Boundless diversity, "nailed" rock and a unique cultural landscape - these special features are characteristic of the Nagelfluhkette Nature Park. It is the first cross-border nature park between Germany and Austria and

connects seven municipalities from the western Oberallgäu with eight municipalities from the front Bregenzerwald. With a size of approx. 405 km², it is a medium-sized protected area in comparison with the rest of the Alps. Information center and office of the nature park is the AlpSeeHaus near Immenstadt in the Allgäu, where an experience exhibition conveys everything worth knowing.

Location and relief
The location at the northern edge of the Alps is responsible for the fact that the Nagelfluhkette Nature Park has large differences in altitude. While the lowest point on the Bregenzerach River is 465 meters above sea level, the highest point in the very south reaches 2,050 meters above sea level. The most famous peak is the Hochgrat near Oberstaufen (1,834 meters). It is the culmination of the middle Nagelfluh range, a 24-kilometer-long mountain range that runs from Immenstadt in the east to Riefensberg or Hittisau in the west.

The Nagelfluh rock
The Nagelfluh Rock gives its name to the Nagelfluhkette Nature Park, which has existed since 2008. It consists of many individual boulders that have solidified into a conglomerate. This makes it look as if nails had been hammered into it so deeply that only their heads are still sticking out. The Nagelfluh is part of the Molasse, one of three spatially separated geological units that make up the mountains of the area. South of the Molasse are the Flysch zone and the Helvetic limestone mountains.

Biodiversity and cultural landscape
The high biodiversity in the Nagelfluhkette Nature Park should be emphasized. This is due to the large difference in altitude between the valleys or gorges and the mountain peaks as well as the geological diversity. In addition, the cultivation of the areas by humans has created new habitats rich in species over the centuries. Thus, the nature park is home to many rare animal and plant species, such as the rock carnation, the black grouse and the Apollo butterfly, the only protected butterfly in the world.