"Dornbirn" a Dornbirn Travel Page by PetraG

Dornbirn is a city in Vorarlberg, Austria. It is the administrative center of the district (Bezirk) Dornbirn, which also includes the city of Hohenems, and the market town Lustenau.

Dornbirn is located near the borders to Switzerland, Germany and Liechtenstein. The Dornbirner Ach river flows through the city and later into the Lake of Constance. It has a population of 43,583 (30 September, 2004). The city is divided into six administrative districts.

The largest and busiest city in Vorarlberg, Dornbirn is an important commercial center and shopping mecca. The regional ORF (Austrian Broadcasting Institution), the Fachhochschule (College of Applied Sciences), two General Education Secondary Schools, the Higher Technical Vocational College (HTL). Many large companies are situated there. The city was formerly a major centre of the textiles industry, which has been in decline since the 1980s.

General information
Federal State: Vorarlberg
Bezirk: Dornbirn
Area: 120.97 km²
Population:43,583 (30 September, 2004)
Population density: 360/km²
Elevation: 437 m
Postal code: A-6850
Area code: +43 5572

The name "Dornbirn" derives from 'torrin puirron', meaning the 'Settlement of Torro' (the name of an Alemannic farmer living there and thus has nothing to do with "pears" (German "Birnen"), although this fruit is prominently portrayed on the city emblem.

This name is mentioned for the first time in 895, in a document from St. Gallen (Switzerland). Dornbirn became part of the Habsburg Monarchy in 1380. In 1793 it was elevated to a market community. It was not given municipal status until 1901. In 1932 the mountain village of Ebnit was added. In 1969 Dornbirn became the seat of the new Dornbirn district administrative authority.

Located in the center of the Rhine valley, Dornbirn is a notable junction of regional and interregional bus lines, connecting Bregenz in the north, Feldkirch in the south, and the Bregenzerwald in the east. The A14 Rheintal Autobahn passes to the west, with two exits. The Achrein Tunnel between Dornbirn and Wolfurt, which currently is under construction, will directly connect the northern exit with the Bregenzerwald. Dornbirn also is a junction of the Federal highways B 190, B 200, and B 204. Within the city there is a network of city busses.

Dornbirns railway station is of comparably lesser importance, though all trains along the line will stop at Dornbirn. With four stops along this line Dornbirn also has the most stops of Vorarlberg's municipalities.

A small airport is located at nearby Hohenems, and near the coast of Lake Constance there are a number of gliding clubs.