Allgäu Alps

The territory east of Lake Constance crosses national borders - in addition to Tyrol and Vorarlberg, Bavaria also has its share of this mountain range.

More than 600 peaks rise into the sky here. Two of them stand out - the Großer Krottenkopf, at 2,656 meters the highest elevation, closely followed by the Hohen Licht (2,651 meters). The easiest way to climb the Großer Krottenkopf is to take the tried and tested normal route, which starts at the Kemptner Hütte. The house has a warm kitchen including a bakery and with 290 sleeping places, it is one of the largest huts in the Alps. However, the gates remain closed in winter. From here, it goes initially in a southerly direction, later eastwards, to the Mädelejoch, then further to the Krottenkopfscharte and finally over a scree path with easy climbing passages to the summit in about three hours.

For the second highest peak, the Hohen Licht, the normal route has also proven to be the easiest way. The starting point is at the Rappenseehütte, which with over 300 sleeping places is a little larger than its Kemptner neighbor. The ascent route continues over the Große Steinscharte along the west flank and leads you to the summit in about 1.5 hours.

If you take a look at the ranking of the highest elevations, it is quickly apparent that six of the ten highest peaks of the Allgäu Alps are located in Tyrol, and the other four are shared by the Austrian state with Germany.

The chain character of the mountain range offers the best conditions for a network of high-altitude paths. Multi-day hikes that lead from hut to hut are also popular here. The best time for such an undertaking is from early July to mid-September, during which you can discover the local flora, which is one of the most diverse in the Alps, in its rich splendor.

During a hike to the Kellenspitze (2,238 meters) in the Tannheimer Berge section, you can observe chamois with a little luck. In the Vilsalpseeberge, on the other hand, the Vilsalpsee awaits you as a special natural jewel, which is located in the middle of a nature reserve and can be circumnavigated on an easy hiking trail. Here you will discover the diversity of 700 plant species - including rare orchids. Even the grebes have chosen the area as a breeding ground for their offspring. To protect this paradise, car access is prohibited from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Alternatives include a regular bus, but also horse-drawn carriages (on request!) and a leisure train. Lake activities include boat trips and fishing for trout and char.

The Allgäu Alps are also crisscrossed by several international long-distance hiking trails, such as the European long-distance hiking trail E5 (Atlantic-Adriatic), the European long-distance hiking trail E4 (Pyrenees-Crete), and the Via Alpina (Trieste-Monaco).

Several cable cars help to make progress in the trail network. One of them is the Reuttener cable car, which takes you from Höfen in Tyrol to the Hahnenkamm - a popular mountain with a barefoot hiking trail in summer and transforms into a fantastic ski area in winter.