Around Oberstaufen
Active Relaxation in the Heart of the Allgäu Alps
Oberstaufen Surroundings
Oberstaufen Tourismus / Leo Schindzielorz
Lake Constance
Island Meinau
Lake Constance
Lake Constance – known as the Swabian Sea – with the enchanting flower island of Mainau, historic towns and a wealth of attractions.
Lake Constance, also known as the Swabian Sea, is Germany’s largest inland body of water and the third-largest lake in Central Europe. The Upper Lake and the Lower Lake together form Lake Constance and are connected by the River Rhine. The deepest point of the lake lies between Friedrichshafen and Romanshorn and reaches 254 metres. The lake covers a total area of 571.5 square kilometres and has a shoreline measuring 273 kilometres, around two thirds of which are in Germany.
Lake Constance is Europe’s largest drinking water reservoir. Around four million people are supplied with water from the lake. Its exceptionally mild climate, unique within Germany, also contributes to the distinctive landscape and vegetation around the lake. The many idyllic islands are particularly popular with visitors. The special weather conditions and the wide range of leisure activities they make possible, especially the many forms of water sports, are an important part of the lake’s appeal.
Many beautiful towns and attractive islands are located around Lake Constance. The largest and best-known towns include Constance, Friedrichshafen and Ravensburg, as well as Bregenz in Austria and St. Gallen in Switzerland. Charming smaller towns can be found throughout the region. Hagnau, Meersburg and Überlingen, for example, are all well worth a visit. The most popular islands are Mainau, Lindau and Reichenau. Each of these towns and islands has so much to offer that one could spend hours describing every one of these wonderful places.
Together, they offer a wide range of excursions and leisure activities, a varied culinary scene, numerous historic buildings and many other sights that are well worth discovering.
HOCHGRAT
THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN THE WESTERN ALLGÄU – naturally included free of charge with Oberstaufen PLUS
At 1,834 metres, the Hochgrat is the highest mountain in the western Allgäu and a rewarding destination for a wide range of interests and sporting activities. It lies in the heart of the Nagelfluhkette Nature Park, which extends across the border between Germany’s Allgäu region and Vorarlberg in Austria. The nature park is committed to preserving this distinctive natural and cultural landscape while promoting sustainable tourism.
The Hochgrat cable car carries nature lovers close to the summit every day, where they can enjoy magnificent views across the main Alpine ridge. The panorama stretches from Lake Constance to the mountains around Oberstdorf and the Kleinwalsertal, and as far as the Zugspitze. The upper station is located at an altitude of 1,708 metres, meaning the cable car climbs around 900 vertical metres in both summer and winter. The 15-minute ride and the impressive views alone make the journey a memorable experience.
In winter, the Hochgrat offers outstanding conditions for a variety of winter sports. Deep-snow skiers, freeriders, snowshoe hikers, tobogganers and beginners alike will find plenty of opportunities here. The mountain is also popular with speed flyers, thanks to the difference in altitude of almost 1,000 metres between the summit area and the valley. Skiers and snowboarders can choose from a range of pistes with descents measuring five to six kilometres. Ski tourers and snowshoe hikers appreciate the varied mountain terrain, with its climbs and more demanding descents.
Once the snow has melted and spring flowers cover the slopes, the Hochgrat becomes a popular excursion and hiking destination through to autumn. Routes range from easy walks to more challenging mountain tours. The premium Luftiger Grat trail, the Nagelfluh ridge hike, panoramic circular routes, valley and summit trails, and descents via Seelen Alpe and Brunnenau-Scharte all begin at the upper cable car station.
Dreamlike Allgäu Surroundings
Discover Oberstaufen – Nature, Mountains & Relaxation
Neuschwanstein Castle stands above Hohenschwangau near Füssen in the south-eastern Bavarian Allgäu. Construction began in 1869 for King Ludwig II of Bavaria, based on his idealised vision of a medieval knight’s castle. The king lived in the castle for only a few months and died before the complex was completed. Neuschwanstein was originally known as the New Hohenschwangau Castle and has borne its present name since 1886.
Today, Neuschwanstein is one of the most visited castles in Europe. It is the most famous of Ludwig II’s castles and one of Germany’s best-known landmarks. The “Castle of the Fairy-Tale King” welcomes around 1.5 million visitors every year.
The castle is open to visitors almost all year round. During the summer months, more than 6,000 people pass through its rooms on an average day, even though they were originally designed for a single resident.
Visit Neuschwanstein Castle, the world-famous romantic palace of the Fairy-Tale King, Ludwig II.
Neuschwanstein Castle
Corporate events, incentives, team-building activities and training sessions are the main focus of Aktivzentrum Koch in Oberstaufen. Alongside a wide range of exciting outdoor and indoor activities, the centre can plan and organise customised events throughout the year.
