Stettelberg

Stettelberg is the only slope-launch paragliding site directly on Lake Constance, Germany, at about 590 m, with striking views over the lake and the Swiss Alps beyond. The launch sits in a man-made forest gap, so the wind there is often hard to read — pilots are told to launch only in a clear, unambiguous headwind, and only when the regional wind is out of the southwest. Every pilot needs a one-time briefing from an experienced local pilot before flying, and paragliders need at least the restricted pilot's license, hang gliders the unrestricted one. The landing field is fairly demanding, especially for hang glider pilots — it's boxed in by fruit orchards strung with hail nets, and there's no alternative landing option if things go wrong. The flying area itself is kept deliberately small for nature-conservation reasons, with fixed boundaries that can only be crossed inland at more than 200 m above ground. Between 15 October and 15 March, flying is capped at five days a month.

Getting there & local rules

From Bodmann-Ludwigshafen or Bonndorf, take the K 6174 and turn south near the Weierhof; follow the narrow road about 800 m to the forest edge, then left another 600 m along the tree line to a gravel forest track on the right — guests park there and walk the final 500 m south to launch.

Local rules & hazards

The launch sits in a man-made forest gap where the wind is often hard to read, so launch only in a clear headwind with the regional wind out of the southwest — every pilot needs a one-time briefing before flying. The landing field is fairly demanding, especially for hang glider pilots, boxed in by fruit orchards strung with hail nets with no alternative landing option. The flying area's boundaries are fixed for nature conservation, only crossable inland above 200 m AGL, and flying is capped at five days a month between 15 October and 15 March.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Stettelberg, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Stettelberg with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.