Famed for its production of milk and cheese, Sonthofen is an attractive town in the Bavarian Alps. It holds the title of Germany’s southernmost town and lies a stone’s throw from the border with Austria. As a popular health resort, Sonthofen is home to wellness facilities offering magnificent views of the Allgäu High Alps.
Things to do in Sonthofen
Occupying an 18th-century farmstead is the Heimathaus Sonthofen, which explores the cultural and social history of the town. As you wander through its rooms, learn about life on an Allgäu farm in times gone by before exploring the reconstructed alpine dairy in the adjacent building. Also on display are flax processing equipment and a crib made by Johann Georg Schmiedeler.
More than 12,000 models of vehicles, aircraft, trains and ships are on display at the Mini-Mobil Modellausstellung, a small-scale transport museum established by Gabriele Böck. In addition to individual models (most of which are HO scale), there’s also an 80-square-metre diorama of Paris that includes an illuminated Paris-Orly Airport. After your visit, you can pick up models in the collector’s shop or relax in the street cafe.
Travelling with kids? They’ll love spending an afternoon at the Wonnemar Sonthofen, a family-friendly leisure complex with an adventure pool, a slide tower and a sauna complex. You can relax on the lazy river or splash around in the wave pool before refuelling at the on-site kiosk. In addition to the indoor facilities, there are outdoor pools with stunning mountain views.
Getting around Sonthofen
Sonthofen is around 40 minutes’ drive from Memmingen and 45 minutes from Memmingen Airport, which has flights to destinations across Europe and North Africa. Regular trains connect to the Sontfhofen railway station and the town centre is compact enough to explore on foot.