The Allgäu (
Standard ) is a region in
Swabia
Swabia ; , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.
The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of Swabia, one of ...
in southern
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. It covers the south of
Bavarian Swabia, southeastern
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...
, and parts of
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
. The region stretches from the pre-alpine lands up to the
Alps
The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia.
...
. The main rivers flowing through the Allgäu are the
Lech and
Iller. Allgäu is not an administrative unit.
The alpine regions of the Allgäu rise over 2,000 metres in elevation and are popular for winter skiing. The area is notable for its beautiful landscapes and is popular for vacations and therapeutic stays.
[Its scenic countryside can be seen in Asmus, C. and Bufe, S. "Dampflokomotiven im Allgau" (1977, Hermann Merker).] It is well known in Germany for its farm produce, especially dairy products including ''
Hirtenkäse'' ("herdsman's cheese") and
Bergkäse ("mountain cheese").
Besides tourism and dairy products, another important economic sector is the building of industrial equipment and machines.
Fendt
Fendt is a German agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in 1930 by Xaver Fendt in Marktoberdorf, Allgäu region, Germany. Fendt manufactures tractors, combine harvesters, balers, telescopic handlers and row crop Planter (farm implement), ...
tractors, developed and produced in
Marktoberdorf are one of the most famous products of the region. The castle of
Neuschwanstein in
Hohenschwangau is in the eastern part of the Allgäu.
The Allgäu is dominated in the south by the
Allgäu Alps, which are not part of the Allgäu themselves. The Allgäu is formed mainly by glaciers and glacial debris. Many hills and lakes are remnants of former glaciers.
Gallery
Castle_Neuschwanstein.jpg, Neuschwanstein Castle
Allgaeu-1.jpg, Allgäu as seen from a hot air balloon
Notable people
*
Michael Bredl (1916–1999), a singer and collector of traditional German
Volksmusik
*
Stephan Huber (born 1952), a sculptor and object artist
*
Rainer W. Bussmann (born 1967), ethnobotanist and vegetation ecologist
References
External links
Official tourist informationNon-commercial Allgäu InformationAlpine Club Oy/AllgäuRecipes from Allgäu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allgau
Regions of Baden-Württemberg
Geography of Bavaria