Pfänder

Immediately east of Bregenz is the Pfänder (1,064m/3,491ft). A cableway a good 2km/1.25mi long, the lower station of which is 1km/1,100yds east of the harbor, ascends to the summit in six minutes. From Lochau (3km/ 2mi north of Bregenz) there is a long, narrow road (7km/4.5mi) up via Haggen (inn). There is also a rather steep footpath from Bregenz via Hintermoos (two hours). A tunnel under the Pfänder (6.7km/4mi long) has been built to provide a link between the German motorway network and the Austrian motorway in the Rhine valley. At the upper station of the cableway (1,022m/3,350ft) are the Berghaus Pfänder (restaurant) and a look-out terrace with fine views over Bregenz and the upper lake. Nearby is an Alpine zoo. Five minutes' walk below the upper station stands the Gasthof Pfänderdohle. From the cableway station it is a five minutes' climb to the summit (1,064m/3,490ft), from where there is a breathtaking view of the Alps and Lake Constance. A little way downhill to the north is the Pfänderspitze restaurant and also a radio station belonging to the Austrian Post Office (1,050m/3,450ft; VHF radio and television), and further north the Schwedenschanze inn, where the road joins that from Lochau. The best way down is to Lochau by way of Haggen (45minutes). The Pfänder was formed in the Old Tertiary period and is a favorite spot for winter sports (Pfänderdohle and Maldona ski lifts); ski-slopes lead down to Bregenz and Lochau.