Bezau – Winterstaude (1877m) – Bezau
Lovely hike with 360° views over Bregenzerwald and beyond
A fantastic circular hike in Bregenzerwlad through alpine meadows with colourful flowers and cows with bells. It's a steady climb to Winterstaude but you'll be rewarded with incredible views.
This is a circular hike starting from Bezau in Vorarlberg (western Austria).
Time of year: Spring, Summer, Autumn
Tags: Circular hike, Public transport, Mountain transport, Food en-route, Accommodation en-route, Ice-cream at end of hike, Can be shortened
Rating: 
Hiked by us on: 3rd June 2018
We parked at the bottom of the gondola station in Bezau, Vorarlberg, western Austria and instead of heading straight uphill, we headed along the Rimsbach – a beautiful, quiet valley.
We continued towards Seefluhalpe and enjoyed the first views across the surrounding mountains – across Mellau.
We then swung to the left and headed towards Wildmooskassaalpe. The early summer flowers were simply stunning across the alpine meadows.
The cute alp is a perfect place for a quick break – you can also overnight here.
After a cold lemonade (it was a very hot day), we headed towards Stongenalpe – beautiful views!
Just before the Stongenalpe we turned left and started the long climb up to Winterstaude. It’s quite steep so be prepared, but the views get better and better as you gain height.
And then we were on the top. Wow! A great place to enjoy your lunch and try to identify all the surrounding peaks.
It was then up and down, but mostly down (!) toward Nieder Höhe. You will stay close to the ridge, so the views stay with you.
Be aware, there are some steepish sections with chains – not too difficult, but take care.
At Nieder Höhe you can enjoy the final wonderful views…
… and then take the Gondola back down to the start of the hike. Wonderful!
Food, accommodation and/or villages we found on this hike
Alpe Wildmoose
(Food only)
The Alpe Wildmoos is located in Bezau, at the foot of Winterstaude at 1400 meters above sea level. We manage the Alpe with 30 cows and process the milk according to old tradition to Alpine cheese, butter, curd cheese and yogurt. We are a member of the cheese Bregenzerwald and Genussregion Austria! On our cozy terrace we pamper our guests with our own products and even home-baked bread. Children are welcome. Immediately next to the hut, our playground makes children's hearts beat faster.
Panorama Restaurant Baumgarten
(Food only)
The new panorama restaurant on Baumgarten is both impressive and transparent. The observation deck on the roof of the restaurant lets the view sweep in all directions to the horizon. 150 seats in the light-filled interior and 250 outdoor seats on the spacious terrace guarantee space and quality on the mountain. The restaurant is open all year round and has a children's playground.
The 5 day forecast in Bezau
Webcams
We could not find any webcams in the area close to this hike.
Need some hiking down-time?
If you need a day off from hiking, below are some of the great things you can do within 30 km from the start of this hike.
Wälderbähnle
(1.9 km away)
Steam railway through the Bregenzerwald.
Hittisau outdoor pool
(9.1 km away)
Lovely outdoor pool which is never too busy. Perfect for relaxing after a long hike!
Rappenlochsclucht
(10.8 km away)
Impressive stroll on elevated walkways through narrow gorge
Rolls Royce museum
(10.9 km away)
Fascinating museum of the world's most famous car.
Laterns summer sledge run
(19.3 km away)
Sledging in the summer on the Laterns Sommerrodelbahn
Badestrand am Rohr
(20.0 km away)
Relax and swim in the lake which is the old Rhine
Rhein railway
(20.9 km away)
Travel on the Rhein railway to the delta of the river
Götzis outdoor pool
(21.0 km away)
Beautiful area for enjoying the sun and a relaxing swim
Allgau Skywalk
(21.0 km away)
Tree top walk through the woods of Allgau.
Festungsmuseum Heldsberg
(22.0 km away)
Look back into Switzerland's second world war history in this perfectly preseved fort built into the hillside
Thalkirchdorf outdoor pool
(22.6 km away)
Wonderful, small, relaxed and family friendly outdoor pool
Weiler-Simmerberg outdoor pool
(22.8 km away)
Large outdoor pool with springboard and play areas. Wonderful place to spend a few hours!
St Margarethen mineral baths
(22.8 km away)
Recently fully refurbished wellness center - spend an afternoon to recover
Berneck outdoor pool
(23.1 km away)
Wonderful, quiet outdoor pool with lots of grassy areas. Perfect place to relax
Lindau island
(25.3 km away)
Visit the unique town of Lindau on the island
Alpsee Bergwelt
(25.4 km away)
Fun adventure park - chairlift, summer toboggan run and mountain playground
Lech outdoor pool
(25.5 km away)
Beautiful outdoor pool in very pretty surroundings
Milka chocolate factory
(26.7 km away)
Immerse yourself in the exciting discovery of the Milka chocolate world and enjoy pure adventure shopping!!
Heiden Schwimmbad
(29.7 km away)
A lovely outdoor pool with large grassy areas on which to relax.
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