Zirmgrat round

The family-friendly 12,8 Kilometer-long Zirmgrat round leads from the picturesque Weißensee to Germany’s highest castle ruin on the Falkenstein and the legendary Alatsee. Along the way, the hikers are waiting for magnificent landscape impressions and unforgettable views of the Allgäu mountains. In between, you can try delicious Allgäuer delicacies in a rustic mountain hut.

The highlight of this delightful hiking tour is the visit of Falkenstein Castle, which the Bavarian fairy tale king Ludwig II. once acquired to convert it into a kind of second castle Neuschwanstein. The plans for this were already well advanced, but after the monarch 1886 died under mysterious circumstances, they were finally never realized. Start and finish point of the hike is the outdoor pool on Weißensee in the rural Füssen district of the same name. To get there, take from the A7 Come the exit foot and follow the B310 to Weißensee. The Federal Roads B16 and B17 Bring them to their feet and to the B310. Who arrives by train, arrives from the station in Füssen with the bus line 71 to Weißensee/See stop. The Zirmgrat round is suitable for everyone with enough condition. You need for them ankle-enclosed hiking shoes with a good profile sole. Walking sticks are also recommended. Since the Zirmgrat offers many shady path sections, the hike is also suitable for warm summer days. After it has rained, however, the route is not recommended, since the root paths and paths are then very slippery.

From the outdoor pool on the Weißensee, which has a beautiful turquoise water color and owes its shape to the Lech Glacier and the ice ages, one first walks counterclockwise on the Weißensee circular path to the branch, which leads to Pfronten. With a view of picturesque meadows and the magnificent Allgäuer mountains you can walk on a footpath along the B310 to Rossmoos. Here, on the southwestern edge of the village, there is a meadow path that branches off to the left to Falkenstein. Across the road it goes to the 1280 This is the result of a high medieval castle ruin, which has a high importance in castle history due to its exceptional and exposed location and is an attractive attraction. The castle served until 1582 As the seat of the Augsburger Vögte and Pfleger, afterwards it stood empty and during the Thirty Years’ War it was set on fire by the state government in Tyrol to avoid falling into the hands of the advancing Swedish Protestant army intact. However, the destruction turned out to be pointless, as the Swedes changed their march route and did not penetrate the region at all. In year 1803 The castle ruins came into the possession of the Kingdom of Bavaria and 1883 It was finally, as mentioned, acquired by King Ludwig. Inside the castle there is a wooden viewing platform from which you have a dream view over the Tyrolean Vilstal and the vast Alpine foreland.

About 50 Meters below Falkenstein Castle is a castle hotel from which you can reach Mariengrotte. From here you hike back to the road and to the Zirmgrat / Saloberalm branch. From Zirmgratweg, unforgettable views over the pre-Alpine country and countless mountain peaks are offered again. Passing, in spring colorfully flowering mountain meadows you reach a fork, from which it goes to the right to the Salober Alm. However, it is advisable to walk easily to the left of the fence into a piece of forest. After about 10 Minutes you come to a magnificent viewpoint, from which a magnificent panoramic view over the Weißensee offers. The further path leads back to the hiking trail, on which you reach the hosted Salober Alm. Here you can get comfortable on a cozy sun terrace and fortify yourself with a delicious Bavarian bread time or warm cottage dishes, while enjoying the magnificent view over the Allgäu. Freshly strengthened and rested, it is then on a well-developed path approximately 40 Minutes down to the legendary Alatsee. This beautiful mountain lake is known by Allgäu Krimis with the edgy commissioner Bruchinger nationally. It is also known as the “bleeding lake” because its water shimmers a little reddish in special lighting conditions, which is characterized by a rare layer of purple sulfur bacteria in 15 meters of depth. At the Alatsee car park, turn left and walk along the driveway until the turn off to Weißensee. After about 50 meters branches off on the right a shady forest path that brings you back to Weißensee to the outdoor pool.

The Zirmgrat round offers many unforgettable impressions for hiking friends. It is especially nice to hike them in spring or summer, as the surrounding mountain meadows then turn into flowering seas of color. In addition to magnificent views of the Allgäu peaks and the picturesque lakes here in the area, especially the visit to the castle ruin Falkenstein makes this hiking tour something special. The Zirmgrat round can only be warmly recommended to all hiking friends.