Balderschwang: Nature Trails, Local History and Winter Sports

Balderschwang is located in Nagelfluhkette Nature Park. Water trails, insights into local history and seasonal winter sports offer different ways to experience the area. If you are looking for a hotel, you can use your travel dates and planned activities as selection criteria—for example, experiencing nature along the Bolgenach, taking a walk with historical stops or enjoying winter sports.

Experience the water and plan your route flexibly

The “Alpinium Natural Areas: Bolgenach” water experience trail is 4.2 kilometers long and follows an existing hiking trail along the Bolgenach. You can walk it in either direction or cover it in sections. Along the trail are 11 information stations and three play stations; two interactive explorer boxes bring the wild river and floodplain forest habitats to life with light displays and periscopes. The explorer boxes are closed in winter, and some individual stations are also subject to seasonal restrictions.

Children can take a researcher’s backpack with 13 activities for the nature experience trail. It can be borrowed from the Balderschwang Tourist Information Office in exchange for a deposit; check locally before your trip to confirm availability. On the researcher tour, visitors explore the animal and plant life in and around the water with a magnifying glass and hand net. You should also check locally whether the necessary equipment is available to borrow.

Stations on landscapes and life in the mountains

The Balderschwang Time Trail has a different focus from the route along the Bolgenach: its 16 family-friendly experience stations cover the lives of people in the Balderschwang mountains, Nagelfluhkette Nature Park and the animals and plants that live there. The Time Trail therefore focuses on different aspects of the mountain environment, while the explorer boxes by the water feature the wild river and floodplain forest.

St. Anton Parish Church and the Trilogie walking tour

St. Anton Parish Church was built in 1836 and extensively renovated in 2017. It is known for its murals and ceiling paintings. The Trilogie walking tour starts at the village square behind the church, passes the Old Yew and the Balderschwang Time Trail, and reaches the Sägebach stream and its gorge. To navigate the route, follow the current local signs.

Winter sports in Balderschwang

The Balderschwang ski area has more than 40 kilometers of groomed pistes and 12 lifts. Since piste lengths and lift numbers can change, check the latest information from the operators before your trip. Cross-country ski trails between Balderschwang and Hittisau in Vorarlberg total 41 kilometers; their availability and grooming depend on winter conditions. A new toboggan run at Gschwend II is also being advertised. Ask the operator about its seasonal opening.

Getting to the researcher tour

The researcher tour starts at the Balderschwang Dorf bus stop. From Oberstdorf, take line 44 and change to line 46 in Obermaiselstein; from Hittisau, line 46 runs directly there. Bus connections and timetables can change, so check the latest information before travelling.

Explore the wider Oberallgäu region

In the wider Oberallgäu travel region, Oberstdorf has 200 kilometers of hiking trails and nature trails. The Nagelfluhkette Nature Park Center is located right by Lake Alpsee in Immenstadt-Bühl. It features a free-admission interactive exhibition about animals, plants, their habitats and the special features of the protected area. These regional destinations complement a visit to Balderschwang with their own offerings elsewhere in the Oberallgäu.

Discover more destinations: Immenstadt Im Allgäu, Fischen Im Allgäu, Burgberg Im Allgäu, Kempten, Bolsterlang, Betzigau, Dietmannsried, Oberstaufen.

View the wider travel guide: Oberallgäu.