style="font-size:15px;"> The route maps are only intended to serve as an initial means of orientation. They should not be used in place of a proper walking map.
Beautiful baroque churches are a typical feature of the landscape
The relevant maps are listed at the start of each route description to enable walkers to quickly locate the map they need. The maps listed are all to the scale 1:50,000. In researching this guidebook the Kompass maps were used as a basis for describing routes, although it should be possible to follow them using maps from other publishers. All the maps mentioned are readily available at bookshops in Germany or from:
Edward Stanford Ltd 12–14 Long Acre, London WC2E 9LP www.stanfords.co.uk
The Map Shop 15 High Street, Upton-upon-Severn, Worcs WR8 OHJ www.themapshop.co.uk
Mapsworldwide (UK online map shop) www.mapsworldwide.com
Omni Resources 1004 South Mebane Street, PO Box 2096, Burlington, NC 27216–2096, USA; [email protected], www.omnimap.com
Apart from the two main series listed below there are also maps produced by smaller, locally based publishers, often in conjunction with local tourist offices. These maps are usually of a high standard and are often available at a scale of 1:25,000.
Kompass-Wanderkarten 1:50,000 (for certain areas also 1:30,000 or 1:25,000). A useful feature of the Kompass series is the fact that the map legend is in both German and English. All the trails are very clearly marked, and the maps frequently updated.
Kompass has also brought out some digital maps that are relevant to the area covered. Particularly useful is Über die Alpen, which covers the entire region described in this guide. The digital maps can be used in conjunction with a GPS device, and with suitable software the maps can be transferred to a smartphone (Android/iOS) or tablet.
Umgebungskarten (UK) Bayern (Area Maps Bavaria) 1:50,000. The Bavarian State Survey Office (Landesamt für Vermessung) puts out excellent maps. The topographical detail exceeds that of the Kompass maps, but there are not as many tracks shown with numbering. Maps published together with the German Alpine Club (Alpenvereinskarte Bayerische Alpen) are available at 1:25,000. For an overview of the areas covered, visit www.ldbv.bayern.de.
In the Hölltobel (Walk 7)
FAST FACTS
Currency Germany belongs to the Euro (€) zone, as does most of Central Europe including Austria. €1 = 100 cents.
Formalities Members of EU countries with either a valid passport or national identity card do not require a visa to enter Germany. Citizens of the USA, Canada, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand and Australia do not require a visa for stays of up to three months. South African nationals do require a visa.
Language German or dialects of German are spoken in Bavaria and Austria. English is widely spoken.
Health No special health precautions are necessary for travel in Germany. UK residents are covered by reciprocal health schemes while in the country – although Brexit might cause changes. In order to receive coverage a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is required, available via your local post office. For more information visit www.nhs.uk. Not all expenses are covered by these schemes and so it is wise to take out extra insurance in case of accidents.
International dialling code The international dialling code for calls to Germany from abroad is 0049 and to Austria 0043. When dialling the UK from Germany the code is 0044, then drop the first zero of the following area code. Most public phones in Germany are card-operated. Telephone cards (Telefonkarten) can be bought at post offices, newspaper kiosks and some bookshops.
Location The Bavarian Alps are located in Germany along the border with Austria. More specifically they are situated in Oberbayern (Upper Bavaria), the southernmost region of the state of Bavaria. The Allgäu, at the western extreme of the region, is treated as a separate entity. From the Bavarian capital, Munich, all destinations are quickly reached.
PART I: THE ALLGÄU ALPS
The ridge trail between Sonnenkopf and Falken Alpe (Walk 3)
The region is almost as well known for its cows as for its mountains (Walk 6)
The main chain of the Allgäu Alps forms the German–Austrian border between the rivers Iller and Lech and is located within the Allgäu, a popular tourist region encompassing that part of the northern Limestone Alps and the alpine foothills between Lake Constance (Bodensee) and the River Lech. Included within the Alpine Club’s definition of the group is the area known as the Allgäuer Voralpen to which such peaks as the Fellhorn (2037m) and Hoher Ifen (2230m) as well as the Gottesacker Plateau (2017m) belong. Among the highest peaks in the Allgäu Alps in German territory are the Mädelegabel (2645m), Hochvogel (2593m) and Nebelhorn (2224m). The highest peak is Großer Krottenkopf (2657m) on the Austrian side of the border. Also covered here is the Kleinwalsertal, which lies in Austria but is only accessible by road from the German state of Bavaria.
Although it is not the driest region in the Alps (precipitation averages between 1000mm per year in the valleys, and 2000mm per year in the alpine regions), the Allgäu is blessed with a relatively mild climate which, combined with its great diversity of soil types, has contributed to a richly varied flora. There is no other region in the Alps where so many different species of wildflower grow so close together. In spring soldanellas and crocus push their way up through the retreating snow, while dark blue gentians dot the drier slopes. Early summer is the time for red alpenrose, yellow gentian, monk’s hood and alpine aquilegia to decorate the mountainsides. Those who are lucky might even find the rare lady’s slipper orchid or the famed edelweiss. In autumn carline thistles and purple autumn crocus (meadow saffron) offer some compensation for the shorter days and cooler temperatures.
The Kleinwalsertal
This valley was settled by farmers from the Valais, a canton in Switzerland, in the 13th century. Although it has belonged to Austria since 1453 it is only easily accessible from Germany. This caused problems for farmers when it came to selling their produce within Austria as they had to cross high alpine passes to get to markets in the south. In winter they were completely isolated from the motherland. This difficult and economically disastrous state of affairs came to an end in 1891 when Austria and Germany signed a treaty which exempted the ‘Walser’ from the need to pay duty on goods brought to and from Germany.
The valley is entered at Walserschanz (no customs post), only a few kilometres southwest of Oberstdorf. For mountain walkers the Kleinwalsertal provides plenty of carefully waymarked trails and magnificent scenery. A bus (Walserbus) runs daily
