Krumbach bus stops, Austria: Tiny village creates world's coolest bus stops

A tiny village in Austria has taken the mundane bus stop and turned it into a work of art.

The village of Krumbach, population 1000, in the country's Vorarlberg region, is spread out across the landscape, with farmland and moors separating the residential areas. Buses are the only form of public transport.

In 2013, the Krumbach local culture association invited seven international architects, from as far away as China, Japan and Chile, to create its seven unique structures for its Bus:Stop project. Over the course of the next year the architects were invited to the region and submitted their designs, which were then constructed by local craftspeople.

The results are an architecturally impressive collection of buildings, ranging from new twists on traditional, practical bus stops, through to works that are more like pure sculpture (Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto's series of metal poles surrounding a staircase to nowhere, deliberately avoids providing any protection from the elements).

A one day bus pass costs €2.70 ($4) for adults. If you're staying in the region for three nights or more, you can receive a complimentary Bregenzerwald Guest Card, which will give you free access to public transport, cable cars and swimming pools in the region.

Take a look at the designs in the gallery above.

More information: www.vorarlberg.travel

The writer travelled as a guest of the Austrian National Tourist Organisation.

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