The resort town of Stiefenhofen in the Allgäu is located in front of the Nagelfluh mountain range, at an elevation of 750 to 1,117 meters, at the ascent from Lake Constance. In the municipality, you’ll find signposted circular hiking trails, cross-country ski trails in winter, an herb garden in Hopfen, and traditions observed on set dates throughout the year. This lets you plan your trip around the season and your interests.
Circular Trails and Herb Garden
Three circular hiking trails are signposted in the municipality of Stiefenhofen: Balzhofen / Hertnegg, WeiĂźenbachmĂĽhle, and the Herb Garden Trail. The Herb Garden Trail has a set timeframe: it is 11.5 kilometers long, with a stated walking time of four and a half hours. In Hopfen, it leads to the Artemisia herb garden, where visitors can take a guided herb garden tour and stop for refreshments. The trail length and walking time offer guidance for planning your day.
On the Balzhofen / Hertnegg loop, there is a place to stop for refreshments at Cafe Katharina in Balzhofen. Check that it is currently open if you plan to stop there. The Allgäuer Kräutergarten Artemisia is in the village of Hopfen and contains 300 different medicinal and culinary plants; the number of plants may change. The garden is open to everyone around the clock. As access arrangements may change, check them before your visit.
Cross-Country Ski Trails for Winter
The municipality’s cross-country ski trails include the 8.6-kilometer Stiefenhofener-Loipe (Route 15), the 1.6-kilometer training trail (Route 16), and the 4.5-kilometer Hopfener-Loipe (Route 18). The stated lengths indicate the different sizes of the trails; which ones are open depends on winter conditions. Check conditions before planning your cross-country skiing.
Traditions and Chapels
On May 1, the maypole is traditionally raised by hand in the municipality of Stiefenhofen. A festival with the brass band and the traditional costume association follows. Its annual recurrence provides a definite date for planning your trip; check the current program for the year you plan to travel.
Around 1800, a chapel was built in Hopfen to replace an earlier wooden chapel. Since 1935, the annual Martinsritt horseback procession has been held on the chapel’s patron saint’s festival. For this event, too, we recommend checking the latest details before your visit.
A chapel walk takes you to three chapels in the municipality: the Plague Chapel, St. Martin’s Chapel in Hopfen, and the Hahnschenkel Chapel. The route offers a way to visit several chapels in one outing; check current trail conditions in advance. To see the interior of the Plague Chapel, you can collect the key from the Stiefenhofen tourist office. Confirm current key collection arrangements with the tourist office before your visit.
More to Explore in the Broader Lindau Destination
The broader Lindau destination also offers different highlights from the trails and traditions of the municipality of Stiefenhofen. In the Eistobel Nature Reserve, the water of the Obere Argen cascades over several waterfalls along a three-kilometer hiking trail down into the valley. A visitor pavilion provides information before guests descend into the Eistobel gorge. This landscape combines a trail with waterfalls and a glimpse into a nature reserve.
In Maierhöfen, the sculpture trail is an approximately five-kilometer circular route passing 17 sculptures and 12 text panels. Artists created the works at a symposium and permanently donated them to Maierhöfen for display. Alongside experiences in nature, the broader Lindau destination therefore offers cultural trails as a distinct way to explore and discover the area.
Discover more destinations: Oberreute, Nonnenhorn, Scheidegg, Sigmarszell, Wasserburg, Argental, Maierhöfen, Bodolz.
Back to the broader travel overview: Lindau.
