Mountains, rolling hills and tranquil lakes define the Allgäu. Waterfalls and gorges add to the landscape: the Geopark Allgäu presents them alongside lakes as selected natural highlights. Exploring the region lets you put nature, outdoor activities and culture at the heart of your trip—and discover the many different sides of the Allgäu.
Hiking through three landscape elevations
The Allgäu Hiking Trilogy brings the region’s diverse landscapes to life across three elevations. Its three routes are called Wiesengänger, Wasserläufer and Himmelsstürmer. Their names distinguish the different trails within the trilogy; together, they offer a guide for anyone wishing to discover the Allgäu on foot. The routes also pass through towns and cities in the Allgäu and their sights, linking the landscape with townscapes.
One particularly distinctive scenic route is the Himmelsstürmer, which leads through the Allgäu High Alps and the Nagelfluhkette Nature Park. Rare plant and animal species live there. Both the named natural areas and their flora and fauna are therefore part of the Allgäu experience along this route. Hiking is also one of the outdoor activities available in the Allgäu, alongside winter sports, cycling and golf.
Cycling through the Allgäu
The Allgäu Cycling Loop offers a different perspective. This 475-kilometre route through the Allgäu has been awarded the ADFC’s 4-star quality certification. Thanks to its connecting routes and numerous rail links, you can ride it in a way that suits you. If you’re planning your own trip, you can make use of these options; please check current train connections before setting off.
The Hiking Trilogy and the Cycling Loop have different focuses: the hiking trails divide the landscape into three elevations, while the Cycling Loop is a long route through the Allgäu. Together with the region’s other outdoor activities, they show how many ways there are to explore the area—on foot, by bike or through another sporting interest.
Cheese culture to observe and experience firsthand
In the Allgäu, you can discover cheese as more than just a regional speciality. Show dairies let you watch cheese being made live through a glass window or take part in guided tours of the facilities. At cheese-making schools, visitors can lend a hand and make their own cheese. These offer two different ways to experience cheese culture: observe the production process in one place, or get involved yourself in another.
Viehscheid, castles and traditions
Traditions and cultural heritage also shape the region. In the Allgäu, the traditional cattle drive down from the alpine pastures is called “Viehscheid” and is celebrated with farmers and visitors as a large folk festival. In the Allgäu-Außerfern castle region, 26 municipalities are home to more than 43 castles, ruins, palaces and town fortifications. The variety of buildings offers a distinctive way to explore the region’s history.
The Allgäu’s UNESCO cultural heritage includes Neuschwanstein Castle as well as several forms of intangible culture related to crafts, cuisine, traditional festivals and customs. Open-air museums also invite visitors to stroll through expansive historic landscapes. This brings together different ways of discovering the region: buildings and inherited culture on the one hand, and historic landscapes outdoors on the other.
Nagelfluhkette Nature Park in the wider region
The Nagelfluhkette Nature Park lies in the wider region between the Allgäu and the Bregenzerwald. Its landscape includes rivers and streams, gorges, forests, moors and wet meadows, as well as a diverse range of animal and plant life. A free-to-enter interactive exhibition in the nature park focuses on animals, plants, their habitats and the protected area’s special features, including its distinctive rock formations.
Another attraction there is the water exhibition. It playfully explains how groundwater and drinking water form and how they are protected, and is suitable for children aged eight and up. So, alongside the landscape, the wider Allgäu region offers two different exhibition topics: the protected area’s habitats and the importance of water.
Discover more destinations: Berchtesgadener Land, Passau, Wendelstein, Hof, Erlangen-Höchstadt, Pfaffenwinkel, Weilheim-Schongau, Franconian Jura.
Back to the overview of destinations: Bavaria.
