Füssen is a beautiful town with 15.000 residents, placed on the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. It is considered as the highest Bavarian town built in 800-1200m above sea level. It is mostly known as the initial or the final destination of the royal «Romantic Road» in south Germany and it is also the base for day trips to the famous King Ludwig’s castles of Neuschwanstein & Hohenschwangau, at a distance of 4km.
Apart from the neighboring castles, Füssen is worth visiting even for one day just to explore the medieval historic center aged 700 years old and the amazing Alpine nature, with the river Lech running through it and the man-made Forggensee lake with great views to the Alps. It is easily accessible by private car or public trains, with the train station located just a few meters from the town center.
So, let’s a take a look at what this small town has to offer besides just accommodation for visiting the royal palaces:
The historical center
Dated back to the Roman Empire, the historic center of the town consists of colorful houses in Alpine-Bavarian style, medieval alleys, small cobblestone squares and churches in gothic/rococo/baroque style.
Just a few meters from the central train station you can find Reichenstrasse, the main shopping pedestrian street with the fairy-tale colorful houses/restaurants/cafes and the amazing view to the castle. At the end of that street and on our left, we reach the Town Hall and the Municipal Museum (Rathaus), while straight ahead we meet the red church of Holy Ghost Hospital Church (Heilig-Geis-Spital-Kirche) with the impressive rococo painting on the façade.
The main tourist attraction of the town is the medieval castle on the hill, the “High Castle – Hohes Schloss”, the former summer residence of the Bishops of Augsburg, with the impressive façade of the inner courtyard (top photo). On the exit and below the castle we reach the baroque Monastery of “St. Mang” and the Füssen Heritage Museum. The lovely cobblestone alleys offer endless pleasant walks, either inside the town center or along the river Lech up to the Franciscan Monastery at the end of the town.
On the way to the Alps. The Alpine landscape is truly amazing!
Reihenstrasse, the central pedestrian street facing the Hohes Castle of Fussen
The Town Hall
Beautiful cobblestone alleys and Bavarian style houses with painted façades
The colorful Heilig-Geist-Spitalkirche catholic church close to the Lech river
St. Mang Monastery
Views to the historic center of Füssen from the banks of the river Lech at dusk
The Lake Forggensee
The highlight of my visit to Füssen was undoubtedly the cruise on the Lake Forggensee. Just a few km away from the town center, walking through the small street of Konig-Ludwig-Promenade facing the stunning Alpine peaks and the Neuschwanstein castle, you can reach the small harbor in about half an hour. What can you actually do there? Walking along or cruising in the lake. So, this is the place where the ships depart for the cruises around the lake, from June to October. There are 2 options, the short cruise for 55’ (8€/person) and the long one for 2 hours (11€/person). I chose the long cruise and enjoyed those 2 hrs, gazing the amazing Alpine landscape and the intense blue waters of the lake.
Departing from Füssen, the cruise ship crosses the whole lake up to the barrage on the north side, making stops to some lakeside villages on the way (such as Schwangau on the top large photo). The views to the legendary Neuschwanstein castle and the snowy peaks of the Bavarian Alps are totally breathtaking. The only negative point of the cruise is that the guide is only offered in German. In all other respects, the ship is comfortable, there is a bar restaurant inside and the cruise is really worth the try.
The lake is also suitable for water sports, swimming and sailing.
The royal Neuschwanstein castle on the Alps as seen from the Forggensee lake
River Lech
If you are a nature lover as I am, you will be thrilled by the walk along the Lech river towards the Lech fall. Starting from the bridge after the red church and following the right side, the path offers a pleasant walking route to the woods for about ½ hrs. It goes across a small forest and leads to the river’s gorge and the small waterfall surrounded by the Alpine peaks. You can either descend to the riverfront or keep on walking into the woods. Whatever your choice is, you will be encircled by an astonishing landscape!
On the other side of the bridge you can enjoy beautiful images of the castle, the old town and, of course, the wonderful Alpine nature.
The Franciscan Monastery of St. Stephen on the Lech river
Walking along the Lech river
The Lechfall
