Gestratz: Cross-country skiing, hiking trails and local history
Accommodation in Gestratz
Gestratz combines winter cross-country skiing with hiking trails and a historic village setting. There are 8 km of groomed cross-country ski trails and 40 km of signposted hiking trails in total; the parish church and local heritage museum offer insights into the village’s history.
Hermitage Herrgottswiesen in Gestratz from southwest
Photo: Harald Hetzner via Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Cross-country skiing and trails around Gestratz
A ski trail starting in Schweineburg leads towards the Waldbad in Isny and connects to the Maierhöfen–Isny trail network. As the trails are seasonal and conditions can vary from winter to winter, check the current situation before travelling. Cross-country skiing and hiking offer different ways to experience the area: the ski trails are groomed, while the hiking trails are signposted.
One specific example of the hiking opportunities is the Schweineburg–Gestratz circular trail. It starts and ends at the Argenhalle in Gestratz and leads to a viewpoint overlooking the hills of the Westallgäu and the Alpine ranges. The circular trail is well suited to pushchairs.
The nature of the route is also important for cycling: the cycle routes in Gestratz follow roads that are sometimes steep, both uphill and downhill. Cycling is described as varied, but also very strenuous. Hiking, cross-country skiing and cycling therefore differ considerably in their terrain and level of exertion.
Church, forge and local history
The history of the parish dates back to the 8th century, when it was founded by St. Gall Abbey. Gestratz’s St. Gallus Parish Church was built later, between 1435 and 1437. Until the Thirty Years’ War, it was a pilgrimage church; Gothic frescoes can be seen on the choir walls. The construction period, its former role as a pilgrimage church and the frescoes offer different historical points of interest during a visit.
The Gestratz local heritage museum offers another perspective on the village’s history. It is housed in a 250-year-old forge that has been converted into a place of living history. On the ground floor are a working forge and an exhibition room for changing uses. At the annual local heritage museum festival in September, craftspeople demonstrate almost-forgotten craft traditions there. If you would like to plan your trip around the festival, check the date in advance.
Landscape and other experiences
Gestratz lies among gentle hills, the Upper Argen and the Kaplaneibach stream. In the village square, the Gestratzer Wasserwelten combine an easily accessible village stream, an artificial watercourse and a village fountain. The site invites visitors to play and relax, offering a different focus from the trails in the surrounding area.
The Malleichen bathing inn in the vicinity of Gestratz has an outdoor skittle alley. If you would like to include it in your stay, check in advance whether it is currently available for use. The history of the Malleichen bathing inn in the vicinity of Gestratz goes back more than 400 years; sulphur baths were administered there in zinc tubs until 1933.
The wider Lindau travel destination
The wider Lindau travel destination offers other cultural and landscape experiences. Lindau’s New Lighthouse is 33 metres high and can be reached via 139 steps. On Lindau Island, the Diebsturm, built in 1380, long marked the western end of the town fortifications.
The Eistobel nature reserve is also part of the wider Lindau travel destination: there, the waters of the Upper Argen plunge down several waterfalls along a 3-kilometre hiking trail. A visitor pavilion provides information before the descent.
Discover more destinations: GrĂĽnenbach.
Return to the wider travel overview: Argental.
