Most beautiful hiking routes

Hidden natural gem in Andelsbuch

The water of the Brühlbach stream is extremely clear and the surrounding area is an ideal habitat for the shy dipper.

(Bild: Bergauer Rubina)

The waterfalls of the Brühlbach stream.

(Bild: Bergauer Rubina)

Between the villages of Andelsbuch and Egg in the Bregenzerwald, the Brühlbach stream has dug deep into the slate rock. Over time, this has created several wild and romantic waterfalls.

The village of Andelsbuch is located almost exactly in the middle of the Bregenzerwald, on a wide, open valley floor. The hermit Diedo settled there in the middle of the 11th century and built a cell and a prayer house. He probably came from the family of the Counts of Bregenz. The place was first mentioned in documents in the middle of the 12th century. There is a geological zone around the village that favors the growth of beech trees. This is also indicated by the names Andelsbuch and the district of Bersbuch. The starting point for today's tour is right next to the parish church of St. Peter and St. Paul. The building was erected between 1715 and 1720 under the baroque master Ignaz Beer, rebuilt in neo-Romanesque style in the mid-19th century and redesigned between 1997 and 2000.

Tips & Info

Type: very interesting scenic circular route
Duration: one to one and a half hours
Starting point: Andelsbuch church
Equipment: walking shoes with very good tread soles (waterproof), clothing suitable for the weather
Refreshments: available in Andelsbuch in large numbers Public transport: bus route 850 (e.g. from Dornbirn to Andelsbuch Volksschule)
Note: the path is not maintained in winter and should therefore only be walked in dry weather

To the left of the sacred building is a sign pointing the way to the Brühlbach waterfalls. In the first section, follow the cycle path to Egg. This leads past the Andelsbuch elementary school and a playground. Finally, you come to the Heidegg plot, where you follow the signs and turn onto a meadow path that leads under the viaduct. Continue along a narrow stream until you reach a small bridge. Turn right there to the waterfalls. The path is not maintained in winter and should therefore only be walked in dry weather. The village stream, known as Brühlbach, has carved its way deep into the slate rock between Andelsbuch and Egg over a very long period of time. This is how the beautiful waterfalls were created - a hidden scenic feature.

Retreat for the shy dipper
The Brühlbach has its source in the slopes above Andelsbuch and flows through the village towards the Bregenzer Ache. The clear, clean water makes it a retreat for animals such as the dipper. The well-camouflaged and shy bird is not easy to spot, but if you linger on the banks of the stream for a while, you may be lucky enough to see it. The dipper is the only songbird that can be described as a true water bird. It catches almost all of its food by diving. In clear and clean watercourses, the animals hunt for aquatic insects, worms and sometimes the smallest fish.

(Bild: Bergauer Rubina)

The common snowberry, also known as the firecracker shrub (because of the sound the fruit makes when crushed), is a robust and hardy shrub from the honeysuckle family. Originally native to North America, it was introduced to Europe as an ornamental and hedge plant. The shrub grows up to two meters high and has small, oval, green leaves that fall off in autumn. The plant blooms from June to September with delicate pink-white, bell-shaped flowers that attract pollinators such as bees. In the fall, the snowberry bears its typical white, spherical fruits, which remain clearly visible well into the winter. The berries are slightly poisonous and inedible for humans, while they serve as food for some animals. The plant is extremely easy to care for and thrives even in nutrient-poor soil, which is why it is often used in gardens, parks or for planting on embankments.

While other birds flee from the cold and snow to the south, the dipper perseveres until the stream is completely frozen over. Only then does it have to give way and search for ice-free watercourses. Winter by the river can be very harsh, but even at minus 40 degrees Celsius the birds dive into the water for food. Their thick, greased plumage protects them from the cold and wet. The song of the dipper is mainly heard in winter, from December to February. It is a varied chirping, murmuring and whistling that can still be heard 50 meters away despite the noise of a flowing watercourse. The bird has found an almost ideal habitat in the area of the Brühlbach stream.

A narrow path and specially constructed footbridges lead through the small gorge past the waterfalls to a large meadow. Two routes are now signposted: If you opt for the "family path", you walk uphill for a short distance and follow the path past a farmstead. Eventually, you reach the cycle path again, which leads back to the church.