![Nagelfluhkette Karte](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Nagelfluhkette_Karte.jpg)
The Nagelfluhkette is a mountain range located in
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and
Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label=Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost States of Austria, state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is ...
,
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, bordering on the northern edge of the
Allgäu Alps
The Allgäu Alps (german: Allgäuer Alpen) are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps, located in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany and Tyrol and Vorarlberg in Austria. The range lies directly east of Lake Constance.
Character ...
. It has a maximum altitude of 1,834
m above sea level. Its name derives from the rock type
Nagelfluh
Conglomerate () is a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed of a substantial fraction of rounded to subangular gravel-size clasts. A conglomerate typically contains a matrix of finer-grained sediments, such as sand, silt, or clay, which fill ...
. In older and geological literature, as well as in the local vernacular language, one also finds the term Hochgratkette.
The
geotope
A geotope is the geological component of the abiotic matrix present in an ecotope. Example geotopes might be an exposed outcrop of rocks, an erratic boulder, a grotto or ravine, a cave, an old stone wall marking a property boundary, and so forth. ...
Nagelfluhkette is the most extensive object of the Nagelfluhkette Nature Park, which was established on 1 January 2008.
Location
The Nagelfluhkette extends throughout the western part of the Allgäu Alps west of the
Illertal, in which the
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
n cities
Sonthofen
Sonthofen is the southernmost Town#Germany, town of Germany, located in the Oberallgäu region of the Bavarian Alps. Neighbouring Oberstdorf is situated 14 km farther south but is not classified as a town. In 2005, Sonthofen was awarded "Al ...
and
Immenstadt
Immenstadt im Allgäu () is a town in Oberallgäu, the southernmost district of Bavaria, Germany, in the German Alps. First mentioned in a 1275 administrative tract, it was granted town privileges in 1360, which makes it one of the oldest towns in ...
lie. Between these cities is
Blaichach
Blaichach is a municipality in the district of Oberallgäu in Bavaria in Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, a ...
, from where the mountain range stretches for about 20 km in west-southwest direction to the
Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label=Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost States of Austria, state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is ...
community of
Hittisau
Hittisau is a municipality in the Bregenz (district), district of Bregenz in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. Hittisau has a surface area of 46.65 km². It lies in the Bregenz Forest, Bregenzerwald in the west of the country.
Hittisau is a ...
. The German-Austrian border runs along the saddle of the mountain ridge between Hohenfluhalpkopf and Hochhäderich (Hoher Häderich).
The Nagelfluhkette is one of the last higher elevations of the Alps before further north the Alpine foothills of the
Allgäu
The Allgäu (Standard German: , also Allgovia) is a region in Swabia in southern Germany. It covers the south of Bavarian Swabia, southeastern Baden-Württemberg, and parts of Austria. The region stretches from the pre-alpine lands up to the A ...
begin. In the north lies the valley of the west-flowing Weißach; in the southeast the Hörnergruppe rises beyond the valley of the northeast-flowing Aubach.
Nagelfluhkette Nature Park
The Nagelfluhkette Nature Park is the first cross-border nature park to be created between Germany and Austria, thus representing an international natural protection pilot project. It also constitutes the first natural park in the Bavarian Alps.
Priority objectives are the protection, care and development of nature and the diverse landscapes. Nature parks are relatively weak protection instruments, which primarily serve to harmonize the interests of nature conservation and local tourism. This part is located primarily in parts of the
Bavarian Forest
The village of Zell in the Bavarian Forest
The Bavarian Forest (German: ' or ''Bayerwald''; bar, Boarischa Woid) is a wooded, low-mountain region in Bavaria, Germany that is about 100 kilometres long. It runs along the Czech border and is con ...
which are still in use, and not in the well-developed alpine area. In Vorarlberg – unlike in the other federal states of Austria – a nature park is not a legally protected area. The Nagefluhkette Nature Park is a voluntary commitment of the nature park communities themselves. Therefore, the park is (as of 5/2011) not a member of the Association of Nature Parks of Austria (VNÖ).
Size and participating communities
The Nagelfluhkette Nature Park covers 24,700 hectares in the district of
Oberallgäu
Oberallgäu is a ''Landkreis'' (district) in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Unterallgäu and Ostallgäu, the Austrian states Tyrol and Vorarlberg, the district of Lindau, and the state of ...
and 16,300 hectares in the adjacent
Bregenzerwald
The Bregenz Forest (german: Bregenzerwald, ) is one of the main regions in the States of Austria, state of Vorarlberg (Austria). It overlaps, but is not coterminous with, the Bregenz Forest Mountains, which belong to a mountain range, range of the ...
, making a total of about 410 square kilometers. Six Oberallgäu communities and eight Vorarlberg communities joined forces for this project:
* Germany:
Balderschwang
Balderschwang is a municipality in the district of Oberallgäu in Bavaria in Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russi ...
,
Blaichach
Blaichach is a municipality in the district of Oberallgäu in Bavaria in Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, a ...
,
Bolsterlang,
Fischen
Fischen im Allgäu is a municipality in the district of Oberallgäu in Bavaria in Germany.
History
During World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 193 ...
,
Immenstadt
Immenstadt im Allgäu () is a town in Oberallgäu, the southernmost district of Bavaria, Germany, in the German Alps. First mentioned in a 1275 administrative tract, it was granted town privileges in 1360, which makes it one of the oldest towns in ...
