Boos: Kneipp heritage, churches and forest

Boos combines local history with church art, Kneipp connections and extensive woodland. A special historical connection leads to Sebastian Kneipp: on 20 January 1853, his name day, he was appointed chaplain in Boos at the age of 31.

Church art and local history

Several periods come together in the parish church of St. Martin in Boos. In 1713, the Fugger family had the church enlarged and given a Baroque makeover. The valuable ceiling paintings were created by Guggenberger and Scherer in 1860; they take guardian angels as their theme. The church’s most valuable statue was made by Ivo Strigel around 1480. These dates establish a clear timeline for the town’s history: the statue from the late 15th century was followed by the church’s redesign and, later, the ceiling paintings.

The location of the mountain chapel also provides a point of reference: it stands on a hill east of the parish church of St. Martin. Another church-related site is in Reichau, which is part of the municipality of Boos. There, the parish church of St. Anna was built by Max Treu of Augsburg. Together, the churches offer different ways to explore art and history, without reducing the town to a single period.

Kneipp, local traditions and walks

The traditions of the parish of St. Martin include processions of supplication, Perpetual Adoration, mountain Masses and pilgrimages on foot. The parish also holds a festival every July. If you would like to plan your stay around it, check the date before travelling: a specific date is not provided for every year. These recurring traditions and the festival add a church-centred note to the annual calendar.

The Kneipp fountain stands in Boos village square, and a Kneipp water-treading facility is located at the edge of the forest. These two sites add different connections to Kneipp throughout the municipality to the historical link. Before visiting, it is worth checking whether the facilities are currently available for use. Extensive woodland also invites you to enjoy relaxing walks. If you like spending time outdoors, you can take this natural setting into account when planning your stay.

Another trace of the past concerns milk processing. From 1902 to 1973, Boos was home to a teaching and research institute run by the Allgäu dairy association. It developed into an important training centre for making soft cheese and butter. In addition to the church and Kneipp, local history also includes training related to regional food production.

Choose the right focus for your stay

When choosing a holiday apartment in Boos, you can base your preferred focus for the trip on specific interests: the woodland is ideal for walks, while church art and parish traditions offer a different perspective on the town. If you would like to enjoy both, these different interests can help guide your choice of where to stay. This makes it easier to think of Boos in terms of the experiences you would like to put at the heart of your trip.

Beyond Boos: the Unterallgäu

In the wider destination of the Unterallgäu, several forest discovery trails offer different ways to learn about nature. The 3.2-kilometre forest discovery trail in Bad Grönenbach offers insights into the forest ecosystem. The Buxheim forest discovery trail runs for 2.7 kilometres around Buxheim Pond and is designed to let visitors experience nature with all their senses. In the Bannwald forest in Ottobeuren, eleven stations guide visitors along another forest discovery trail. The details show different approaches: a set trail length, a circular route around a pond, or a trail with stations.

Regional orientation is also part of the wider picture: in the Unterallgäu, the River Iller forms the natural boundary to the west and the River Wertach to the east. The A7 and A96 motorways, a dense road network, rail connections and Allgäu Airport in Memmingerberg add to the region’s accessibility. This regional information provides a general guide to the wider destination; plan specific connections for your trip to Boos according to your chosen mode of travel.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Winterrieden, Mindelheim, Tussenhausen, Pfaffenhausen, Babenhausen, Illerwinkel, Memmingerberg, Westerheim.

Return to the overview of the wider destination: Unterallgäu.