Marktoberdorf: Culture, Markets and Cycling Routes

Museums, markets and routes give a trip to Marktoberdorf a range of different focuses. Whether you are planning a cultural stay, visiting a market or looking to include a cycling stage, the topics and route lengths can help you structure your stay.

Museums and Local History

The Marktoberdorf Town Museum tells the story of how a place developed from a village to a market town and then a town, in 18 rooms covering around 380 square metres. The Riesengebirge Museum is housed in the same building. Its historical focus is the forced displacement of people from their homeland after the Second World War. The two museums therefore offer different perspectives: the Town Museum explores the development of the place, while the Riesengebirge Museum focuses on a historical topic from the 20th century.

Another cultural stop is the Künstlerhaus Marktoberdorf, which is dedicated to contemporary art. The municipal collection features more than 100 artists and has represented a cross-section of art from the Allgäu and Swabia since the 1970s. The Spöttl nativity scene in the Town Museum is considered the oldest mechanical nativity scene in Swabia and is traditionally displayed during Advent. This period is therefore particularly relevant if you are planning a visit with a seasonal focus.

The post-war period is also visible in the townscape: one of the region’s largest post-war bunker complexes is located in the underground car park of the town hall. The site complements the museum exhibits with a built record of this era.

Markets throughout the year

The market calendar includes two annual fairs, the Urbani and Martinimarkt, as well as a Christmas market and a weekly farmers’ market. The dates of the individual markets vary from year to year, so if you are planning a specific stay, it is worth checking the event dates.

The city has organised the Christmas market for more than 50 years. Around 40 festively decorated stalls offer items including decorations, felt crafts, wood carvings, ceramics, jewellery and sweets, as well as hot drinks. The selection combines traditional crafts with seasonal refreshments. As dates and programmes may change each year, check the details for the year in question.

On foot, by bike or on a pilgrimage route

The Clemens-Wenzeslaus Path starts in the centre of Marktoberdorf and leads to the temple at the end of Lindenallee. The route is just under six kilometres long; information boards feature stories and history related to Marktoberdorf’s most famous resident. The path thus combines a specific route with themed stops. If you are looking for a different kind of cycling route, the Hochwieswald bike loop offers a route for active mountain bikers. It is a joint project of the City of Marktoberdorf and the German Alpine Club, Allgäu-Immenstadt section, Marktoberdorf local group.

Two long-distance routes are worth considering for longer bike tours: Marktoberdorf lies on the 475-kilometre Allgäu Cycling Loop and on the 156-kilometre Allgäu Cycle Path. The latter runs from Isny to Halblech; Marktoberdorf’s bicycle-friendly railway station offers connections to other stages. These details provide a guide to different types of tours: the Allgäu Cycle Path is shorter than the Allgäu Cycling Loop, and both pass through Marktoberdorf.

A pilgrimage route from Munich to Lake Constance also passes through Marktoberdorf. The town is the destination and starting point for several route variants. One of them leads from the Auerberg through the Geltnach Valley to Marktoberdorf and continues to Oberthingau or Görisried. This means the town can be considered both a stage destination and a starting point for one of the described variants.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Obergünzburg, Mauerstetten, Pforzen, Eisenberg, Unterthingau, Oberostendorf, Buchloe, Kaufbeuren

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