Allgäu time

Posted by

The Schwabenhof in Balderschwang has long been a firm favorite among biker get-togethers and motorcycle hotels in southern . The MOTORRADSTRASSEN team and the Kohler family, who run the hotel, have had a friendly relationship for some time. This is of course a good reason to visit the Riedberg Pass at least once a year for a few days. Another reason is the tours with biker host Erich, who covers several thousand motorcycle kilometers around the Schwabenhof every year and has many a great track in his program.

Idyllic landscape in the around the Riedberg Pass

Allgäu tour 1: Up to the Pfänder

The tour to the Pfänder, Bregenz’s local mountain, is always a pleasure. This begins as soon as you leave Balderschwang in the direction of , from where you can enjoy the most wonderful roads in a low-traffic environment all the way to Bregenz. The provincial capital of is particularly impressive with its old town and baroque churches. The cable car to the 1,064-metre-high Pfänder also runs from Bregenz. Of course, we choose the motorcycle option and enjoy the magnificent and laborious mountain route, which does not allow high speeds, but fascinates with its sheer endless twists and turns. Once at the top, we experience a stunning view of Lake Constance and Lindau.

Back to the Allgäu

We re-enter Germany at Scheidegg, where guide Erich then brings his Allgäu expertise to the road and collects the bends between Kißlegg, Leutkirch and Oberstaufen like ripe fruit. Erich has a great lunch stop at the Kräuterwirt in Stiefenhofen, where the perfect use of ingredients from the herb garden ensures wonderful taste sensations, such as the hay steak with horseradish and wild herb sauce. After the delicious meal, the lush curves of the Allgäu await you again, culminating in the ascent to the 1,420-metre-high Riedberg Pass.

Distance: 238 kilometers
Riding time: 5 hours
GPX data and download: kurv.gr/WUtrA

Pure motorcycle atmosphere

When we return to the Schwabenhof in the early evening, the terrace and restaurant are full. It’s no wonder that these are almost exclusively motorcycle tourists, as the Schwabenhof is firmly in the hands of bikers during the season. This is not least due to the extensive motorcycle service, which ranges from the hotel’s own tour map to guided day trips with biker host Erich. In addition, there is good, down-to-earth cuisine, which conjures up many a regional delicacy on the plate.

Looking back

In the evening, I enjoy some of the delicious products from the Allgäu brewery Zötler with Erich and we toast to many a shared experience. Erich has already been to the USA twice with us from MOTORRADSTRASSEN, when we produced motorcycle reports in the land of unlimited possibilities with the tour operator Amerika Heller. We are now reliving the memories. Whether Route 66, Golden Gate Bridge, Las Vegas, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone or Sturgis – one goosebump moment follows the next.

Allgäu tour 2: Between Lake Constance and the Zugspitze

The next day, the Allgäu and the neighboring regions are the destination again. First we ride down the Riedberg Pass and over the Oberjoch and the challenging Gaicht Pass to the romantic Plansee. After passing the Zugspitze, we reach the Namlostal valley a little later and stop at Jamdo in Stanzach after an extremely enjoyable ride. We are not the only ones who think that this is the ideal place for motorcyclists to refuel. We continue through the Lechtal valley before the hairpin bends of the Hochtannberg Pass come calling. Shortly after Au, Erich sets the blinker and serves up another one of his specials, because the stretch from Schnepfau via Bizau is a blast… not least because of the gigantic ice cream sundae at Berghaus Kanisfluh

The sporty way back to the Schwabenhof takes us via the popular and winding Bödele recreational area before we return to Balderschwang a little later.

Distance: 318 kilometers
Riding time: 6.5 hours
GPX data and download: kurv.gr/53k7R

And more…

With tour options to the royal castles near Füssen, to the Silvretta High Alpine Road, to Lake Constance, to Switzerland or Austria, you’ll never run out of curves, even on longer stays.

Schwabenhof
Erich Kohler
Schwabenhof 23
D – 87538 Balderschwang
Phone +49 8328 924060
schwabenhof.com
[email protected]

Photos: Moppetfoto.de, Peter Wahl, MOTORRADSTRASSEN