Discover Vandans
Accommodation in Vandans
Vandans combines alpine nature experiences, trails and architecture with a local history that can be read in its churches and chapels. Choosing where to stay is therefore not determined by just one activity: depending on your interests, you might focus on a themed trail lasting several hours, a short ride on the Alpine Coaster Golm, guided tours about natural hazards or cultural attractions. This makes it possible to assess Vandans according to the focus of your stay, without confusing its different experiences with one another.
Nature, trails and planning your time
The Montafon Natural Hazards Activity Centre in Vandans offers guided tours about alpine natural hazards, as well as the historical development and present-day operation of flood and avalanche protection. Guided tours are on the programme for 2026; check the dates before your trip. The waterways also shape the character of the village: the four mountain streams Auenlatsch from Golm, Almustrik from the Rellstal, Mustergiel from the Valkastiel Gorge and Ladritschbach from the Vensertobel have helped shape Vandans. Nearby is the Rellstal, a nature and plant conservation area with numerous gypsum sinkholes that shape the landscape.
The Vandans Legends Trail is suitable for families, takes about three hours and has an elevation difference of 380 metres. The Alpine Coaster Golm offers a different kind of outing: its 2.6-kilometre route runs from Latschau to Vandans, and the ride takes about eight minutes. These timings give you a concrete comparison between a themed trail lasting several hours and a short ride.
The Rellstal can be reached on foot from Vandans in about four hours or by hiking bus. The bus runs daily from mid-July to early October and takes 40 minutes; check the dates for this seasonal service before you travel. Vandans station is served by the Montafon Railway on the Bludenz–Schruns route. This gives you different details for planning the walk, bus journey and rail route, without treating them as equivalent ways of getting there.
Architecture and local history
The Vandans Architecture Trail uses typical Montafon buildings to show how ways of life and different forms of economic activity have influenced architecture. St John the Baptist Parish Church reveals a different architectural feature: its floor plan is octagonal, and strips of coloured cast-glass windows give the walls a louvred structure. Together, the themed trail and the church offer two different ways to explore architecture: one through typical buildings and how life and work have shaped them, the other through specific forms and materials.
The churches and chapels also connect the present-day village with different periods of history. The first chapel on the present-day site of Vandans Cemetery Church was built in 1479; the cemetery church is a listed building. The pilgrimage chapel in Vens was built in 1613 in gratitude for the plague having been brought under control. The cemetery church also hosts sacred music concerts. As the programme may change, check the dates before planning to attend a concert.
Markets and special interests
The 2026 Gmes Market programme includes homemade delicacies and products such as spices, olive oil products, schnapps, alpine cheese and natural soaps. The market days also differ in format: on Fridays, the markets are held in the church square, with food and drink and musical accompaniment; Saturdays are sales-only markets on the square in front of the municipal building. If you are planning to visit a market, check the specific dates.
Vandans offers several distinct highlights to help you choose between nature, outdoor activities and local history. The Legends Trail has an approximate duration and an elevation figure, and is explicitly suitable for families. The Rellstal adds a seasonal hiking bus and a stated walking time to the options; the Architecture Trail, churches and chapels offer a different focus. You can weigh up the activities by their type and the time and seasonal information provided for each.
Discover more destinations: Innerbraz, Blons, DamĂĽls, Bludesch, Raggal, LorĂĽns, Sankt Gallenkirch, Gargellen.
See the main travel overview: Bludenz.
