Rückholz: Ponds, Local History and Festivals

Rückholz brings together small ponds and lakes, St. George’s Parish Church, recurring festivals and local cheese offerings. When looking for hotels in Rückholz, your travel dates and interest in water, local history or events can provide an initial guide. The individual destinations differ mainly in their landscape, use and seasonality.

Ponds and lakes around Rückholz

There are many small ponds and lakes around Rückholz that can be reached on foot or by bicycle. The Trollweiher near Rückholz is a glacial-edge lake with an area of about 7.7 hectares. The Neuweiher is a former glacial lake surrounded by forests, fields and meadows. The focus at Trollweiher is therefore on its approximate size, while at Neuweiher it is on the landscape around the water.

The ponds that offer recreational activities also have different points of interest. Grundweiher is at the entrance to Rückholz and is suitable for swimming, walking and relaxing; it also offers views of nature and the mountains. Schönewaldweiher is a peaceful place to unwind and relax, a little way from the village center. Schwaltenweiher is a large reservoir suitable for swimming, walking and relaxing. Luimooser Weiher near Rückholz is a popular pond for swimming and fishing. This makes it easy to compare how they can be used: fishing is an option alongside swimming at Luimooser Weiher; Grundweiher and Schwaltenweiher also offer opportunities for walks; and quiet relaxation is the main draw at Schönewaldweiher.

St. George’s Parish Church and the Grotto of Our Lady

St. George’s Parish Church is documented as a church as early as 1465. In 1719, the choir was enlarged to its present size and a new altar was built. The altar’s design is attributed to the workshop of Dominikus Zimmermann. The early record of the church is therefore distinct from the specific structural changes made in 1719; the altar’s design remains an attribution.

Another historic site is the Grotto of Our Lady, also known as the Lourdes Grotto. It was built in Rückholz in 1893. According to local tradition, the grotto is believed to have powers to heal illnesses. The church and the grotto thus offer different ways of engaging with local history: the parish church, which has evolved over centuries, and the dated grotto with its local tradition.

Festivals throughout the year

The traditional Funkenfeuer bonfire is lit in Rückholz every year on the Sunday after Ash Wednesday. A pile of straw or wood, which can be up to 30 meters high, is built with a witch figure on top. Bockbier evenings are also held every year during Lent. The program includes plays, music, Bock beer and party music. Attendance and program details may vary from one event to the next.

Between July and September, the Rückholz traditional costume association organizes village evenings. In good weather, traditional dances are performed in the former schoolyard. The event is therefore seasonal, and the dances in the schoolyard are specifically dependent on good weather.

The Advent market is organized every two years in late November by the Rückholz Flower Friends. It features handmade and other locally made goods, as well as food and drink. The market’s offerings may vary from one edition to the next. Since the market takes place every two years, check the specific date before your trip.

Cheese offerings and farm tours

The cheese shop of Milchverwertung Ostallgäu eG (MVO) in Rückholz sells Allgäu cheese specialties and other dairy products at its factory outlet. Varieties include Emmental, mountain cheese, hay-flower cheese, Rückholz lemon-pepper cheese, tomato-basil cheese and Alpspitz cheese. Check the current availability of the factory outlet before visiting.

At the Lipp farm cheese dairy at Stellebauer in Rückholz, only products made on the farm are sold. This presents two different aspects of the local cheese offerings: specific cheese varieties and other dairy products at the MVO factory outlet, and the fact that Lipp sells only products made on site.

Farm tours in Rückholz showcase a dairy farm, animals that visitors can pet and agricultural machinery. This offers insight into both animal husbandry and farming equipment. Dates and registration information may vary; check them before making plans.

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