To Marktoberdorf

September 4, 2024

It was another fine day cycling eastward through the beautiful Allgäu countryside. We were in dairy country – rolling hillsides spotted with cows and small farmsteads, somewhat reminiscent of the dairy regions of Vermont and Wisconsin . As one with a bovine bias, I was loving it! So of course I wanted to know a bit more about the dairy cows of the Allgäu.

The coat coloring and markings looked familiar and considering our location I thought they might be Brown Swiss. A little more digging led me down a rabbit hole of cattle breeding: the original Brown Cattle breed (Braunvieh), also known Swiss Brown, was started 600 years ago by monks in central Switzerland for the triple purpose of meat, milk, and draught work. Breeding stock from this lineage was sent to American in 1869 and after many generations of selective breeding soley for milk production, this distinct breed became known as American Brown Swiss. There are several breeds of Brown Cattle that exist in Europe today - the Allgäu Brown Cattle is considered a distinct breed and is known for both its milk production and tender juicy meat.

Now, back to the ride - this is afterall a cycling journal not a treatise on animal breeding. The day included a few unexpected surprises in addition to the gorgeous scenery and stiff climbs. In fact, we began with two short climbs of 10 and 13%, both on shoulder-less roads with a bit more traffic than I like on ascents. But this Germany, and a road-side bike lane soon appeared, much to my relief.

After 10 miles, we pulled into Altusried, a town undergoing major road construction. Heavy equipment filled the street, seeming to block the way through town. Undaunted, we followed an elderly woman with a walker who was slowly making her way down a narrow path, squeezing past big machines on an uneven gravel surface. Suzanne helped the woman over some rough spots, and we then proceeded to gingerly pick our way over the gravel and out of town.

Suzanne offered assistance, but the woman seemed perfectly happy to manage the rough terrain on her own

Making our way through downtown Altusried

The miles past Altusried were among the best of day - a gentle descent along a small ridge line that wound through the woods on a very manageable gravel surface. We continued on small roads through open countryside, passing through Hirschdorf before crossing the Iller River. The remaining miles tended in an upward direction as we ascended from the river. There was another road construction project that we breezed through, followed by a series of gentle rollers progressing to longer, stiffer climbs rewarded with sweeping downhills into open valleys populated with small towns. Another fine day indeed.