Page 268 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Austria

266  A USTRIA REGION B Y REGION

on Gebhardsberg, was built in
the 10th century. In 1338, the
recorded owner of the castle
was Hugo de Montfort.
In 1451, following the death
of the last ruler of that line, the
castle, together with the town
and Bregenz province, were
bought by Sigismund of Tyrol.
In 1647, the castle was
blown up by the Swedish
troops of General Wrangel
during the Thirty Years’ War,
leaving only ruins. The original
parts still standing today are
the gateway, walls, barbican and
Seebühne, the floating stage on Lake Constance a single turret.
In 1723, a chapel devoted
P Festspielhaus of spiritual and intellectual life to the saints Gebhard and
Platz der Wiener Symphoniker 1. since the 11th century. The George was built on top of
Tel (05574) 4130. church and monastery Gebhardsberg and it became
∑ kongresskultur.com complex, originally built for the a popular pilgrimage site.
This congress and convention Benedictines and subsequently St Gebhard, a 10th-century
centre, situated next to Lake taken over by the Cistercians, bishop of Constance, was the
Constance, was created was remodelled in 1740 in the son of Ulrich of Bregenz, born
specifically for the Bregenz Baroque style by Franz Anton in Hohenbregenz.
arts festival that has been Beer; the new tower was built
held every year since 1946, using material from the Environs
from late July until late August. previous Romanesque basilica. At the foot of the Pfänder
The festival events include It was destroyed in the (1,065 m/3,494 ft), southeast of
theatre and opera perfor- Napoleonic wars, rebuilt in the current town, stood the
mances, as well as symphony 1855 and renovated in the Roman settlement of
concerts and fine art 20th century. Inside, two pictures Brigantium. This area is a
exhibitions. Since 1955, shows survive with the Stations of the favourite destina tion for walkers;
have been staged at the Cross and two late-Gothic you can also reach the top of
Theater am Kornmarkt, a statues of the Madonna. The the mountain by cable car. From
building in the city centre, late-Gothic altar in the capitular this summit, there are magnifi-
erected in 1838 as a granary room dates from 1582. cent views extending across
and converted into a theatre in Adjacent to the reconstructed Bodensee (Lake Constance) and
1955. In 1980, this modern church and the Romanesque all of Bregenz. Nature trails have
festival and congress complex crypt there is now a secondary information signs on the area’s
was opened, including show school, a monastery and flora and fauna. Far to the south,
and concert halls, exhibition a sanatorium. the Allgäu Alps can be seen on
rooms and a congress centre. a clear day, as well as the ice-
The most spectacular of the + Hohenbregenz covered Schesaplana massif, the
festival venues is the famous The Hohenbregenz fortress, deep Rhine ravine and the Swiss
Seebühne, a floating stage whose ruins stand to this day peaks of Altmann and Säntis.
extend ing into the lake. Shows
and concerts are staged here
and watched by the public on
the shore.
The centre hosts all kinds of
conferences and events
throughout the rest of the year.
R Zisterzienserkloster
Mehrerau
Mehrerauerstrasse 66. Tel (05574)
71461. Open for guided tours for
groups only.
To the west of the city centre
stands the Zisterzienserkloster
Mehrerau, a Cistercian mon-
astery that has been a centre The Hohen bregenz fortress on Gebhardsberg
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp298–9 and pp323–4

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.1)
Date 5th December 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm