The Allgäu for beginners: which region suits your holiday?
Mountains or lakes, hiking or culture, a well-known resort or a quiet retreat? The Allgäu is more varied than it first appears. If you are visiting the Allgäu for the first time, you therefore face a fundamental decision: should your holiday be defined by high mountains and hiking, by lakes and sights, or by peace, good food and gentle landscapes?
A quick guide: for high mountains, hiking and wellness, the southern Oberallgäu is particularly suitable. For lakes, castles and culture, the Ostallgäu is a good choice. The Westallgäu suits a holiday of good food, cycling and gentler hikes. In the Unterallgäu, rural tranquillity, cycling and Kneipp take centre stage.
Where is the Allgäu?
The Allgäu lies in the south of Germany and stretches from the Alpine foothills to the Allgäu Alps. In the west, this cultural and landscape region reaches towards Lake Constance, and in the east to the area around Füssen and the Lech. Most of it belongs to Bavaria, while parts of the Westallgäu lie in Baden-Württemberg.
The Allgäu is not a single administrative unit and does not have clearly defined borders everywhere. For holiday planning, what matters most is the differing character of the landscape: the region ranges from broad meadows, moors and gentle hills to pronounced mountain valleys and the peaks of the Allgäu Alps.
Two places that both advertise “a holiday in the Allgäu” can therefore offer a completely different travel experience.
The Allgäu regions compared
| Region | Particularly suited to | Landscape |
Well-known places |
|||
| Oberallgäu | Hiking, mountain holidays, wellness and winter sports | Allgäu Alps, mountain valleys, Alpine foothills and lakes | Bad Hindelang, Oberstdorf, Oberstaufen | |||
| Ostallgäu | Castles, lakes, culture and family holidays | Alpine foothills, lakes and royal castles | Füssen, Schwangau, Pfronten, Nesselwang | |||
| Westallgäu | Good food, cycling and easy hikes | Green hills, forests, moors and close to Lake Constance | Isny, Wangen, Lindenberg | |||
| Unterallgäu | Kneipp, cycling holidays and rural relaxation | Broad expanses of meadow, forest and rolling hills | Bad Wörishofen, Ottobeuren, Memmingen |
Oberallgäu: high mountains, hiking and wellness
The Oberallgäu is the right region for anyone who thinks of mountains first when they hear the word Allgäu. In the south especially, striking peaks, mountain valleys, lakes and numerous hiking trails shape the landscape. Both gentle strolls and demanding mountain tours are possible here.
Oberstdorf offers extensive tourist infrastructure, several cable cars and many well-known hiking and winter sports destinations. Bad Hindelang is shaped more by nature, its healing climate and its distinctive districts. Around Immenstadt, mountains and lakes come together, while Oberstaufen is known for wellness, the Schroth cure and a somewhat gentler Alpine foothill landscape.
The Oberallgäu is especially suited to travellers who want to stay right in an Alpine landscape, go hiking, enjoy wellness with mountain views, or cross-country ski, go winter walking and ski in winter.
Which Allgäu region suits your type of holiday?
- For a hiking holiday with Alpine mountain tours: the southern Oberallgäu around Bad Hindelang or Oberstdorf- For wellness with mountain views: Oberallgäu, especially Bad Hindelang, Oberstdorf and Oberstaufen
- For castles, lakes and famous sights: Ostallgäu around Füssen and Schwangau
- For a family holiday with varied excursions: Ostallgäu or Oberallgäu
- For cycling and gentle hikes: Westallgäu or Unterallgäu
- For a peaceful holiday away from the main tourist attractions: smaller towns and districts in the Ober-, West- or Unterallgäu
- For the Allgäu and Lake Constance in one holiday: Westallgäu
Which Allgäu resort suits whom?
A small selection:
Oberstdorf: for plenty of choice and well-known mountain destinations
Oberstdorf suits travellers who appreciate extensive tourist infrastructure, cable cars and many well-known hiking and winter sports options. The town is a good base when a wide choice matters more than secluded peace and quiet.
Füssen and Schwangau: for castles, lakes and culture
If you are visiting the Allgäu for the first time and want to see Neuschwanstein Castle, you will find the ideal combination of sights, old town, lakes and mountain scenery around Füssen and Schwangau. For a purely restful or retreat-style holiday, other places are usually better suited. From Bad Hindelang, the royal castles are also just over an hour away.
Bad Hindelang: for nature, mountains and tranquillity
Bad Hindelang lies in the southern Oberallgäu and is particularly suited to a holiday in which nature and mountains take centre stage. The municipality consists of several districts, each with its own character: the main village offers short distances to shops and restaurants, Hinterstein lies far back in the Ostrach valley, Oberjoch is a high-altitude holiday and winter sports resort, and Bad Oberdorf combines historic spa tradition with direct access to the mountain landscape.
Many hikes and walking routes begin in or near the districts. This means the car can stay parked on several days of your holiday. Bad Hindelang is therefore a good choice for travellers who want to combine hiking, nature experiences and relaxation.
Oberstaufen: for wellness and gentler mountain scenery
Oberstaufen combines wellness and health offerings with a green, less high-Alpine landscape. The town suits travellers who want to combine treatments, good food, hiking and a livelier town centre.
Kempten: for a city break with Allgäu excursions
Kempten is centrally located and suits travellers who appreciate restaurants, shopping and culture in a town, and who want to take various day trips from there. If you would like to set off on a mountain tour straight from your accommodation in the morning, it is better to stay further south.
Peace and quiet does not depend on the chosen region alone. What matters is the exact location of the accommodation, its distance from through roads, cable cars and well-known sights, and the time of year you travel.
Travellers often find it particularly quiet when staying:
- in smaller districts,
- on the edge of a village or in a secluded setting,
- away from the large cable car valley stations,
- outside school holidays and busy travel periods,
- in accommodation with hiking trails reachable directly on foot.
If you are looking for peace and quiet, you should therefore look beyond the name of the place. A hotel outside a town can offer a completely different holiday experience from accommodation on a central through road.
The best time to travel depends on what you would like to do.
That said, the Allgäu is essentially a year-round destination.
Spring: blossom in the valley, snow on the mountains
In April and May the valleys turn green, while snow can still lie at higher altitudes. This is a good time for walks, cycle rides and first hikes at lower altitudes. Alpine paths may still be snowy or impassable.
Summer: hiking, mountain lakes and long days
From June to September, the choice of mountain tours is greatest. At higher altitudes, temperatures are often more pleasant than in towns and lower-lying regions. During the summer holidays, well-known destinations are busier. For longer hikes, an early start is advisable, not least because of possible heat and afternoon thunderstorms.
Autumn: clear views and quieter hiking
September and October often bring clear mountain views and pleasant hiking temperatures. The Oberallgäu is hardly known for fog. Many guests appreciate this season for its far-reaching views and autumn colours. As autumn goes on, alpine pastures, mountain huts and cable cars may reduce their opening hours.
Winter: snow, wellness and quiet trails
Depending on the altitude, the offering ranges from winter walking trails and cross-country ski runs to Alpine skiing. However, snow is not guaranteed anywhere in the Allgäu, nor for every travel period. Higher-lying resorts such as Oberjoch and Oberstdorf, as well as the Hörnerdörfer, usually offer better winter conditions than the northern Allgäu.
An Allgäu holiday is also possible without a car of your own, if your accommodation and resort are chosen well. Kempten, Füssen and Oberstdorf can be reached by train. Buses connect many other places and excursion destinations. The guest cards include most bus connections, such as the one between Sonthofen and Bad Hindelang; current conditions should be checked before you travel. In some places away from the railway line, hotels offer free pick-up services, including the Prinz-Luitpold-Bad in Hindelang (from 5 nights).
For a car-free holiday, a bus stop within walking distance, hiking trails straight from your accommodation and a place with restaurants and shops are especially helpful.
A car offers more flexibility for remote starting points and spontaneous excursions. But you don't need to spend every day of your holiday in it. In the southern Oberallgäu in particular, if you choose your base well, many hiking and relaxation days can be spent right on the spot.
In Bad Hindelang, the electric on-demand taxi “Emmi-Mobil” complements public transport. With the guest card, journeys within the municipality can be booked free of charge via the app.
There is no objectively most beautiful part of the Allgäu. For Alpine mountains and hiking, the southern Oberallgäu is often chosen. For castles and lakes, the Ostallgäu is especially attractive. If you are looking for rolling hills and proximity to Lake Constance, the Westallgäu is the place for you. For Kneipp, cycling and wide-open landscapes, the Unterallgäu is a good fit.
The better question is therefore: which landscape would you like to see in the morning – and what would you like to do straight from your accommodation?
