Allgäu: Landscapes, Trails and Culture

Mountains, rolling hills and tranquil lakes give the Allgäu its varied landscape. Waterfalls and gorges are also among the natural highlights featured by the Allgäu Geopark. Those who want to enjoy the outdoors can choose from hiking, cycling, winter sports and golf. When planning your holiday, it is therefore worth first considering which landscapes and experiences you want to shape your stay.

Hiking across three altitudes

The Allgäu Hiking Trilogy follows three routes through the region’s varied landscapes: Wiesengänger, Wasserläufer and Himmelsstürmer. It brings the different altitudes to life. The three routes also pass through towns and cities in the Allgäu with sights to see. This means that both the landscapes and the region’s towns are part of the hiking experience.

The Himmelsstürmer route offers a special natural setting: it leads through the Allgäu High Alps and the Nagelfluhkette Nature Park. Rare plant and animal species are found there. The nature park lies in the wider region between the Allgäu and the Bregenzerwald. Its habitats include rivers and streams, gorges, forests, moors and wet meadows; its flora and fauna are also diverse. An experience exhibition with free admission introduces visitors to the animals and plants, their habitats and the special features of the protected area, including its distinctive rock. Another exhibition playfully explains how groundwater and drinking water form and how they are protected. It is suitable for children aged 8 and over.

Cycling through the Allgäu

The Allgäu Cycling Loop is 475 kilometres long and has been awarded the ADFC’s 4-star quality route designation. Its routes and numerous railway connections make it possible to ride the loop on your own terms. This is a different way to discover the region from the three hiking trails: the focus here is on a long cycling route that allows you to plan your own itinerary. Alongside hiking, winter sports and golf, cycling is one of the outdoor activities on offer in the Allgäu.

Cultural heritage, customs and cheese

The Allgäu’s UNESCO cultural heritage includes Neuschwanstein Castle and several forms of intangible culture related to crafts, cuisine, traditional festivals and customs. In the Allgäu-Außerfern castle region, 26 municipalities are home to more than 43 castles, ruins, palaces and town fortifications. Open-air museums also invite visitors to take a stroll through the past amid their expansive historic landscapes. Those interested in regional traditions can also experience Viehscheid: this is the traditional cattle drive from the mountain pastures in the Allgäu, celebrated as a large folk festival with farmers and visitors.

There are different ways to discover cheese. At cheese schools, visitors can help with the production and make their own cheese. Demonstration dairies let visitors watch cheese being made live through a glass window or take part in a guided tour of the premises. Families and other travellers can therefore choose between getting hands-on and watching the production process.

Choose your holiday destination based on your interests

These experiences offer different points of focus: hiking routes cross several altitudes, the cycling loop is a 475-kilometre tour, and cultural heritage, museums and cheese traditions offer other themes to explore. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in the Allgäu, you can choose your destination based on which of these interests matter most to your trip. Rather than focusing on a supposedly uniform type of Allgäu holiday, you can choose the mix you want to discover for yourself.

If you would like to discover more destinations, you can also find Cham, Main-Spessart, Inn-Salzach, Ebersberg, Ansbach, Starnberg, Erlangen-Höchstadt and Pfaffenhofen An Der Ilm here.

For the overview of destinations: Bavaria.