The summer programme includes:
-
Pub games
-
E-bike team tours through the Allgäu
-
Allgäu team challenge
-
Soapbox car event
-
Raft building
-
Geocaching event
-
Go-kart slalom course
-
Drum percussion
-
Adventure hiking
-
Rafting
-
Canyoning
-
Lumberjack barn festival
-
In winter, the following alternatives are available:
-
Winter team challenge
-
Team curling event
-
Snowshoe trekking
-
Tobogganing
-
Snow biking
-
Snow tubing
-
Traditional horn sledge rides
-
Barn evening and lumberjack fun
-
Drum percussion
-
Geocaching
-
The programme is aimed at companies, trainees, clubs and private groups planning a visit to Oberstaufen and, in particular, to the Hotel Interest of Bavaria, which has also offered conference facilities since 2020.
Allgäu Activity Centre
Experience nature up close in both summer and winter – the Activity Centre offers a wide range of exceptional events.
The Hündle Cable Car with Summer Toboggan Run
FAMILY-FRIENDLY FUN AT THE HÜNDLE – naturally included free of charge with Oberstaufen PLUS
Enjoy free return journeys on the Hündle cable car throughout the year, surrounded by the magnificent scenery of the Nagelfluhkette Nature Park.
The Hündle cable car is an ideal starting point for relaxed walks, as well as for more demanding day hikes. In both summer and winter, you can enjoy beautiful views stretching as far as Switzerland.
The Hündle is also a leisure paradise for the whole family. In winter, the family ski area and the children’s area at the upper station offer plenty of fun on the slopes. During the warmer months, the summer toboggan run is a favourite with visitors of all ages. Over a distance of 850 metres, the track winds through 16 bends and over two jumps on its way down to the valley station.
The Bregenz Festival is a cultural festival held every year in July and August in Bregenz, the capital of the Austrian state of Vorarlberg.
A major attraction for visitors is the “play on the lake” performed on the world’s largest floating stage. The festival is renowned for the beauty of its natural setting on Lake Constance, its oversized stage designs, impressive technical effects and unique acoustics, achieved through the Bregenz directional sound system.
At the first festival in 1946, Mozart’s “Bastien and Bastienne” and his “Eine kleine Nachtmusik”, choreographed as a ballet, were performed in the gondola harbour as the “play on the lake”. In 1950, the world’s largest floating stage opened with seating for 6,400 people. Renovations in 1979 initially reduced the capacity to 4,400, but later extensions increased it to almost 7,000 spectators.
Each year, a major music theatre production is staged as the “play on the lake”. In the early years, these were mainly operettas, singspiels and comic operas. Since the 1970s, the programme has increasingly featured operas from the international repertoire and musicals. Between 1960 and 1977, the floating stage was also regularly used for ballet performances. Since 1985, each lakeside production has usually remained in the programme for two consecutive years.
In spring 2008, the floating stage was used as a filming location for the James Bond movie “Quantum of Solace”. During the 2008 UEFA European Championship, German broadcaster ZDF also used the stage as its studio for daily tournament coverage.
Bregenz Festival
Spectacular productions on the legendary lakeside stage captivate countless visitors year after year.
The 1,325-metre Imberg is located near Steibis, between Oberstaufen and the western Nagelfluhkette. The Imberg cable car takes visitors to a point just below the summit. Set against an impressive natural backdrop, it is an ideal starting point for a wide range of mountain activities.
The Imberg cable car is located at the edge of the village and takes you directly into the Skiarena Steibis ski area in winter. In summer, it is the perfect starting point for scenic hikes, gentle walks, entertaining themed trails or more challenging day tours. The Alpine Adventure Trail, with its 47 interactive stations, is well worth exploring.
THE IMBERG CABLE CAR – naturally included free of charge with Oberstaufen PLUS
The Imberg Cable Car & Skiarena Steibis
The Aquaria leisure pool is one of the finest swimming facilities in southern Germany. Its wide range of attractions appeals both to active swimmers and to those looking to unwind. Aquaria offers ideal conditions for water lovers of all ages, not only during the colder months. Immerse yourself in its unique aquatic world.
Serious swimmers can complete their laps in the 25-metre sports pool. Children have their own dedicated areas both indoors and outdoors, while the most adventurous visitors can jump from the three- or five-metre diving platforms into the four-metre-deep circular pool.
A new monitor now allows guests to watch their jumps with a short time delay. The 100-metre water slide is a favourite with both younger and older visitors. From the wild-water whirlpool, guests can swim directly into the outdoor pool, while the outdoor saltwater pool offers magnificent views of the Allgäu mountains.
In summer, Aquaria is an ideal destination for sunseekers who enjoy relaxing on the loungers in the spacious garden and cooling off in the outdoor pool.
Aquaria Leisure Pool
A PARADISE FOR A RELAXING BREAK – naturally included free of charge with Oberstaufen PLUS
