Date: 11 February 2020

Local products express the identity of a region. After all, behind every product is someone with ideas and conviction, a maker who expresses a passion for craftsmanship and design. The people of Vorarlberg value the creation of beautiful, high-quality and meaningful objects with timeless value. Handmade products are extremely popular and include culinary delicacies, care products, wooden items or even textiles. Fortunately for consumers, the product range is constantly changing. New ideas and collaborations add fresh inspiration to the range of products on offer, opening up new avenues of creative craftsmanship. As a result, every product tells a story to the delight of the customer or the recipient.

The best places to shop

First things first: Many of the products mentioned are available from the producers themselves. Some are also available from online shops. Good places to shop include weekly markets in the towns, Alpine dairies and speciality stores such as the Käsehaus cheese shop (open daily) in Andelsbuch or Bentele Genuss gourmet shop in Alberschwende. Food products from Vorarlberg are available at local supermarkets, e.g. “Sutterlüty.” Head to the Werkraumhaus Bregenzerwald to purchase or admire imaginatively designed handicrafts ranging from small wooden furniture pieces to decorative felt items and designer products for the kitchen and garden.

Buying directly from the producer is an extra special bonus because you can discover precisely how local delicacies are made during an on-site visit. There are a number of farm shops in Vorarlberg, some of which are run by certified organic farmers. The Vetter-Hof in Lustenau is one such place. At this architecturally modern farm, purchase vegetables, pickles, cereals, meat products and spirits such as vodka and gin. The assortment available at the Lingenhel family farm in Doren in the Bregenzerwald is equally extensive. Meanwhile, Z’Michele’s farm shop in Brand boasts sweet and savoury specialities, liqueurs, meat products and wines from the vineyard at 1,000 metres above sea level.

Delicious cheeses

Vorarlberg’s signature speciality is cheese, especially hard cheese such as mountain and Alpkäse cheese in addition to “Sura Kees,” a mildly spicy low-fat cheese from Montafon. Vacuum-packed cheeses can be stored for a long time and transported odourlessly. Vorarlberg cheeses are available in almost every grocery store in Vorarlberg or may be purchased at numerous Alpine dairies, farm shops, the Käsehaus cheese houses in Andelsbuch in Bregenzerwald, in Schruns in Montafon, and in the biosphärenpark.haus in Sonntag-Stein in Grosses Walsertal. Last but not least, several online shops also offer cheese.

Sweet & spicy

Numerous delicacies are made from fruits and vegetables sourced from gardens in Vorarlberg and from the Lake Constance area. For instance, the Schobel family from Höchst on Lake Constance produces carefully dried fruit sold under the name “Höchstgenuss.” Claudia Kepp makes “Pfändergold” piquant chutneys and fruit spreads. Apple musts are available in stores and farm shops. Even wine grows in Vorarlberg: The biggest winemaker is Josef Möth from Bregenz, who also runs a tavern in summer. Small manufacturers produce herb and spice mixtures as well as cold-pressed oils. If you love spicy food, try the mustards made by Lustenauer Senf. On the other hand, those with a sweet tooth won’t want to miss the organically certified biscuits from Sabine & Xaver from the Grosses Walsertal. Not to mention the handmade chocolates from Fenkart Schokolade in Hohenems and from Xocolat in Bregenz where you can also take workshops in chocolate making!

Crafted from wood

The importance of wood is apparent in traditional and contemporary buildings throughout Vorarlberg: Wood plays an significant role as a building material and as the basis for beautiful designs. It is often showcased as furnishings for hotels and restaurants. The forests of Vorarlberg are rich in wood. If you want to learn more about innovative wooden craftsmanship, pay a visit to the Werkraumhaus in Andelsbuch. This “showcase for innovative craftsmanship” displays pieces made by approximately 90 Werkraum craftsmen from Bregenzerwald (including carpenters), whose work is in demand worldwide. Smaller pieces such as stools, elegant chopping boards or stylish pepper mills make good gifts and are available in the Werkraumhaus shop. Two sledge makers in Alberschwende in the Bregenzerwald produce both sporty and classic wooden sledges. Or how about clogs and (cowhide) boots that feature wooden soles and fur or leather upholstery? They are made by the Devich shoemaker from Hittisau in the Bregenzerwald.

Textiles

Vorarlberg was a textile stronghold until the 1960s. To this day, however, lace and embroidery from Vorarlberg are highly sought after and admired throughout the world. Handbags and accessories made from or with Lustenau embroidery (not to mention embroidered jewellery) are all available.

David Fussenegger in Dornbirn produces high-quality woven and woollen items such as blankets and bedspreads. In Montafon you can of course purchase warm and cosy items made from the wool of the Montafon stone sheep. There are also several workshops that specialize in practical and decorative items made of felt. Anna-Claudia Strolz creates unique handmade lamps from vellum or paper parchment, Merino-Loden felt, velvet or pleated fabric reminiscent of the traditional costumes worn by Bregenzerwald women. Such artistic pieces can be admired in her shop in the centre of Bregenz.

Care products

Vorarlberg has a long tradition of handling natural resources with care. Entrepreneurs who produce natural cosmetics also adhere to this guiding principle. The Metzler family from Egg in Bregenzerwald is a pioneer in this regard. For many years, the family has produced care products made from whey. Visitors to the Metzlers’ open farm featuring a modern production hall can experience first-hand how natural cosmetics are created. By the way, this is also where Susanne Kaufmann‘s high-quality line of care products, which is based on Alpine herbs, from Hotel Post Bezau by Susanne Kaufmann, is created. Meanwhile, the Bentele family from Alberschwende uses honey from their own bees to create their Werbina care series. “Garten Eder” from Gaissau produces soaps and bathing confectionery from essences of blossoms, spices, herbs, leaves, resins as well as oils. Similarly, blubonbon craft natural cosmetics from the same ingredients.

High percentage spirits

Fruits and grains thrive in the fertile landscape and sunny plateaus of the Rheintal valley. Experienced distillers produce high-proof spirits from apples, pears and cherries. The “Subirer,” a spirit made from the humble cider pear, the “Saubirne,” is highly coveted near and far. Distilleries also produce whiskies from sweet corn, gin and other spirits.