Summer holiday in the Allgäu – refreshing & reviving

With a well-filled rucksack, a bit of time and a good level of fitness, walking through the picturesque countryside in the Allgäu is a guaranteed pleasure. You can expect well-maintained paths in wonderful locations for leisurely walkers and experienced hikers. The mountain railways take you up into nature in next to no time, so there’s nothing stopping you from enjoying a day out walking in the mountains.

Our walking tours for your holiday in the Allgäu:

• Tour 1: Three castles route
• Tour 2: Schwangau circular trail
• Tour 3: Schwansee tour and the Alpenrosenweg
• Tour 4: Alpsee circular trail
• Tour 5: Spa park
• Tour 6: Upper Winterzugweg
• Tour 7: Culture path Schutzengelweg
• Tour 8: Ahornreitweg nature path
• Tour 9: Drehhütte
• Tour 10: Säuling
• Tour 11: Kenzenhütte
• Tour 12: Tegelberg, Jägerhütte, Bleckenau
• Tour 13: Tegelberg zur Buchenbergbahn
• Tour 14: Tegelberg, Pöllatschlucht, Gipsmühle

The various railways are the gateway to Bavaria’s biggest conservation area, the "Ammergebirge", and provide you with a number of different options. Enjoy – exactly as you like – cultural highlights, natural beauties and sporting leisure activities such as hang-gliding and paragliding around the Tegelberg, Breitenberg & Buchenberg mountains.

As soon as you stay with us in Maximilian, you can enjoy views of the Tegelberg for less, since we can provide you with reduced-price tickets for the Tegelberg railway at reception.

Our lakes in a beautiful location give you the option of various activities in and on the water!  If a walk or hike is too boring for you, there are plenty of other things to do. Whether you prefer sailing or surfing, swimming or rowing, fishing or canoeing, everything is on offer!

Forggensee – close to the hotel
The Forggensee lake, measuring 12 kilometres long and 3 kilometres wide, is larger than any of the other lakes in the Allgäu. It is the fourth-largest lake in Bavaria and covers an area of 16 km². It was created in the 1950s as the Lechstausee, serves as a reservoir for the upstream hydropower plants and is important for flood control especially in spring when the snow starts to melt. The special thing about the Forggensee is that its water level is full only in summer between 1st June and mid-October. During this time, it blends in so perfectly with the landscape, you can’t tell it’s a man-made lake.

The Alpsee
Situated below Hohenschwangau Castle, with a perimeter of approximately 4.5 km, not only is it perfect for walking around, it was also King Ludwig’s favourite bathing lake and its romanticism still attracts people today.  If you like, you can hire a pedalo or rowing boat in the summer and enjoy the wonderful views from the water. There’s also a bathing area  where you can dive in.

Schwansee
If you follow the paths around the lake through the former park, you are following historic tracks that were planted and created almost 160 years ago. At the time it was designed for the courtyard society who walked along these paths; it’s hard to imagine how the elegant ladies and gentlemen strolled through the park. Today, the unbelievable charm of nature and biodiversity are magical. In summer, the Schwansee is an ideal bathing lake set apart from the streets and traffic. The lake isn’t very deep and is known for warming up quickly.  You can walk or cycle around the 3 km of the lake but it’s also a good place for a relaxing picnic.

The Bannwaldsee
The still waters are almost completely surrounded by marshlands and reed belts in a 560 ha national park. The marshland area provides nesting areas for many different types of birds and this emphasises the area’s ecological value. The national park means that you can navigate the lake in a large arc.  In summer it’s good for bathing or fishing.

Hopfensee
This lake, which is around 10 kilometres away, is one of the warmest alpine lakes. With a perimeter of 6.8 kilometres, it is ideal for a 2-hour walk around its banks. Its still waters and shallow shore make it perfect for families. Watersports enthusiasts and active lake lovers can also hire a rowing boat or pedalo on the lake for a lovely trip on the water and watch ambitious surfers as they windsurf, kite surf or sail. On the waterside promenade there are numerous restaurants and cafés offering a cup of coffee or a cool beer.

