September 5, 2024
To Oy-Mittelberg
Today's destination was Oy-Mittelberg, a small town situated in the foothills of the Allgäu Alps. We traveled an indirect route to Oy, first heading south toward Füssen and the Forggensee before turning west and climbing through the foothills to Oy. It was a partially sunny if somewhat overcast day, with the soaring alpine peaks visible through the morning haze.
Our route south was mostly on dedicated bike paths that paralleled the highway – sometimes adjacent to the roadway but frequently winding through the rolling landscape and occasional woodlands. The Allgäu is criss-crossed by a web of cycle routes and hiking trails and each day we have passed a multitude of cyclists enjoying day rides around the countryside. Often these are solo riders or couples, but also a fair number of families with young children pedaling furiously alongside their watchful parents. Cycling is clearly an important aspect of the German culture, complemented by an impressive infrastructure of cycling routes and dedicated cycle paths.
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Shortly after passing by Roßhaupten, we found ourselves on the Via Claudia Augusta at the northern end of the Forggensee. The planned route continued south along the lake to Füssen, which was an overnight stop on my 2021 tour through the Alps. Rather than continuing all the way to Füssen, we decided to cycle south along the lake until finding a nice spot for lunch and then take an alternate route west toward Oy. The plan had mixed results. There was a lot of bike and foot traffic on the cycle path along the lake, including a rather unpleasant narrow gravel stretch. Wanting to escape the crowds, Suzanne led us down a small road that ended at the lake, a launching point for various watercraft. It was an idyllic setting with sailboats, a sunbather playing "fetch the stone" with her golden retriever and, most importantly, a shaded bench. We had a leisurely lakeside lunch, enjoying the sound of lapping water while munching on our bakery sandwiches.
After lunch, we continued south on our planned route for four miles before turning west, climbing up through Eschach and around the northern shore of Hopfensee. The last ten miles were a near steady climb on small roads to Oy-Mittelberg, a glorious stretch that elicited the occasional grunt but offered splendid views of the lush alpine landscape.
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The day topped out at our hotel where we stowed the bikes in the ski hut and headed to our rooms overlooking the nearby ski area. It was a short walk to dinner at the Panorama Restaurant – the place was packed and, having no reservation, we were seated alone in the overflow room. There were no panoramic views, but that was of little concern – we had spent the day immersed in a multitude of panoramas and were content to share a pizza and marvel at our wonderful day.
Today's ride: 33 miles (53 km)
Total: 2,145 miles (3,452 km)
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2 months ago