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 Botanical Garden The botanical teaching trail:
Unique alpine flora - in the heart of the Allgäu Alps
Truly a botanical wonder garden, in which countless impressive flowering plants beautifully adorn the mountain at all altitudes and thus simultaneously impressively represent the rich variety of plant forms.
The area around the 2.226 meters-high Jöchelspitze is of a very special geological type.
Although situated in the middle of limestone mountains, the landscape is also distinguished by layers of clay, marl and shale as well as the general flora. The perfect harmonising of the key environmental factors, together with the sunny location of the covered areas and the warm rain from maritime air masses, form the conditions required for an unusually rich plant life.
This beautiful area is very easilly accessible, with or without your own vehicle, starting from the parish church along a little asphalt road which then turns in a westerly direction up the River Lech, then passes the Weiler Kraichen to the terraced slope where the valley station of the Jöchelspitz Mountain Railway is located. The meadows at this level also already signal the start of this area of marvellous beauty.
Whole carpets of colourful meadow flowers adorn in a blaze of colour the enchanting decorative garland on the edge of the rising mountain forest. At the valley station a large-format information chart gives general information and help on deciding whether to continue climbing to the mountain station along the forest path or to take the convenient chair-lift.
Subsequently, with increasing altitude, the clearing glades of the mountain forest indicate like window-box flowers the borderless transition from meadow flowers to alpine flowers.
Thus, for example, mountain bellflowers, large foxglove and various orchis anticipate the expected rich floral variety. The whole majesty and loveliness then suddenly open up in the meadows of the subalpine level above the upper tree-line.
Further on, climbing slightly, the path then leads in a northerly direction through the middle of the kingdom of alpine flowers itself up to the Lachenkopf, a hilly elevation before the summit. In this section the fabulous variety of flowers increases significantly. Wherever one looks, alpine flowers can be seen. They include the one-flowered Spotted Cat's Ear, cowslips, Michaelmas daisies, the soft-blue cranesbill, wound clover, the proud candles of the blue foxglove and above all the white alpine anemones, which stand out clearly from the rest of the sea of flowers.
But even this is far from the end of the admirable floral luxuriance, because it is only in the area around the summit that this extraordinary botanical attraction finds its crowning glory. Meadows, slopes and rock formations attract valuable alpine flowers of many different forms and colours. Exotically graceful Turk's-cap lilies, magnificent examples of house leeks, charming furry anemones, substantial numbers of the sulphur-yellow anemone, gregarious slickenside, majestic bouquets of campanula and enchanting rock carnations are just a few of the flowering delights which represent the world of flowers at this alpine altitude. After reaching the broad covered ridge, the hiking climb swings to the north-west and then, still lined with blooming flora, pulls sharply up to the summit of the Jöchelspitze. Right up to this exposed point, there is a constant variety of interesting botanical sights. Finally, having arrived at one's destination, one can take a much-needed rest and enjoy a breath-taking panoramic view of the magnificent mountain scenery of the surrounding Allgäu and Lechtal Alps. The return to the mountain station then follows along the route described, whereby the blooming flora can now be observed to advantage in reverse order and from a different perspective. At the mountain station a decision must again be made as to whether to go down to the valley station along the forest path or whether to use the chair-lift.
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+43 (0) 5634-5315
