Dornbirn’s compact old town centres on the Marktplatz¸ where your gaze is drawn to the crooked, 17th-century Rotes Haus, which owes its intense red hue to an unappetising mix of oxblood and bile. Next door, the neoclassical columns and free-standing Gothic belfry of Pfarrkirche St Martin catch your eye.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
![SWITZERLAND - JANUARY 01: Library of the monastery St. Gallen, Switzerland. 2000 hand writings, 1635 incunable and almost 100.000 books. The library was built between 1758 and 1767 und richly decorated. (Photo by Imagno/Getty Images) [St. Gallen, Schweiz: Ehemaliges Benediktiner-Kloster. Stiftsbibliothek mit 2000 Handschriften, 1635 Wiegen- und Fruehdrucken (Inkunabeln) und schliesslich 100.000 Buechern, 1758-1767 erbaut und kunstvoll ausgestattet. Stift St. Gallen: 612 Zelle des hl. Gallus, eines Gefaehrten Columbans, 719 wird durch den hl. Otmar das Kloster errichtet, das 747 die Regel Benedikts annimmt, 1805 saekularisiert.]
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Abbeys, Architecture, Books, Interiors, Libraries, Photo tgg06/01](https://lp-cms-production.imgix.net/2023-06/StiftsbibliothekStGallen.jpeg?fit=crop&ar=1%3A1&w=1200&auto=format&q=75)
17.22 MILES
If the greatest masterpieces on earth are wrought for the glory of God, St Gallen’s Stiftsbibliothek (Abbey Library), is like a living prayer. Religious…
21.55 MILES
A riot of turrets and towers plonked high on a hillside and set against the theatrical backdrop of jagged mountains, Schloss Vaduz is quite the fairy-tale…
21.59 MILES
This black concrete and basalt cuboid on pedestrianised Städtle hosts temporary exhibitions, revolving around the gallery’s collection of contemporary art…
Liechtensteinisches Landesmuseum
21.7 MILES
This museum provides a fascinating romp through the principality’s past, heritage and natural history, from medieval witch trials to the manufacture of…
20.42 MILES
Near the eastern end of Friedrichshafen’s lake-front promenade is the Zeppelin Museum, housed in the Bauhaus-style former Hafenbahnhof (harbour station),…
5.05 MILES
This ultramodern museum houses rotating exhibitions in summer of Swiss-Austrian neoclassical painter Angelika Kauffmann’s works. The artist had strong…
6.31 MILES
Designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, this giant glass and steel cube is said to resemble a lamp, reflecting the changing light of the sky and lake…
6.29 MILES
One of Bregenz' most striking landmarks is this white cuboid emblazoned with what appears to be 16,656 flowers (actually PET bottle bases imprinted in…
Nearby attractions
0.39 MILES
Dornbirn’s biggest draw is this hands-on museum. It’s a wonderland for kids who can pet (stuffed) foxes and handle (real) spiders, whip up tornadoes,…
2.19 MILES
Situated at the bottom of Rappenlochschlucht and ensconced in a 19th-century cotton mill, this museum harbours the world’s largest collection of Rolls…
4.19 MILES
Housed in the Rosenthal villa in Hohenems, 6km south of Dornbirn, this museum zooms in on Hohenems’ long-defunct Jewish community with photos, documents…
5.05 MILES
This ultramodern museum houses rotating exhibitions in summer of Swiss-Austrian neoclassical painter Angelika Kauffmann’s works. The artist had strong…
6.01 MILES
Slung high above the lake is the Oberstadt, Bregenz’ tiny old town of winding streets, candy-coloured houses and flowery gardens. It’s still enclosed by…
6.04 MILES
Part of the original defensive walls in Bregenz' Oberstadt, this fortified gate is guarded by the grotesque, mummified remains of a shark.
6.05 MILES
Not far past Martinstor is this baroque tower, topped by the largest onion dome in Central Europe. It’s worth seeing the 14th-century Gothic frescoes in…
6.29 MILES
One of Bregenz' most striking landmarks is this white cuboid emblazoned with what appears to be 16,656 flowers (actually PET bottle bases imprinted in…