The Bavarian nobility knew how to enjoy life. So if there’s a place that the nobility loved to visit, you can be sure it’s worth a detour. Especially now in the summer heat, you should check out the royal family’s favorite swimming spots. King Ludwig, for example, was known to enjoy swimming in the Alpsee below the castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. Prince Regent Luitpold, on the other hand, had chosen a pond in the Allgäu as his favorite swimming spot. Today, the Prinze Gumpe near Hinterstein is an enchanting natural swimming spot where you can relax and recover from the stresses of everyday life—just as Luitpold once did.
A Noble Body of Water
The Prinze Gumpe is located in the Allgäu and belongs to Hinterstein, a district of the town of Bad Hindelang. The swimming spot owes its name to Prince Regent Luitpold, who enjoyed bathing in the pools of the Zipfelsbach Waterfall during his hunting trips. Until the 1990s, there was a regular outdoor swimming pool here, before the decision was made to redesign it. It was, so to speak, a return “back to the roots,” and the swimming pool was transformed into today’s Prinze Gumpe Kneipp Healing Garden.
Since 1998, the mountain swimming area has been fed by water from the Zipfelsbach stream, which is directly connected to the swimming pond. The pond requires no chlorine at all; instead, the water purifies itself naturally . At Prinze Gumpe, you can not only swim but also try out the Kneipp method. For this purpose, there’s a water treading area, an arm basin, and a basin for dew treading. There’s a separate pool for children where they can splash around to their heart’s content. Thus, the Prinze Gumpe combines natural swimming fun with wellness. And all of this with free admission!
The Prinze Gumpe Mountain Swimming Area
A trip to the Prinze Gumpe is worth it not only for the Kneipp facilities, but above all for the fantastic view. Here, you can swim surrounded by greenery with a wonderful mountain panorama and, for a moment, feel like a prince or princess yourself. When you take a dip in the water while the surrounding mountain landscape towers above you, you’ll understand why Luitpold loved coming here. Once you’ve had enough of the water, you can lie out in the sun on the wooden walkway or on the sunbathing lawn to dry off.
To satisfy your hunger, you can either stop by the kiosk or settle in on the restaurant’s beautiful terrace , which borders the water. In addition to the classic outdoor pool fare of fries and ice cream, the menu features mainly Bavarian dishes, such as Leberkas, Krautkrapfen, and Obatzda with bread. While you relax on the terrace, your children can run around on the great playground by the pond. So if you want to feel like royalty for a day, stop by Prinze Gumpe in the Allgäu!
📍 Location: Auf dem Buck 6, 87541 Hinterstein
💶 Price information: Free admission
