Luxury holidays in Allgäu

The Bavarian Allgäu region in southern Germany has the kind of scenery that might have you humming ‘The hills are alive…’ as you twirl through mountain meadows. And yes, that film was set in Austria, but, set at the four-land point, the Allgäu shares its Alpine beauty with Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Otherwise it’s a place that has a strong sense of identity, with Disney-inspiring castles such as Neuschwanstein, the sort of deep dark forests you find in fables, bijou lakeside villages and hyper-local Michelin dining that moves beyond sausage, schnitzel and cheeses (but you can have those too). A charmer both in winter during ski season, and in summer for hiking, it’s a spot to yodel about.

When to go

Visit in January through to March for skiing, and for sitting out in meadows as bell-wearing cows graze, come from April to August.

Getting there

  • Planes

    Bodensee Airport, under an hour’s drive away, is the closest. However, the Allgäu is in reach of a whole heap of travelling hubs, including Zurich, Munich, Stuttgart or Innsbruck.

  • Trains

    Bregenz is your stop if you’re railing in from Munich, Zurich, Innsbruck and more.

  • Automobiles

    Driving is a scenic dream around these parts – although where there are mountain passes, you can expect hairpin bends.