Westendorf: Local Culture and the Ostallgäu

If you are looking for accommodation in Westendorf, you can consider local culture as a concrete part of your travel decision. The wider Ostallgäu destination also offers its own landscape, winter and cultural themes. This distinction helps you consider local club history and regional destinations separately before planning your stay around them.

Church, music and club life

The Catholic parish church of St. Michael in Westendorf was extended and renovated in 1966/67. The work was carried out mainly with donations from the local population and voluntary labour. In 1979/80, the church underwent extensive exterior renovations. Its more recent building history can therefore be viewed in two stages: first the extension and renovation, then work on the exterior.

Since its founding in 1921, the “Gennachtaler” Westendorf traditional costume and heritage association has been dedicated to preserving traditional costumes, folk dances and Schuhplattler dances. This gives local culture a clear connection to traditional forms of dance and dress. Music is also part of the community: the municipality’s two brass bands regularly give concerts.

The Dösingen Music Association contributes to community cultural life with New Year’s serenading, annual and children’s concerts, the “Blätzagraba” and wine festival, as well as festive processions for First Communion and Corpus Christi. If you would like to include a specific concert or festival in your travel plans, check the latest dates in advance.

The Dösingen Theatre Club stages classic plays with wit and humour. These include the dialect play “Das schwäbische Paradies,” based on Franz von Kobell’s original version of Brandner Kaspar, and Ephraim Kishon’s “Vaterschaftsprozess des Zimmermanns Joseph.” The examples show different sides of the repertoire, but do not imply that a performance is currently scheduled.

The wider Ostallgäu destination

In the Ostallgäu, the mountains in the southwest of the district belong to the Vilser Gebirge, while those in the southeast belong to the Ammergebirge. At 2,082 metres, Hochplatte is the highest mountain in the Ostallgäu. For winter sports enthusiasts, the Alpspitzbahn Nesselwang is another regional point of interest: it provides access to the downhill run around the 1,575-metre-high Alpspitz. The ski area there offers family-friendly slopes and a children’s ski area. Operating conditions can vary by season, so check them before planning a visit.

Cycling and hiking are also part of the wider region. The regional routes of the RadReiseRegion Ostallgäu are each 25 to 76 kilometres long, consistently signposted and have their own themes. The Ostallgäu also has 32 local hiking routes showcasing special natural and local attractions. The Forggensee Cycle Route runs around Lake Forggensee. Covering more than 15 square kilometres, the lake is Bavaria’s fifth-largest lake and Germany’s largest reservoir.

The same applies to cultural destinations in the Ostallgäu: locations and visiting conditions vary. Since 12 July 2025, Neuschwanstein Castle, together with Linderhof Palace, the King’s House on Schachen and Herrenchiemsee Palace, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau can only be visited as part of a guided tour. Forggensee boat trips run regularly during the summer season; if a boat trip is part of your plans, check the current timetable.

Check specific dates and seasonal offers to match your travel dates.

Discover more destinations: Osterzell, Stötten Am Auerberg, Schwangau, Seeg, Lechbruck Am See, Biessenhofen, Roßhaupten, Füssen.

Go to the wider travel overview: Ostallgäu.