Three mountain lifts in Oberstaufen take you up into the mountains or make the descent back to the valley easier. The Hochgrat and the Nagelfluhkette mountain range rise above the town. If you want to make mountain lifts and hiking trails the focus of your trip, you’ll find several options here to help plan it: a ride to alpine heights, award-winning trails and themed paths.
Mountain lifts and hiking trails in Oberstaufen
The Hochgratbahn takes you to alpine heights on Oberstaufen’s local mountain. It operates seasonally; check the latest operating information before adding a ride to your day’s itinerary.
Four hiking trails in Oberstaufen have been awarded premium status by the German Hiking Institute. The tour finder also offers a selection of more than 200 routes; this number may change. The information helps at different stages of planning: the award provides a special selection criterion, while the tour finder lists more options to choose from in advance. Check the current selection as you firm up your plans.
Themed trails at HĂĽndle and Imberg
The Hündle hiking area is close to Oberstaufen. Germany’s first MounTeens detective trail leads through this area, with stops for solving puzzles and getting active. This themed trail adds activities that combine exercise and puzzles along the way to the general hiking options. Crocuses bloom in spring in the mountain area at Hündle. The timing varies, so the bloom cannot be tied to a fixed date.
At Imberg, the Alpine Experience Trail combines exercise with fascinating information about the local flora and fauna and work on the alpine pastures. It has 47 stations. The trail was updated for the 2026 summer season. The stations give the route a thematic focus, while the mountain lifts and award-winning hiking trails offer other options for planning your time around Oberstaufen.
More places to explore in the Oberallgäu
Looking beyond Oberstaufen, you’ll find more destinations in the wider Oberallgäu travel region, each located in its own area. Oberstdorf has 200 kilometers of hiking trails and nature trails. You can also visit the Heini-Klopfer ski flying hill there; visitors can take the tower elevator to the observation platform on the jump tower. Hiking and visiting the ski flying hill are therefore two different regional interests to choose from.
The Nagelfluhkette Nature Park Center is located in Immenstadt-Bühl, right by Lake Alpsee. Its free-to-access interactive exhibition covers animals, plants, their habitats and the special features of the protected area. The center is a 30-minute walk from Immenstadt station via the “Achis Wasserweg” themed trail. In bad weather, bus routes 39, 11 and 81 go there. Before your visit, check the latest timetables and travel times, as well as the center’s opening arrangements.
Culture can also be planned as a focus in its own right in the Oberallgäu: the Allgäu Mountain Farmers Museum in Immenstadt-Diepolz is an interactive open-air museum. Its historic buildings document the lives of Allgäu mountain farmers; it is open seasonally.
Discover more destinations: Steibis, Oy-Mittelberg, Fischen Im Allgäu, Dietmannsried, Bad Hindelang, Sulzberg, Wiggensbach, Waltenhofen.
Back to the regional travel overview: Oberallgäu.
