The castle ruins-Hopfensee tour is a 11,3 km long, eventful hiking tour that leads from the Eisenberg district of Zell via the Hohenfreyberg and Eisenberg castle ruins as well as the Allgäu beer and cheese hiking trail to the picturesque Hopfensee on the Allgäu Riviera. Hiking enthusiasts can look forward to beautiful landscape impressions, wonderful views over the vast foothills of the Alps and varied culinary delights on this tour.
The castle ruins-Hopfensee tour is a hike that can be easily completed by the entire family with a bit of fitness. Only the first part, the climb to the Hohenfreyberg and Eisenberg castle ruins, tests your fitness and is a bit strenuous. The starting point of the hiking tour is the Eisenberg district of Zell. You can get there if you take the A7 or the federal highways B310, B16 or B17 to Füssen and from there follow the OAL 2 towards Hopferau. Alternatively, you can drive from Füssen to Hopfen am See, park your vehicle there free of charge on the west or east bank of Lake Hopfensee and take the bus to Zell. Train travelers can also get to Zell and also Hopfen am See from the train station in Füssen. Before the hike, it is a good idea to visit the castle museum in Zell. There you can get a lot of interesting background information about the history of the two castle ruins Hohenfreyberg and Eisenberg and you can view numerous excavated finds from the ruins.
The castle ruins hops tour first leads past the Zell parish church to the exit of the town in the direction of Schwegg. This is where the somewhat strenuous hike begins up to the neighboring late medieval castles of Hohenfreyberg and Eisenberg. These, like the nearby Falkenstein Castle, were destroyed during the Thirty Years' War. At the beginning of the millennium, both castles were extensively renovated and many display boards explain their history and previous use. Hohenfreyberg Castle, where the towers and kennels are particularly impressive, was built and is one of the last large new castle buildings of the German Middle Ages. At Eisenberg Castle, built around 1315 , a mantle wall castle with a kind of shield wall around it, the structure of the castle rooms can still be clearly seen. The bakery in the entrance area is particularly worth seeing.
From both castle ruins, where you can move around freely, you have a dream view over the vast foothills of the Alps as well as Falkenstein Castle and the surrounding magnificent mountains. After visiting the castle ruins, you hike in around 20 minutes down to the Schlossbergalm, a hut surrounded by picturesque meadows and forests that pampers its guests with delicious snacks and warm dishes.
Afterwards, refreshed and refreshed, we head via Pröbsten to the Mariahilf pilgrimage church, which is located in the Speiden district of Eisenberg. The one in 17. The church, which was built in the 19th century, is magnificently furnished in the Baroque style. Particularly worth seeing are the main altar with its figures of saints and the fresco in the middle of the choir, which depicts the Assumption of Mary. For church lovers, the visit is a real highlight. Right next to the pilgrimage church is the Mariahilfer Sudhaus, where you can purchase numerous beer specialties and which also serves its guests delicious warm dishes. The approximately 5 kilometer-long Allgäu beer and cheese hiking trail leads from the brewhouse to the Lehern dairy in Hopferau.
Along the path, which runs through a beautiful landscape and offers wonderful views of the mountains, there are display boards that give hikers a lot of interesting information about the two foods beer and cheese. At the Lehern dairy you can purchase delicious cheese delicacies and, on certain dates, take part in guided tours of a show dairy, which will introduce you to the traditional craft of cheese making. The adjacent, comfortably furnished Käse Alm pampers hikers with delicious warm dishes and refreshing drinks. Your physical well-being is really well taken care of on the castle ruin hop tour.
The last stage of the hiking tour leads past Reinertshof to the banks of Lake Hopfensee, one of the most beautiful and warmest lakes in Bavaria. While you hike on the Hopfenseerundweg through an intact natural landscape, you can always enjoy fantastic views of the surrounding mountains. At the end of the hiking tour, you stroll along the waterfront promenade in Hopfen am See and get a magnificent 180-degree panoramic view of the peaks of the Lechtal, Tannheim, Ammergau and Allgäu Alps as well as the Neuschwanstein castle. The Kneipp and climatic health resort Hopfen am See exudes an almost southern flair in front of a wonderful Alpine panorama, which is why it is also called the Riviera of the Allgäus. After the hike, you have the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing boat trip on the Hopfensee or, on warm days, visit the outdoor pool, which includes a mini golf course and a children's playground. There are also beautiful cafés and restaurants along the waterfront where you can stop off.
The castle ruins-Hopfensee tour enables a wonderful day of vacation in Allgäu, which is full of interesting impressions. This hike offers breathtaking natural impressions, delicious culinary delicacies, attractive sights and beautiful views over the foothills of the Alps.
