3 days of bike-packing on the Iller cycle path from Ulm to Oberstdorf

The bikepacking tour along the Iller river - ideal for long weekends

Perhaps you know the Iller from the game City-Country-River or because the beautiful towns of Memmingen and Kempten are located on the Iller.

We have a total of four days available and want to do a cycling trip with a tent, one that doesn't involve too long a journey there and has a good return trip. After some research, we hear about the Iller Cycle Path for the first time, but it passes through towns we've heard about and that are definitely worth a visit. Plus, it would allow us to explore the beautiful Allgäu region. A total of 150 km and hardly any elevation gain through the Upper Allgäu – that sounds like the perfect cycling trip for three days. No sooner said than done: off we go!

Day 1 of the Iller Cycle Path: From the Danube estuary in Ulm to Memmingen/Buxheim

We start early in the morning with the drive to Ulm, where we park our car at a Park and Ride lot and fortify ourselves with a good coffee and delicious French toast at the small café Brot und Stühle in the heart of Ulm's city center. Afterwards, we stroll through the beautiful old town with its small, lively streets, admire the famous Ulm Minster with its enormous church tower (which we'll be able to see again later from afar on the bike path), and then set off on our bikes. The confluence of the Iller and Danube rivers is not far from the city center and train station, and that's exactly where we begin our tour.

June is showing its sunny side; the weather couldn't be better, and the well-signposted cycle path leads out of Ulm through shady forests and meadows. The 161-meter-high church tower of Ulm Minster comes into view again and again as we continue cycling south.

Our first stop is at one of the many signposted bathing lakes, where we enjoy a refreshing dip. After a quick pit stop due to some punctures in the inner tube, we continue upstream along the Iller River. But why are we cycling against the Iller, i.e., upstream?

Since our journey to Ulm is significantly shorter than to Oberstdorf, and we are really looking forward to the mountain views, we are cycling towards the source of the Iller River. The plan is to take the train back to Ulm from Oberstdorf.

The cycle path intersects with other cycle paths and junctions, but it is easy to find thanks to its own symbol, and there are information boards along the way about the river, the dams and the attractions of the surrounding villages.

There are plenty of places to stop for refreshments along the bike path, with beer gardens, small kiosks, cafes, and ice cream shops. We decide to have dinner in Memmingen, the city known as the "Gateway to the Allgäu." The bike path veers slightly away from the Iller Cycle Path, and we cycle past the "Neue Welt" city park with its green lawns and modern playgrounds. We roll through the old city gate and directly onto the historic market square, where numerous restaurants and cafes line the restored old facades. We fortify ourselves with Swabian Maultaschen (even though we're in Bavaria) and head straight for the nearby campsite in Buxheim. Unfortunately, there was no space left for us and our small tent, so we quickly inquired at a horse farm and were allowed to pitch our tent in one of the paddocks. After about 60 km of cycling, we call it a day.

Day 2 of the Iller Cycle Path: Buxheim - Ettlis (Waltershofen)

Even though it's very warm during the day, it cools down considerably at night, and we're glad we brought our cozy blankets, which we can also use as sleeping bags. Since we're traveling light and don't have any camping dishes, we head to the local bakery the next morning.

There, you'll not only find a good breakfast with delicious pastries, but also friendly people with great information about the surrounding area. To explore further, we return to the Iller Cycle Path and continue cycling south. The route to the source of the Iller involves a total of 300 meters of elevation gain, spread over the entire distance. A few more climbs await us on the way to Kempten, when the cycle path leaves the banks of the Iller for a few kilometers. We cycle a little way from the river through the typical Allgäu landscape with its many green hills and grazing cows belonging to beautiful farms. More and more e-bike riders pass us, effortlessly tackling the climbs. For us, the elevation gain is easily manageable even without electric assistance; the climbs are never particularly long or steep. We pass small villages, the bells of the Allgäu cows ringing out again and again. Around midday we stop in Altusried, then cycle back to the banks of the Iller River towards Kempten. Shortly after Altusried, we see them for the first time in the distance: the mountains. They still seem quite far away, even though the visibility is particularly good on this sunny weekend and we can see that there is still snow on some of the peaks.

From now on, we keep finding gravel banks along the Iller riverbank, perfect for swimming, as the water is crystal clear and a beautiful blue. We trade a dip in the Iller for a good coffee in great company and meet up with travel acquaintances we made in Portugal. Kempten is a beautiful city, with a very well-known market on Friday mornings in the Residenzplatz in front of the baroque basilica, which we unfortunately miss by a day. Instead, we admire the other noteworthy buildings in this lively university town.

Since we couldn't find a spot for our tent at a campsite on our last evening, we tried something new: We booked a night with MyCabin.eu:

Just past Kempten, in Elltis near Waltershofen, we booked a campsite for the night for the first time through MyCabin/now Nomady. The slight detour took us past a beer garden where we enjoyed a hearty dinner before "checking in" at the horse farm. Nomady offers tent pitches and campervan sites on private land, where people make their meadow, paddock, or field behind their house available for a small fee. Since wild camping is prohibited in Germany, this allows travelers to legally pitch their tents in the heart of nature. We set up our tent on a relatively level section of a horse paddock and enjoyed a breathtaking view of the mountains.

Day 3 of the Iller Cycle Path: Ettlis (Waltershofen) - Oberstorf

Just as wonderfully as the last rays of sunlight illuminated the mountains before us in the evening, we awoke at the edge of the forest to birdsong after a peaceful night surrounded by nature. We ate the raisin roll from the day before for breakfast, refilled our water bottles, and set off back along the banks of the Iller River. The mountain panorama changed around every bend, and the cycle path wound its way along the Iller, ever closer to the Alps. It was a very warm day, and we frequently stopped to rest on a gravel bed, cooling our calves in the icy mountain river, which was becoming increasingly lively. We encountered several kayak and canoe tours and many families taking advantage of the region's numerous recreational opportunities. Before reaching Sonnthofen, there was a large and beautifully designed wakeboarding facility that looked very inviting, as well as several lakes that were considerably warmer than the Iller. In the small town of Sonnthofen, we had our lunch break with many other vacationers and definitely felt the holiday atmosphere.

A few kilometers later, shortly before Oberstdorf, we reach the source of the Iller River with its bronze artwork depicting three female figures symbolizing the streams that form the Iller: the Trettach, Stillach, and Breitach converge right there and flow into the Danube 147 kilometers further north. People swim here, and the spot attracts many tourists. We enjoy the beautiful view, the sound of the three rivers, and cycle the last few meters to Oberstdorf, which lies at the foot of the mountains.

Our three-day bike tour ends here, and we wind down with a delicious iced coffee overlooking the gondolas and mountains. A little later, we take the regional train back to Ulm, where we begin our journey home, relaxed and refreshed.

The three-day trip along the Iller Cycle Path is a truly beautiful tour. Thanks to the well-maintained route, excellent road conditions, and minimal elevation gain, we were able to enjoy the ride without any prior training, and it would even be possible with a bike trailer. Those who don't want to camp can also easily find accommodation along the Iller Cycle Path.