,
Oberstaufen
Oberstaufen ( Low Alemannic: ''Schtoufe'') is a municipality in the district of Oberallgäu in Bavarian Swabia, Germany, situated on the B 308 road from Lindau to Immenstadt.
History
It is first mentioned as ''Stoufun'' in AD 868. Historically ...
,
Obermaiselstein
* Austria:
Doren
Doren is a municipality in the district of Bregenz in the western Austrian state of Vorarlberg.
Geography
The municipality of Doren is located in the northwest of the Bregenz Forest. It lies about two-thirds on the south side of the Sulzbergst ...
,
Hittisau
Hittisau is a municipality in the Bregenz (district), district of Bregenz in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. Hittisau has a surface area of 46.65 km². It lies in the Bregenz Forest, Bregenzerwald in the west of the country.
Hittisau is a ...
,
Krumbach,
Langenegg
Langenegg is a municipality with approx. 1,200 inhabitants in the westernmost Austrian state, Vorarlberg.
Geography
Langenegg is located in the Bregenz Forest, in the district of Bregenz east of Lake Constance. It covers an area of 10.47 km ...
,
Lingenau
Lingenau is a municipality in the district of Bregenz, in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg.
Geography
Lingenau is located southeast of Lake Constance, at an altitude of 685m. 30.8% of the area is wooded. There are no other cadastr ...
,
Riefensberg
Riefensberg is a municipality in the district of Bregenz in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg. The community of Riefensberg covers an area of 14.85 square kilometers. Riefensberg is located within the Nagelfluhkette Nature Park.
...
,
Sibratsgfäll
Sibratsgfäll is a municipality in the district of Bregenz in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg.
Geography
Sibratsgfäll is located in the westernmost province of Austria, Vorarlberg, in the district of Bregenz, east of Lake Constance, at an a ...
,
Sulzberg
Administration
The nature park administration ("Naturpark Nagelfluhkette e.V.") is based in Bühl am Alpsee, a district of Immenstadt. On the Austrian side, the park is looked after in the community offices.
Tourism
The Nagelfluhkette is flanked by lower mountain ridges to the north and south and thus offers excellent views in almost all directions. Mountain railways are operated all year round in
Mittagberg (Mittagbahn) and
Hochgrat (Hochgratbahn).
Hiking
Hikes on the Kammweg chain are of the most popular in the district of
Oberallgäu
Oberallgäu is a ''Landkreis'' (district) in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Unterallgäu and Ostallgäu, the Austrian states Tyrol and Vorarlberg, the district of Lindau, and the state of ...
, thanks to the glorious views. Since all mountains are individually accessible, there is a great variety of secure walks, with only a minimum of climbing obstacles. Some places, especially between
Steineberg and
Stuiben, and between Falken and Hochhädrich, are difficult and exposed, requiring a high degree of
sure-footedness
Sure-footedness is the ability, especially when hiking or mountain climbing, to negotiate difficult or rough terrain safely. Such situations place demands on a person's coordination and reserves of strength as well as requiring sufficient appreciat ...
and a
head for heights
To have a head for heights means that one has no acrophobia, an irrational fear of heights, and is not particularly prone to fear of falling or suffering from vertigo, the spinning sensation that can be triggered, for example, by looking down from ...
.
Shorter routes lead, for example, from the mountain station of the Mittagbahn over the Steineberg and Stuiben through the Steigbachtal back to Immenstadt. Another trail is the Maximiliansweg, which leads over the mountains
Hochgrat,
Rindalphorn, and Buralpkopf.
Well-secured and -signposted medium-length tours include the crossing of the entire eastern chain from Hochgrat to the
Mittag (Nagelfluh-Gratwanderung), which follows the European long-distance hiking trails
E4 and
E5 at this stage, and the crossing of the western chain between Hochgrat and Falken (Luftiger Grat).
The Königstour, an entire crossing of the Nagelfluh from Mittagberg to Hochhädrich, is doable on a single day, provided the hiker is sportive and fit (length of the tour: about 8.5 hours, including breaks). In any case, the Staufner Haus of the
German Alpine Club
The German Alpine Club (german: links=no, Deutscher Alpenverein, DAV for short) is the world's largest climbing association and the eighth-largest sporting association in Germany. It is a member of the German Olympic Sports Confederation and the ...
is available as an accommodation hut.
Winter sports
In addition to the
mountain railway
A mountain railway is a railway that operates in a mountainous region. It may operate through the mountains by following mountain valleys and tunneling beneath mountain passes, or it may climb a mountain to provide transport to and from the sum ...
s, there are ski lifts to the Einguntkopf (from Falkenhütte) and Hochhädrich, each on the snow-sure north side.
Slopes for skiers are located at
Mittagberg,
Hochgrat, Einguntkopf and Hochhädrich in
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
. Large parts of the Nagelfluh crossing are accessible as winter hikes with snowshoes or touring skis.
Mountains
The highest mountain of the Nagelfluhkette is the
Hochgrat with a height of 1,834 m.
External links
Website of the Nature Park Nagelfluhkette
References
{{coord, 47, 30, 10, N, 10, 06, 20, E, type:mountain_dim:20000, display=title
Mountain ranges of Vorarlberg
Mountain ranges of Bavaria