Boat trips are popular in Bavaria. The annual season for boat trips around the Forggensee usually runs between 1st June and 15th October. The MS “Allgäu” and MS “Füssen” passenger ships start from Füssen harbour several times a day for a long or short boat trip. An exclusive and unique view of Neuschwanstein Castle, the Ammergau Alps, the Lechtal and Tannheim Alps and the Füssen city skyline is included. On board there are plenty of snack bars offering ice cream, drinks, coffee and cakes. You can also enjoy warm meals and light snacks on a longer trip.

A well-developed route network in and around Schwangau offers many wonderful destinations for cyclists.  The route around Forggensee (32 km) or the world heritage site at Wieskirche (25 km) are extremely popular. Mountain bikers can pedal over the "Hochalp-Forstweg" and the "Ostler-Forstweg", the large Breitenberg circular trail – or travel up with your bike on the railway and "simply" cycle back down.

Our hotel is the optimal starting point for going on an adventure with a mountain bike. The Allgäu has plenty of wonderful cycling paths for beginners and experienced riders. Discover the wonderful nature of the Allgäu on a mountain bike tour lasting one or several days.

You can conveniently leave your bike at home and use one of our hire bikes. We can offer you the following bicycles for your unlimited cycling enjoyment: Trekking bikes, e-bikes, mountain bikes on request.

Forggensee circular path – can be extended along the Bannwaldsee

Info: Approximately 31 km long, fully tarmacked, approximately 250 hm

Route:
Schwangau – Füssen – Osterreinen – Dietringen – Roßhaupten – Illasbergsee – Kniebis – Hergatsrieder See – Schwangau
Extended alternative route from Kniebis: Berghof – Bayerniederhofen – Bannwaldsee – Schwangau

Level: Very easy

Easy cycling tour with a longer ascent and few upswings on cycling and agricultural paths and little-used relief roads. In the summer season, from 1st June until about the beginning of October, the cycle tour can be combined with a boat trip on the Städtische Forggenseeschifffahrt. Around the lake are eight stops where you can get off the boat with your bike. Timetables are available from the tourist information office.

Around the border triangle – can be expanded via Kniepass

Info: Approximately 25 km long, mainly tarmacked, between the border with Austria and Schluxen as well as Ulrichsbrücke and Ziegelwies Sand/Kies, approximately 270 hm

Route: Schwangau – Hohenschwangau – Alpsee – Fürstenstraße – Grenze – Schluxen – Pinswang – Weißhaus – Ziegelwies – Schwangau

Level: Very easy/can be extended around Kniepass: Easy

Travel along the Alpsee until you reach Schluxen in Tyrol. On the shady Fürstenstraße you will discover a few inclines, the descent to Austria is unpaved and is relatively steep. From Schluxen, the tour can be extended by approximately 15 km (60 hm) with a journey over the Kniepass to Reutte, returning via Musau.

Day trip to Wieskirche

Info: Approximately 55 km long, mainly tarmacked, 500 m between Resle and Wieskirche hard surface, approximately 250 hm

Route: Schwangau – Brunnen – Bannwaldsee – Buching – Halblech – Trauchgau – Oberreithen – Schober – Resle – Wieskirche

Level: Easy

Along the Romantic Road until you reach the UNESCO world heritage site,  the rococo jewel of Wieskirche. You will ride most of the route (approximately 20 km) on quiet, even paths, there are inclines only along the last section of the route (approximately 9 km) from the Trauchgauer Almstube. Scheduling in some time to look at the church is a must. You retrace your steps on the return journey.

Around Hopfensee

Info: Approximately 23 km, mainly tarmacked, approximately 40 hm

Route:
Schwangau - Horn - Füssen Bootshafen - Hopfen am See - Füssen - Schwangau

Level: Easy

In Schwangau via Horn and Allgäuer Überlandwerk to the Füssen port. Cross the B16, on the cycle path to Hopfen am See, 300 m after the city limits of Hopfen turn left and go to Reinertshof. On the OAL 2, cycle approximately 400 m after Süden, then continue on the left track to Gaststätte Wiesbauer, briefly on the Hopfenseeuferweg, then turn right towards Füssener Ach, turn left on the cycle path to Hopfen/Füssen and return to Schwangau.

