Vorarlberg Cuisine: Käsknöpfle, Riebel & More
The Vorarlberg cuisine is distinctly different from the rest of Austria—Alemannic influenced, cheese-heavy, down-to-earth, and with surprisingly many peculiarities. While schnitzel reigns in Vienna, in Vorarlberg, Käsknöpfle and Riebel are the culinary sanctuaries.
The common denominator: cheese. Vorarlbergers cook with cheese, eat cheese for breakfast, as a snack, as a main course, and as a dessert. The Bregenzerwälder Bergkäse is not just an ingredient but an identity.
The Most Important Dishes
★★★ Käsknöpfle
The national dish of Vorarlberg—and much more than just "Käsespätzle." Hand-scraped dough dumplings (thicker and more irregular than Swabian Spätzle) are layered with three to four types of Bregenzerwälder Bergkäse (mountain cheese, Räßkäse, alpine cheese) in the pan. Served with crispy fried onions and a green salad with apple cider vinegar dressing. The best Käsknöpfle can be found in the inns of the Bregenzerwald—such as at the Gasthof Adler in Schwarzenberg (€14.90) or at the Jöslar in Bezau (€15.50).
★★★ Riebel
The traditional Bregenzerwälder breakfast—and initially unusual for outsiders: Coarsely ground corn or wheat semolina is slowly fried in butter until golden brown and crumbly. Served with applesauce, cranberries, or elderberry syrup. Sounds simple, but (when done well) it's delicious—crispy, buttery, sweet-tart. Available as a breakfast option in many Bregenzerwald inns (€6–9).
★★ Vorarlberg Cheese Soup
A creamy soup made from mountain cheese, cream, broth, and white wine—sometimes with bread cubes, sometimes with chives. Simple, but a perfect starter on cool days. Available in almost every inn (€7–10).
★★ Funkaküachle
Carnival specialty from the Montafon: Deep-fried yeast dough donuts, traditionally baked on "Funken Sunday" (first Sunday of Lent). Available year-round in some bakeries and inns (€3–4/piece).
★★ Sura Kees
The sour cheese from the Montafon—a low-fat cheese made from skim milk, produced through souring (not rennet). Gray-green, crumbly, with an intense, sour taste. An acquired taste, but authentic. Best on black bread with butter and chives. Available in Montafon dairies (from €15/kg).
★ Flädlesuppe & Kaspressknödel
Pancake soup (clear beef broth with sliced pancakes) and Kaspressknödel (fried bread dumplings with mountain cheese, served in broth or on salad) are the most popular starters and hut dishes in the region. €6–11 in inns and alpine huts.
💡 Tipp
In the Bregenzerwald inns, there is often a "cheese snack" (snack, €12–18): A wooden board with 4–6 different types of cheese, farmhouse bread, butter, pickles, and mustard. Accompanied by a glass of cider (fermented apple juice, from €3) or a Pfiff (small beer, 0.2l, from €2.80).
Drinks & Wine
★★ Vorarlberg Cider
Fermented apple or pear juice—the popular drink of Vorarlberg. Tart, slightly sparkling, 5–7% alcohol. In the cider taverns of the Bregenzerwald and the Rhine Valley, fresh from the barrel (from €3/quarter). The best cider comes from the Dornbirn district.
★ Vorarlberg Schnapps
Vorarlberg is schnapps country: Hundreds of small distilleries produce fruit brandies from apples, pears, cherries, plums, and Williams pears. The best distilleries in the Rhine Valley (Lustenau, Hohenems) offer tastings—a shot from €3. Particularly recommended: Subirer (most pear brandy), a Vorarlberg specialty.
★ Mohrenbräu
The Mohren Brewery in Dornbirn is Vorarlberg's largest and most traditional brewery (since 1834). The "Mohren Pfiff" (0.33l) is the standard beer in almost every Vorarlberg inn. Brewery tour with tasting: €15, Fri 2 pm (advance booking).
