Sonthofen is a city in the Bavarian part of Swabia in Allgäu.

Sonthofen is a small city with 21,000 citizens which was elected Alpine City 2005.

view of St Michael's Parish Church from east

Sonthofen is an excellent base for the further exploration of the Oberallgäu. Prices are lower than in Oberstdorf or Bad Hindelang which are closer to the Alps, but can be reached within 30 minutes by train or car.

Get in

By train

• 1 Sonthofen Station. From München there is a train every hour which takes about 2 hr 40 min to reach Sonthofen. From Stuttgart there is a train every hour which takes about 2 hr 45 min to reach Sonthofen. From Lindau there is a train every hour which takes about 1 hr 5 min to reach Sonthofen.  

By car

From north you take the Autobahn until Kempten and then take the B19 until you reach Sonthofen. During peak season there are often traffic jams on the B19.

From west you take the B308 to Sonthofen. This road passes the Paradies (Lookout Point) and you might need snow chains after heavy snowfall during winter (announced in traffic radio).

See

• 1 Museum der Schirme (Umbrella museum), Bahnhofstraße 2, ☏ +49 8321 619241. 
• Museum of local history (Heimathaus Sonthofen), Sonnenstraße 1. 
• 2 Erzgruben, Grüntenstraße 26,87545 Burgberg im Allgäu, ☏ +49 8321 7884646. Mines 

Do

Events

• Klausentreiben: 4–6 December annually. Claw and horn costumed men bringing Christmas gifts and plenty of noise
• Egga-Spiel: . A play performed every third year (last time 2019) around the end of carnival (late February/early March) to symbolize the struggle of people with the forces of nature.  (date needs fixing)

Eat

• Brauereigasthof Hirsch. (updated Jan 2016)
• Pizzeria Da Zaza, Richard-Wagner-Straße 18, ☏ +49 8321-6762267. Closed on Wednesday. (updated Jan 2016)
• Schiff, Illerstraße 26, Blaichach. 

Drink

• Kraftwerk, Stadionweg 12. Tu 21:00-04:00, F Sa 22:00 - 05:00. Disco 
• Barfly, Marktstraße 4, basement. Su-Th 12:00-01:00; F Sa until 03:00. Independent/Alternative Rock 
• Barino, Freibadstraße 14. Su-Th 11:00 until 03:00; F Sa 11:00-16:00. Cocktailbar 

Sleep

• 1 IllerCamping, Sinwagstraße. 
• 2 Gasthof Traube, Grüntenstraße 11, ☏ +49 8321 6718. 
• 3 Gasthof Pension Sonne, Am Anger 2, ☏ +49 8321 3606. 
• 4 Hotel Deutsches Haus, Schnitzerstraße 3, ☏ +49 8321 7809850. 
• 5 Hotel Sonnenklause, Hinang 48, ☏ +49 8321 3614. 
• 6 Hotel Kaisers - das kleine Stadthotel, Hermann-von-Barth-Str. 4, ☏ +49 8321 276 70 11. 

Go next

• Museum of carriages at Hinterstein
• Kempten
• Oberstdorf
• Klein Walsertal (A)