exhibition of the Jewish Museum explores the history of the Jewish community from its beginnings to its end under National Socialism after 1938.

The Jewish Cemetery is also part of this historical context. 370 gravestones have been preserved there; the cemetery has been a listed monument since 1967. Access is regulated: the cemetery is locked, and visitors can obtain the key at the Jewish Museum by leaving an identity document as a deposit. Anyone interested in regional history and Jewish heritage should take this information into account when planning their day.

Music, literature and historic houses

The Franz Schubert Museum traces the composer’s life and work in rooms built shortly before his birth. The building was formerly a rectory whose foundations date back to the beginning of the 16th century. An audio room dedicated to Schubert’s music complements the exhibition. The garden offers views of Hohenems’ historic town centre. The Schubertiade Museum also focuses on the efforts of later generations to preserve Schubert’s works and his legacy.

Literature enthusiasts will find another special place at Literaturhaus Vorarlberg. In selected representative rooms of the historic Villa Franziska and Iwan Rosenthal, writing and language can be experienced as a living process. This makes it possible to combine musical, literary and historical themes on a trip with several generations or different interests, without every day of the journey having to focus on the same subject.

Palace, castle ruins and technological history

Hohenems Palace is considered the most important Renaissance building in western Austria. Manuscripts C and A of the Song of the Nibelungs were found in its library in 1755 and 1779, respectively. The palace is privately owned and not freely accessible; however, guided tours are offered regularly. When planning your trip, it is therefore important to distinguish between viewing the site’s historical significance and taking part in a guided tour.

At Alt-Ems Castle, the barbican, the walls of the palas and the base of the powder tower, with its embrasures overlooking the Rhine Valley, are visible again. The castle was built in the 12th century, and its complex was 800 metres long. The Große Schlossbergrunde trail leads to the Alt-Ems ruins and the “Gsätzle” viewpoint in just a few minutes. Stoffels Säge-Mühle uses 35 milling machines to show the development of milling technology from 1880 to computer-controlled mills and documents 2,000 years of milling technology from a cultural and historical perspective.

The Rhine floodplains, cycling trail and regional culinary experiences

For days centred on nature and water, the Rheinauen Leisure Centre in Hohenems/Altach offers more than 130,000 square metres of bathing area in the middle of the Old Rhine nature reserve. The centre also includes a 400-metre-long side channel of the Old Rhine. The “Across the Border” audio cycling trail runs along the Old Rhine to Hohenems and then passes the Rheinauen Leisure Centre.

Fenkart Chocolate World offers a culinary addition. During the self-guided, interactive tour, visitors follow the process from processing cocoa beans to making various types of chocolate and sweet specialities; they can also make their own chocolate bar. The Hohenems weekly market takes place every Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, except on public holidays.

The right accommodation for your travel style

When looking for a holiday apartment in Hohenems, you can first decide which experiences should shape your stay. Those interested in culture can plan around the Jewish Museum, the Schubert and literary offerings, and the historic buildings. Anyone who prefers exercise and water can focus on the Rheinauen and the audio cycling trail. For a more relaxed mix, visits to the museum, market, Chocolate World and historic sites can be spread across different days. This way, you can choose your accommodation according to your preferred pace of travel and the subjects you actually want to discover in Hohenems.

If you would like to compare other destinations in addition to Hohenems, you can also look at Dornbirn and Lustenau.

Back to the higher-level travel overview: Dornbirn.