Who Bad Hindelang is the right base for
Bad Hindelang is a good choice for travellers who want to combine mountains, nature and relaxation. Unlike a holiday with daily changing excursion destinations the immediate surroundings can take centre stage here: hiking trails, mountain tours and nature experiences are reachable directly in or near the various districts.
Get to know our hotel in Bad Hindelang
Discover hikes straight from the hotel
Spa area with infinity outdoor pool and mountain views
Who is the Prinz-Luitpold-Bad nature and wellness hotel right for?
For travellers who want to combine hiking, wellness and peace and quiet in one place, accommodation outside the town centre is especially appealing. Hotel Prinz-Luitpold-Bad lies above Bad Oberdorf in a peaceful, secluded setting. Hiking trails begin right at the hotel, and all rooms and suites have a balcony with mountain views.
The spa area includes an infinity outdoor pool heated all year round, a panoramic indoor pool with water from the hotel's own mineral spring, a whirlpool, five saunas and relaxation rooms with views of the Allgäu mountains.
This makes the hotel especially suited to guests who don't want to explore the Allgäu by car every day, but are looking for mountains, hiking, wellness and tranquillity right at their holiday destination.
Our hiking and excursion tips for the Allgäu
The focus is strongly on the Oberallgäu, but you will also find Lake Constance, the royal castles and tours in the neighbouring Tannheimer Tal here.
Our Allgäu tips
Frequently asked questions about a first holiday in the Allgäu
The best-known destinations include the Allgäu Alps, Neuschwanstein Castle, Füssen, Oberstdorf and the many lakes of the region. But for a successful holiday you don't have to combine all the sights. It is often more relaxing to choose one part of the region and experience it more intensively.
The southern Oberallgäu around Oberstdorf and Bad Hindelang is particularly well suited to alpine hikes and mountain tours. The Ostallgäu also offers mountain tours, but combines them more with lakes and sights. In the West and Unterallgäu, gentler paths through hills, meadows, forests and moorland predominate.
The Ostallgäu is particularly suitable for families who want lakes, castles and a variety of excursion destinations. The Oberallgäu is a better fit for families who want to focus on mountain railways, nature experiences and hiking. What matters most is the age of the children and the activities you have in mind.
The southern Oberallgäu is home to numerous wellness hotels close to hiking trails and mountain destinations. If you are looking for trails right from your accommodation, mountain views and a generous spa area, you should compare offers around Bad Hindelang, Oberstdorf and Oberstaufen in particular.
A particularly striking Alpine panorama can be found in the southern Oberallgäu around Bad Hindelang, Oberstdorf and Sonthofen, as well as in parts of the Ostallgäu. The actual view, however, depends more on the location of the accommodation than on the name of the town. Hillside, edge-of-village and secluded locations often offer the most open mountain views.
At Hotel Prinz-Luitpold-Bad, thanks to its secluded setting above Bad Oberdorf, guests enjoy unobstructed views of the Allgäu mountains from all rooms and many areas of the hotel.
Oberstdorf is usually the better choice for a holiday focused on mountains and hiking. Füssen is better if castles, lakes, the old town and a variety of excursions are the main attraction. Both places are well developed for tourism and can be reached by train.
Bad Hindelang can be reached by bus and offers hiking trails within and between its districts. How well a completely car-free holiday works depends on the location of your accommodation and the tours you plan. Accommodation with a bus stop or transfer option and walking trails right by the house is ideal. Handily, once you have arrived in the municipality, you can book pick-ups free of charge via an app with the free on-demand taxi "Emmi-Mobil".
It is usually quieter outside school holidays, public holidays and the busiest summer weeks. The location of your accommodation also matters: smaller districts, edge-of-village and secluded locations are often quieter than centres near well-known sights or mountain railways. Unsurprisingly, it is quieter during the week, as there are fewer day trippers and short-break visitors.
Yes, but of course it depends on where you live and how far you are willing to drive. For a short break of three to four nights, you should choose one region and combine hiking, wellness or sightseeing there. For a more comprehensive impression of the different Allgäu regions, five to seven nights make more sense.
We hope this overview helps you find the Allgäu region that suits your holiday wishes. You will find more personal recommendations for hikes, excursions and special places under “Our Allgäu”.
Note from the author:
Sabine Gross is the host at Hotel Prinz-Luitpold-Bad in Bad Hindelang. Her family has run the hotel since 1923. The recommendations are based on many years of experience of holidays, hiking and tourism in the Allgäu
Last checked: September 2026