Oberstdorf

Oberstdorf is I suppose most like a state park. People come here to hike and enjoy the abundant outdoors. The area is most known for alpine ski jumps as it has multiple jumps, including a super big one for world-class competitions including the world cup of ski jumping. One thing I noticed is that on television it looks very different than it actually is due to the angle of the camera. It always appears like the ramp they ski down launches them upwards at the end, and they land on a slight slope. In actuality, the ramp is horizontal and the slope on which they land is very steep. Standing on the top of the jump is scary enough, I don't know how people actually ski off the thing.

Oberstdorf is also home to the deepest canyon in Europe, the Breitachklamm. There's a trail that walks along the canyon and the experience is supposedly different in each season. I saw pictures of the canyon during the winter when it's all covered with snow and the waterfalls have frozen into ice sculptures, and at night people go through with real torches. I'll have to come back here in the winter to try it. Anyways during the summer it's still quite a sight. The canyon is narrow, so you're often walking with crags of rock looming overhead, and the area is notorious for loose rocks.

I really had a great time here in the Allgau. There was such a contrast between the dense, populous cities I've been visiting and the extremely open country. Germans are lucky enough to get six weeks of vacation a year, and this region is a popular destination. The smart ones come here to relax and the smarter ones just live here full time. Oh, and the cheese is good and plentiful. Next stop: Greece.