Diedamskopftrail

At 2,090 metres, the Diedamskopf is not one of the most alpine mountains in the Allgäu Alps, but it offers a comprehensive panorama - from Nagelfluh to Ifen and the main Alpine ridge. Although the Diedamskopftrail starts right next to the mountain station, you should definitely tackle the extra 70 metres in altitude to the summit to let your gaze wander and your thoughts rest. The start of the single trail already anticipates a lot - the Diedamskopftrail winds its way:

• in constant ups and downs
• over long, gentle bends,
• along the slope,
• sometimes steeper, sometimes flatter and
• and occasionally peppered with counter-climbs.

The radii of the bends vary, as do the views of the surrounding mountains.

"Varied is probably the most apt adjective for the Diedamskopftrail - and yet that doesn't do the single trail justice."

It is the ever-changing perspectives that cast a spell over you. The sunlight refracts in numerous mountain silhouettes and creates different shades of grey - depending on the incidence of light and distance. And yet there is also colour, with the lush green of the alpine meadows, the blue of the sky and the white of the cotton grass.

Our bike guide Johannes tells us about his dilemma: on the one hand, he thinks it's great that bikes are offering more and more, making it easier to access challenging trails. On the other hand, he has the feeling that many people forget the moment, the experience and the surroundings and repeatedly plunge down the same descents in order to prioritise this focused experience. He misses out on the overall experience. Pausing and enjoying the landscape, approaching one another and also the gratitude of being able to discover something new around every bend in this environment.

The cable car to the Diedamskopf therefore only takes mountain bikers from the middle station if they are accompanied by the bike school - a careful regulation that doesn't exclude anyone and yet ensures positive interaction. The quality of the MTB single trail experience clearly takes precedence over quantity.

At the end of the trail, we cross to the Mitterdiedamsalpe. Here, mountain cheese is made from hay milk in close contact with nature. Although new EU regulations have banned open fires from the cheese kitchen here too, you can still get a direct view of the cheese-making process. It's a good feeling when you know where the ingredients of your Brettljause come from. We particularly recommend a special kind of goat's cream cheese - made from half cow's milk and half goat's milk. Strengthened, we head down into the valley - there is more than just one exciting option here.

Once we reach the bottom, we cross the Rehmen district with the old distillery. A historic wooden building that almost archetypically represents the traditional architecture of Vorarlberg with its conservatories and wood-shingled façades. Next to it is a new building of Vorarlberg modernism - and this too is characterised by natural restraint, the use of materials and craft techniques from the region and clear lines. This is exciting architecture that is adapted to the region and can be found in the Bregenzerwald in both private houses and commercial buildings.

Finally, we simply sit in a cosy spot in front of the hotel. We look out over the surrounding mountains, once again with great architecture behind us and enjoy the pleasant understatement of the Bregenzerwald.