Vorarlberg

Vorarlberg is the Western-most Austrian federal state - it borders on Germany, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. The dialect that its people speak is somehow situated between those of Switzerland and Austria, which makes it easy for the inhabitants of Vorarlberg to communicate with almost everyone not only in Austria, but also in Switzerland and the South of Germany. This fact is certainly good for business - and indeed Vorarlberg is Austria's wealthiest state. However, it has a population of less than 400 thousand, who mostly live in alpine landscapes.

Bregenz is the capital of Vorarlberg. It is situated most beautifully on the shore of Lake Constance (German: Bodensee), which is the third-largest freshwater lake in Central Europe.

Right behind the city, the legendary Mount Pfander rises. This peak, which exceeds one kilometre in height, offers everyone on its top the most spectacular panoramic views of the region: In the North, only a couple of hundred meters away, is the lake, and in all other directions you can see mountains - some of them are at incredible distances. The city of Bregenz is popular with visitors, as it combines beautiful shore promenades with a lovely old town.

Not surprisingly, tourism is a major part of Vorarlberg's economy. There are many famous ski resorts in the region, but in the summer Vorarlberg is no less popular with adventure-seeking visitors.

A big plus is its location right at the spot where four big countries meet: Italy is also in the immediate vicinity. From any direction it is easy to reach Vorarlberg by car or train. Agriculture (especially dairy production) is still large in the region. But then there are some business sectors that would seem less obvious, like Vorarlberg's relatively big share in the "New Economy" (i.e. IT et cetera).