Bleckenau and Jägerhütte mountain bike tour

Info: Approx. 25 km long, 50% of the route is not tarmacked, approximately 620 hm

Route:
Schwangau – Hohenschwangau – Jugendsattel – Bleckenau – Jägerhütte

Level: Difficult

After leaving Hohenschwangau, after 200 m, take the right-hand dirt track to Jugendsattel. Cross this and follow the Wasserleitungsweg signposted towards Säuling until you reach the mountain restaurant Berggaststätte Bleckenau. Continue following the signs until Jägerhütte. The ground is largely unsurfaced, on the 10 km or so to Bleckenau you cover around 390 hm and approximately another 200 hm on the remaining route (approximately 3 km) until Jägerhütte.

Mountain bike tour Kenzenhütte via the Wankerfleck

Info: Approximately 55 km, around 20 km untarmacked paths, approximately 1,000 hm

Route:
Schwangau – Hegratsriedder See – Halblech – Lobental – Lettenfelck – Leiterau – Kenzenhütte (1,285 m)

Level: Requires a very high level of fitness and ability. In Schwangau go via Brunnen towards Hegratsrieder See. After Greith, turn right (don’t take the Forggensee cycle path!) towards Pfefferbichel and Buching. After Berghof, cross the OAL 1, turn left and cycle towards Halblech parallel with the B17. In Halblech, from the Kenzen car park near the sawmill, turn right into Halblechtal. Continue towards Kenzenhütte. Approximately 4 km after the sawmill, before the Reiselsbergerbrücke, turn right onto the "Lobental" forest track (footpath to Kenzenhütte). Go straight on at the next crossing towards Lettenfleck, Kenzenhütte, Tegelberg.

At the three-way junction, go over the bridge towards Leiterau (not towards Kenzenhütte!) and continue straight on towards Brandnerfleck, Tegelberg. After approximately 3 km, turn left towards Bockstallsee, Wankerfleck, Kenzenhütte. After Bockstallsee, turn left over the bridge towards Kenzenhütte. You can return via Teerstraße after Halblech. Caution: A shuttle bus runs on the pedestrianised street!

Info: Approximately 100 km, approximately 88 hm

Route:
Schwangau - Füssen - Ziegelwies - Pinswang - Reutte - Plansee - Ammersattel - Schloss Linderhof - Oberammergau - Unterammergau - Unternogg - Hausen - Schildschwaig - Schwarzenbach - Wieskirche - Resle - Schober - Unter- / Oberreithen - Trauchgau - Halblech - Buching - Bannwaldsee - Schwangau

Info: Approximately 70 km, approximately 480 hm

Route:
Schwangau - Ziegelwies - Pinswang - Reutte - Weißenbach - Gaichtpass - Grän - Pfronten - Vils - Ziegelwies - Füssen - Schwangau

Discover the ideal whole body training and work on your stamina, power, flexibility and coordination. Schwangau has a few well-signposted Nordic walking routes offering levels ranging from easy to medium to difficult. The routes start either at the tourist information office in Schwangau or at the Schwansee car park in Alterschrofen.

The 18-hole golf course "Auf der Gsteig" nestles wonderfully in the Allgäu mountain and lake landscape. It’s a must for any golfer! Please note that you need to book a tee-off time during the week and especially on weekends.

Golfanlage Auf der Gsteig GmbH
Gsteig 1, D-86983, Lechbruck am See
Tel.: +49 (8862) 98 77 50
golf@aufdergsteig.de, www.aufdergsteig.de

Other golf courses nearby:

• Golfplatz Oberallgäu – 18 holes
• Golfplatz Sonnenalp – 18 holes
• Golfplatz Wiggensbach – 27 holes
• Golfplatz Hellengerst – 18 holes
• Golfplatz Lenzfried – 9 holes
• Golfplatz Ottobeuren – 18 holes

Mountains are our geological heritage. The geological trail is an extended full-day trip. It can also be divided into three half-day stages. The geological trail doesn’t aim to instruct but to inform. It gives you an impression of the uniqueness and beauty of this landscape. Nature can be fascinating and background knowledge helps us to see our environment from a new perspective.