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Voykit pocket guide · Austria
Feldkirch
Give Feldkirch one night, or a half-day stop between Zurich, Liechtenstein and Innsbruck: the old town and Schattenburg take 3–4 hours on foot.
Feldkirch is a small, well-preserved medieval town in Vorarlberg where three valleys meet, on the border with Liechtenstein and about an hour from Zurich by train. The walled centre, the gates and towers, and Schattenburg Castle above the town fill an afternoon; the mountains above it fill a day. Most travellers pass through on the Zurich–Innsbruck line and regret it, because the stop costs one night and almost nothing.
- Country
- Austria
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and crowds), Nov (grey and quiet)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards are widely taken, but some cafés, huts and small shops are still cash only.
- Daily spend
- Budget €55–85 excl. bed · Mid €90–140 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A1, Magenta and Drei are the networks; prepaid SIMs from shops and supermarkets (registration with ID).
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112 · Police 133 · Ambulance 144 · Mountain rescue 140
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Same plugs as Germany; UK and US devices need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Round up or 5–10%, told to the server when paying.; Café: Round up to the next euro.; Taxi: Round up or about 10%.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: €1–2.; Ski instructor or mountain guide: €10–20 a day for a good lesson, optional.
- Water
- Tap water is excellent. Ask for 'ein Glas Leitungswasser'; coffee in a café comes with a free glass of water.
- Toilets
- Public toilets in cities cost €0.50; cafés and museums have free ones for guests.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee in a café | €3–5 |
| Beer, 0.5 l draught | €4–6 |
| Lunch, one course in a Gasthaus | €12–18 |
| Pizza or pasta in the old town | €10–15 |
| Stadtbus single ride | €2–3 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ZRH · Zurich
- About 124 km; train to Feldkirch via Buchs, roughly 1.5–2 hAbout 77 mi; train to Feldkirch via Buchs, roughly 1.5–2 h
- FDH · Friedrichshafen
- About 46 km; the closest airport, but few useful connectionsAbout 29 mi; the closest airport, but few useful connections
- INN · Innsbruck
- About 154 km; train west along the Arlberg lineAbout 96 mi; train west along the Arlberg line
- MUC · Munich
- About 223 km; long train ride via Lindau or BregenzAbout 139 mi; long train ride via Lindau or Bregenz
Typical fares
- Train Feldkirch → Bregenz
- about €6–9, about 45 min (check)
- Train Feldkirch → Zurich
- about €25–45, about 1.5–2 h (check)
- Bus Feldkirch → Schaan (Liechtenstein)
- about €3–5, euros accepted (check)
Get around
The old town is a pedestrian zone and everything inside it is 10–15 minutes on foot. Stadtbus routes cover the outer districts and Frastanz; fares are by zone. Regional trains and buses reach Bregenz, Bludenz, Buchs and Liechtenstein.
See and do
Known for
- Schattenburg Castle
- Medieval old town, gates and towers
- St. Nikolaus Cathedral
- Border town to Liechtenstein and Switzerland
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bregenz | Regional train along the Rhine valley | About 45 min |
| Dornbirn | Regional train | About 30 min |
| Bludenz | Regional train through the Walgau | About 30 min |
| Montafon | Train to Bludenz, then the Montafonerbahn to Schruns | About 1 h |
| Lech and Zürs am Arlberg | Train to Langen am Arlberg, then bus up the valley | About 1.5–2 h |
| Warth and Schröcken | Bus from Bregenz or the Arlberg side | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Old town (Altstadt)
- Walk to everything, quiet at night; a handful of small hotels and guesthouses.
- Around the station (Bahnhofstraße)
- Best for a one-night rail stop with bags; 10 min on foot to the old town.
- Tosters and the western edge
- Quieter, near the Tosters castle ruins and the old St. Corneli church; needs a bus or car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Grüß Gottgruess got |
| Thank you | Dankedahn-keh |
| Please | Bittebit-teh |
| The bill, please | Die Rechnung, bittedee rekh-noong, bit-teh |
| Can I pay by card? | Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kahn ikh mit kar-teh tsah-len |
| Where is the station? | Wo ist der Bahnhof?voh ist dair bahn-hohf |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Grüß Gott' or 'Guten Tag' entering shops and huts; handshakes; avoid: Walking in without a greeting
- Titles: Use Herr/Frau and academic titles in formal settings; avoid: First names with older strangers
- Coffee houses: Linger; call the waiter 'Herr Ober'; avoid: Expecting fast service
- Punctuality: Be on time; avoid: Arriving late to concerts: doors close
- Quiet: Keep voices down on public transport; avoid: Loud phone calls in trains and trams
- Mountain trails: Greet other hikers with 'Servus' or 'Grüß Gott'; avoid: Leaving gates open on pastures
Scams and watch-outs
- Shops close on Sunday; plan food and groceries for Saturday.
- The Arlberg road tunnel is tolled; the free pass over the top is only open in the warm months.
- Schattenburg Castle keeps winter hours and closes on some public holidays: check the official site before climbing up.
- Card payment is common but small bakeries and market stalls may be cash only.
Feldkirch is a low-risk town; the real hazards are Alpine weather, fast e-bikes in the pedestrian zone, and the Ill river after rain. Keep an eye on mountain forecasts if you hike.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Feldkirch yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Schattenburg Castle
- Medieval old town, gates and towers
- St. Nikolaus Cathedral
- Border town to Liechtenstein and Switzerland
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Feldkirch official city site: www.feldkirch.at/
- Feldkirch tourism (Stadtmarketing und Tourismus): feldkirch-leben.at/
- Vorarlberg public transport (vmobil): www.vmobil.at/
- Wikivoyage: Feldkirch, revision 5092093 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5092093
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Feldkirch
Zu dieser Adresse, bitte
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Austria has no foreign embassies in Feldkirch; the US, UK, Canadian and Australian embassies are in Vienna, with consulates in Zurich for some countries (check).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/feldkirch). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.