Oy-Mittelberg: Lakes, Trails and Churches

Hiking trails and discoveries on foot or by bike

The approximately 42-kilometer-long “Auf Seiner Spur” faith and church trail leads through the natural and cultural landscape across the entire municipality of Oy-Mittelberg. It connects numerous churches and chapels worth seeing. You can walk or cycle the route and divide it into three stages. This sets it apart from the shorter points of interest that start in individual locations.

Oy-Mittelberg’s hiking options include easy to moderately difficult, well-signposted routes around Rottachsee, Grüntensee, Schwarzenberger Weiher and Sticher Weiher; many of them are circular routes. Many trails and themed routes in the surrounding area are accessible with a stroller and offer play opportunities for families. One specific circular route, the Grüntensee loop, starts at the parking lot by the shooting club in Haslach and runs for just under twelve kilometers around the lake.

The Steinmeile is a natural history and geological educational trail around Oy-Mittelberg. Its themes range from the geology of the Allgäu and the Mittelberger Rücken to the history of the landscape’s formation and the region’s cultural history. If you prefer to explore by bike, the Mittelberg–Rottachsee cycling tour offers a different perspective: it leads from Mittelberg through woodland and meadows into the Rottach Valley. At Rottachsee, the “Moosaikreich” offers information and discoveries from the Allgäuer Moorallianz.

Churches, views and local history

The parish church of St. Michael in Mittelberg was built in 1453. It stands at an altitude of 1,036 meters above sea level and is one of the highest-altitude parish churches in Germany. It is also a distinctive landmark for hikers: the Nordic walking loop along the Mittelberg Panorama Trail starts at the parking lot by St. Michael’s Church. The panoramic trail offers views across the Alpine range, including the Zugspitze and Säuling. Mittelberg is also home to Germany’s largest hiking bench.

Another historic stop is the parish and pilgrimage church of Heilig Kreuz in Maria Rain, built in 1496. The two churches give different local character to Oy-Mittelberg. There is also a recurring event related to local history in autumn: the annual Viehscheid is part of Haslach’s tradition.

Summer at Grüntensee and winter in Mittelberg

Haslach is the local hub for several activities at Grüntensee. At the bathing area in Haslach, the Grüntensee high ropes course, with its Canadian canoes, offers an experience for the whole family. Water sports, swimming, fishing and sailing are also possible there in summer. The loop around the lake complements these water activities with a longer walk.

The winter activities are also clearly tied to a specific location: Mittelberg has cleared winter hiking trails and groomed sledding slopes. The options described therefore vary by season and focus: in the summer months, Haslach is associated with activities at Grüntensee, and in autumn with the Viehscheid; Mittelberg is associated with panoramic views, churches and winter trails.

Choose a location to guide your holiday apartment search

When looking for a holiday apartment, you can compare these highlights with your vacation plans. If Grüntensee and its summer activities are important to you, Haslach is the place name associated with these interests. For St. Michael’s Church, the panoramic trail and the winter options described, Mittelberg offers a different point of reference. If you want to combine several themes, you can also consider the municipality-wide faith and church trail or the Steinmeile. These differences can help you align your search with the experiences you have planned without treating all trails and activities as the same.

Discover more places: Petersthal.

Discover more destinations: Immenstadt Im Allgäu, Wiggensbach, Blaichach, Sonthofen, Lauben, Dietmannsried, Betzigau.

Back to the regional travel overview: Oberallgäu.