Walking and cycling on the water

In and around Füssen in the Allgäu there are numerous beautiful lakes, with crystal clear clean water, which invite you to swim and whose paths along the shore are ideal for hiking and cycling. Hiking and cycling on the water, combined with wonderful bathing fun or picnics in the countryside – around Füssen you can enjoy the dreamlike landscape of the Allgäu with all your senses.

Hiking and cycling at Forggensee

The Forggensee, a reservoir flowed through by Lech, is with its area of approx. 15 Square kilometers the fifth largest lake in Bavaria and the largest reservoir in Germany. From spring to October, the Forggensee is fully dammed, and then it blends perfectly into the surrounding dream landscape, so you do not notice that it is not a natural water body. Lake Forggensee is a popular excursion destination for both locals and tourists, allowing for a variety of sports and leisure activities. On the lake you can practice various water sports such as sailing, rowing, surfing or water skiing. The paths that lead around the lake provide walkers and cyclists with beautiful nature impressions and views. The Circular path around the Forggensee has a length of 32 Kilometers and lets you discover one of the most magnificent landscapes in Bavaria. In front of the impressive panorama of the Allgäu Alps you can pass along the Forggensee numerous idyllic lying meadows, which invite you to take a break and let the soul relax. Of course, you can also swim in the Forggensee, so you can combine a hike or bike ride here very well with bathing fun. Or you just have a cozy picnic and enjoy the soothing air, the magnificent view and the beautiful landscape.

In the south of the lake you are in the immediate vicinity of the world-famous Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles. Especially this, on behalf of the Bavarian fairy tale king Ludwig II. Neuschwanstein Castle is a building of incomparable beauty that must be seen. From the outside, it reminds of an imposing castle from the Middle Ages and the magnificent halls of the building are opulently furnished with a lot of gold and art treasures. The castle is one of the most famous sights in Germany and arrived 2007 even in the final round in the election to the new seven wonders of the world. Hohenschwangau Palace, a romantic residential palace in the style of the neo-Gothic, is no less worth seeing. A hike or bike ride around the Forggensee can therefore also be combined very well with the visit of these two sights. If you feel like swimming, but the water of the Forggensee is still too cold or the weather is too bad, you will get your money's worth in the Royal Crystal Therme in Schwangau. This wellness and bathing temple of the superlatives is reminiscent of Neuschwanstein's premises from the interior and offers a huge spa and sauna landscape that leaves nothing to be desired. In a large wellness area you can also be pampered from head to toe.

Hiking and cycling on the Forggensee can also be perfectly combined with a cruise on the water. Such a navigation on the Forggensee is very popular and offers unique views of the mountains, the city of Füssen and the royal castles. From June to October, two passenger ships operate several times a day on the Forggensee, which offer small and large round trips. In between, they travel eight stops on the shore, so that you can board or disembark at any time. Bicycles are of course transported. The physical well-being on board is very well taken care of; on the small tours are drinks, snacks as well as coffee and cake available, and on large tours, breadtimes and warm dishes are also offered. Great experiences also promise the regularly offered special trips, such as romantic evening trips, cruises with live music or King Ludwig tours, where a travel guide tells passengers all kinds of interesting things about King Ludwig.

Hiking and bathing around Füssen

In addition to the Forggensee, there are many other waters around Füssen that allow hiking and swimming on just one excursion, for example the beautiful hop lake. The waterfront promenade in the Kneipp and Luftkurort Hopfen am See – which is also called Riviera des Allgäus – offers fantastic panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and the royal castles. The Hopfensee is one of the warmest pre-Alpine lakes and an extremely popular leisure destination. On the Hopfensee you will find a beach bath, which has a beautiful lawn with shade-giving trees and leaves nothing to be desired by bathing friends. The hops lake has a circumference of 6,8 Kilometers and can be circled on a leisurely hike in about one and a half hours. A beautiful nature impressions and dreamlike views await. You walk through idyllic forests and past flowering meadows, while in the reeds in the lake area you can observe rare water birds, such as hooded divers or chickens. Those who wish can combine a hike around the hop lake with a trip to Burg Hopfen. This stands high above the village of the same name and is the oldest stone castle of the Allgäu. Although today only the remains of the castle's walls are preserved, a trip is worthwhile just because of the unforgettable view of the Tannheim Mountains and the Ammergau Alps.

Very suitable for the combination of hiking and swimming is also the Weißensee. This can be circled in about two hours, offers beautiful nature along its shores and has a beach bath with sunbeds, a kiosk and a playground. The idyllic Faulenbacher valley is also always worth a trip. In this largely car-free valley, nature is in the foreground. The natural baths on the Mitter and Obersee guarantee the best bathing fun and at the end of the valley is the mysterious and beautiful Alatsee. The Schwan and Alpsee in Schwangau are other beautiful excursion destinations that guarantee both hiking and swimming fun. Swimming in them King Ludwig II once liked. You can hike along a river at Lech; best on the newly created unique long-distance hiking trail "Lechweg", which leads from the source of the river in Austria to the Lechfall in Füssen.

Cycling on the water

A popular bike ride along the water is the Südliche Hopfenwaldrunde, which leads past three lakes: the Hopfensee, the Faulensee and the Forggensee. Also recommended is the four-lake round, where you cycle from Mitter- and Obersee to the Alatsee, and then down to Weißensee. Beautiful nature experiences and views are of course guaranteed on these bike rides. On the Tiroler Lechradweg, cyclists can follow the course of the Lech.

For hiking and cycling on the water, there are many dreamlike opportunities in and around Füssen. Here you can really enjoy the beautiful nature and healthy air of the Allgäu. During the summer months you also have the opportunity to crown such an excursion with refreshing bathing fun.