Winter in the Nagelfluhkette Nature Park

So much for the quiet winter world in the Allgäu: In the forest of the Weißachtal hundreds of birds make the forest come alive with their songs. The fresh snow is not keeping the pretty forest tit or the rest of the bird world from loudly initiating mating and planning breeding.

At the bottom of the valley, where the river Weißach has cut deep into the rock, the water splashes around thousands of glittering little stream islands, where fluffy snow has robbed the dippers of their resting places.

The Nagelfluhkette Nature Park is the first cross-border nature park between Bavaria and Austria and unites the communities from the southern Allgäu and the front Bregenzerwald.

Four valleys run through the park in a west-east direction, which regularly leads to meteorological spectacles in Balderschwang. To say that the little village is guaranteed to have snow is almost an understatement. The people of Balderschwang call their home "Bavarian Siberia".

Perfectly aligned to the west, the valley acts like a funnel for winter clouds, which pile up on the Riedberger Horn and unload the record-breaking snow. In mid-March, the snow is still half a metre high and provides ideal conditions, especially for cross-country skiers. National teams train here, the borderland cross-country ski trail across to Vorarlberg is iconic.

How the caterpillars of the Apollo butterfly find snow is not known. They probably don't care. The offspring of the rare species hibernate in the niches of small nail-flake rocks that dot the pastures above the village, enjoying on white stonecrop that grow there preferentially.

With the first warm rays of sunshine, it is these rocks that are the first to be free of snow. Ranger Theresa Hilber carefully searches centimetre by centimetre, but the butterfly adolescents, only a few millimetres in size, do not show themselves.

Capercaillie, Golden Eagle and Apollo Butterfly

Capercaillie and black grouse live in the park, as do golden eagles and the rare white-backed woodpecker. But Theresa is particularly taken with the butterfly with the striking red dots on its black and white wings. The Apollo butterfly has a wingspan of up to seven centimetres and is threatened by extinction. It is urgently dependent on extensive agriculture, the ranger knows: "This leads to flower-rich meadows with thistles as sucking plants, which provide food for the butterfly in summer. If farming were abandoned, the areas would become overgrown and the butterfly would lose its habitat."

For Theresa, working as a ranger is a dream job

Reconciling agriculture with nature conservation is one of the most important tasks of the four rangers in the nature park, along with guiding visitors. For Theresa, a biologist specialising in ecology and biodiversity, the work is a dream job.

"In the course of my studies, I realised that I don't see myself in pure research, but rather looking for a job that has a high practical relevance and preferably takes place outside in nature." There are plenty of these around the Nagelfluhkette. For example, unique tree seniors: The old yew tree in Balderschwang is said to have been standing here for up to 2,000 years. Possibly the oldest tree in Germany. It stands on the southern slope above the village, looking somewhat dishevelled and remarkably inconspicuous for a plant of biblical age.

On the other hand, its wood was a sought-after raw material for making bows, which sealed the fate of most yews. "It is therefore astonishing that the old yew tree of Balderschwang was able to survive this long time."  There is also an old yew tree in Oberstaufen, it is about 800 years old and grows below the Hochgrat. There you will find the path of the old trees, where one veteran tree follows the next. And there they are also considerably taller.

The Riedberg is Germany's highest road pass. At an altitude of 1,420 metres, a group of snowshoe hikers is getting ready at the car park at the top of the pass. Unsurprisingly: the mountain world to the left and right of the road is breathtakingly beautiful and therefore popular among winter sports enthusiasts. North of the pass rises the Riedberger Horn, which, with snow guaranteed until spring, is popular among alpine skiers and ski tourers.

"At the same time, it is the core area of the endangered black grouse," says Hilber. "We rangers are often up there in winter to guide visitors. In talks, we try to sensitise winter sports enthusiasts to the concerns of nature."

Hilber is convinced that the recreational enjoyment of human visitors is compatible with the demands of the skittish mountain fowl without imposing too many restrictions on humans or nature. Large information boards in the particularly sensitive areas draw attention to the protection zones. The ranger team is also responsible for this.

Gunzesrieder Valley: Here comes the water

The Gunzesrieder Valley lies in the middle of the nature park. From the picture-book village that gives it its name, several rustic valleys make their way into the mountain world. A popular Nagelfluh peak and also the highest point is the Siplinger Kopf. 1,746 metres high, striking and famous for the Siplinger Nadeln, high rock spikes below the summit. The amphitheatre of mountains busily acts as a cloud catcher. In general, "water shapes our nature park", says Theresa. 

„Water shapes our nature park“

"We are located in a region with very high precipitation and the elemental force of water has formed and shaped our landscape. In the form of glaciers, water has sculpted the landscape, later rapid mountain streams formed ravines and waterfalls and thus shaped the landscape. In winter, snow transforms the landscape into a silent winter wonderland."

Indeed, this is also evident in the Ostertaltobeln, which can only be visited in winter in the company of the rangers. It is not completely silent: where they have not yet frozen into ice, small waterfalls gush into the white winter forest.

The Riedberg is Germany's highest road pass. At an altitude of 1,420 metres, a group of snowshoe hikers is getting ready at the car park at the top of the pass. Unsurprisingly: the mountain world to the left and right of the road is breathtakingly beautiful and therefore popular among winter sports enthusiasts. North of the pass rises the Riedberger Horn, which, with snow guaranteed until spring, is popular among alpine skiers and ski tourers.

"At the same time, it is the core area of the endangered black grouse," says Hilber. "We rangers are often up there in winter to guide visitors. In talks, we try to sensitise winter sports enthusiasts to the concerns of nature."

Hilber is convinced that the recreational enjoyment of human visitors is compatible with the demands of the skittish mountain fowl without imposing too many restrictions on humans or nature. Large information boards in the particularly sensitive areas draw attention to the protection zones. The ranger team is also responsible for this.

Lake Großer Alpsee: Beaver with lake view

We end our tour where all the water comes together, near Immenstadt at the Nagelfluhkette Nature Park Centre, also known as the "AlpSeeHaus". It is beautifully situated on the Big Alpsee, the largest natural lake in the Allgäu. Above the tourist information centre with its nature park café is a small but exquisite exhibition about the special features to be discovered in the nature park. Interactive and hands-on, with microscopes and great animations.

At the nature park centre, the wilderness comes through the door. Here, at the inflow of the Konstanzer Ache into the lake, kingfishers hunt, seabirds rest on the jetty in front of the fishermen's huts. And a pudgy beaver has also recently discovered the place as a new home for itself.  You can't blame him!

Info

Many themed walks can be undertaken on your own, equipped with matching flyers. In addition, the park rangers regularly offer exciting excursions.