Winter pleasures in the stillness of nature

Go off piste to explore the stillness of mountain nature in the deep snow and enjoy distant views: Snowshoeing is perfect for this. From the Low Mountains to the Alps, Bavaria offers the full spectrum. Beginners can enjoy this sport just as much as advanced snowshoers – for example, in Oberallgäu.

“You’ve got to love winter here,” says Petra Frey about her home. “After a fresh fall of snow, even as a local you keep finding yourself in a new world.” And it’s wonderful to be able to explore this on foot – virtually on her doorstep, the group of mountains known as the Hörnergruppe offers some of the best snowshoe terrain in Germany. The highest peak of this rolling mountain chain above the villages of Ofterschwang, Balderschwang and Obermaiselstein is the Riedberger Horn (1787 m). Petra Frey loves coming here, even with friends who have very little experience with snowshoeing. “When you set off from the Grasgehren car park along the Riedbergpassstraße, it only takes an hour to reach the summit, where you can enjoy an amazing panorama,” she says with enthusiasm. In the south-east, the Oberstdorf Alps with the Nebelhorn, in the south-east the pyramid of the Grünten, all with a bright blue winter sky overhead – such moments are captured not just with the camera lens but also with heart and mind.

 

Since modern snowshoes are lightweight and grippy and even newcomers to the sport can master the slightly broader gait in less than fifteen minutes, longer tours are an obvious thing to do. “Always assuming, naturally, that the conditions are right,” says Petra. Her tip: a two-day walk over the entire Hörnergruppe, from Ofterschwang over the Riedberger Horn to the valley station of the Hörnerbahn cable car in Bolsterlang. Walkers can stay overnight in the rustic Berghaus Schwaben at 1520 metres, where a rich and varied evening menu and breakfast buffet ensure that energy levels are restocked.

“When you start on the second stretch in the early morning, the world is completely still and the powdery snow glitters in the sunshine – it’s the perfect start to a winter’s day.”

Of course, this Allgäu local has many more tour suggestions: up the Wannenkopf (1712 m), which is also close to the Riedbergpass, or around the Alpe Hohenegg, which is located a bit further to the west near Steibis and impresses visitors with its modern, angular wood design and a cuisine based on regional products. “Hot cocoa and apple strudel with custard have never tasted as good as after a long tour through a white and magical Alpine landscape.” What a beautiful promise!