Three days in Füssen, Bavaria – Heaven on Earth: Bavarian Alps, Germany
In the last week of Oct 2018, I had planned with my wife to explore the Bavarian Alps. We started our journey from Dortmund and decided to make Füssen our landing place.
Füssen is just a few kilometers away from the Austrian border as well. Bavaria is one of the best places to visit in Germany, the richest German State. From Munich it's just 2 hours away via train.
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The town is famous for its Violin making industry. Füssen is around 600 KM away from Dortmund. I must say it is a dreamy and magical place for romantic couples.
Our Arrival to Füssen:
We reached Füssen around 10:30 PM. All the restaurants were closed at this time. We only had the option of Mcdonald's at that time, which was not very close to the city center. Always try to have your dinner early in Füssen.
Where to Stay in Füssen:
I would highly suggest booking the hotel in advance, else you will find all the expensive options. Luckily, we found a very cozy room with a personal bathroom around 2 km away from Füssen City Centre.
Füssen in located in the Southern region of Bavaria, Germany, and it's the last station of Deutsche Bahn's Regional Express trains. With its lush green fields, foggy Bavarian Alps, and rich history has a lot of activities and attractions located in and near Füssen.
Our Experience in Füssen:
Our 1st day - Exploring the Castles in the Region:
As we were staying in Füssen, we took bus no. 78 from the Main Train Station in Füssen. Füssen is around 3.5 KM from the village of Hohenschwangau, where both the castles Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castle are located. The ticket cost me around € 4.50 for the round trip. You can also rent a bicycle in Füssen for only € 10 per day in 2018, but now, the prices are increased most likely.
There's a ticket office located at the foot of the hill. Neuschwanstein Castle is located on a hill on the left side of the ticket office, and Hohenschwangau Castle is located on the right side. There are different combinations of tickets for both castles, along with the Museum of the Bavarian King. Don’t forget to claim your student discount if you are an EU Student.
The ticket to Neuschwanstein Castle is € 12.5. You can climb up or take a horse carriage ride which is € 7 per person. The prices of the tickets have increased now. As we wanted to experience the classical way of transportation to climb the hills, so we took the horse carriage.
There are guided tours every 5 minutes so that you can select the language of your choice as well. It took us around 1 hour for the tour of the castle, where we experienced the magnificent interior from the Council hall to the King’s room.
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There are also restaurants in the surroundings of the castle and 1 cafe inside the castle where you can sit and enjoy the view of the valley and castle.
Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the most beautiful castles in the World, and it is also one of the most visited castles not only in Germany but also in the entire world.
2. Hohenschwangau castle:
Hohenschwangau Castle is just a few meters away from the ticket office. It was the childhood residence of King Ludwig II, constructed by his father, King Maximillian ll.
Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to visit it from inside. You can also enjoy the view of the castle and its mind-blowing architecture from the outside.
3. High Castle of Füssen:
Majestically, the High Castle is located in the center of the old town of Füssen. At the end of the 13th century, Duke Lois II of Bavaria ordered its construction.
Around 1500, Bishop Frederich II von Zollern fundamentally re-designed it. It's one of the most important late-Gothic castles in Germany. Unfortunately, the Castle is being neglected by most travelers as they always prioritize Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castle over the High Castle of Füssen.
After coming back from the castle, we explored the FÜssen City Center in the mystic fog of the Bavarian Alps. The old town of FÜssen is a real gem at night and is highly recommended for a late-night walk.
Our 2nd day in Füssen - Exploring the surrounding & Lakes near Füssen on Cycle
We rented a Bicycle on the 2nd day of our trip for 48 hours from Ski Sport Luggi so we could easily explore and enjoy the valley floor on bicycles. I must say it's the best way to explore Füssen, surrounding towns, lakes, and the countryside by bicycle.
We cycled around 26 km and covered the small farms where we enjoyed the view of sheep, cows, and horses grazing the grass.
Ski Sport Luggi can also speak English and have the best bikes in the middle of the city center. You can also rent a bicycle from the Füssen train station.
1. Füssen Old Town:
As we had already been to Füssen's old town at night, we wanted to see how it looked during the day, so we had a short cycle ride on a narrow cobblestone street of Füssen, which took us back to medieval times.
The town has mostly local brands, along with a few International brands like Espirit. The shops usually close around 6:00 PM so if you want to do some shopping – don’t be late. They also have a few cafes and restaurants where you can enjoy your time.
2. Lechfall:
The Lechfall is located around 1.2 Km from the Füssen city center. It originated about 12,000 years ago from the meltwater of Lech Glacier formed a large lake.
The Lech initially fell about 100 m deep over the rock ledge in the then Forggensee and then eroded the narrow canyon.
It's a significant tourist attraction, and according to the local legend, Saint Magnus jumped across the Lech at this point when he was running from the pagan persecutors.
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3. Hopfensee:
Hopfensees, a lake, lies in the north of Füssen. The lake is formed by the Lechtal Glacier. The best way is to rent a cycle and enjoy cycling on the track just next to the lake.
The length of the lake is 2.1 KM. On the north shore of the lake, there is a resort called Hopfen See.
There is a huge campground on the east shore where a lot of camping cars are parked. You can also go swimming, boating, sailing, and windsurfing, but it totally depends on the weather.
Mostly it's possible from May to August. On the north Shore of the lake, you can enjoy the amazing and breathe taking view of the Allgäu Alps.
4. Alpsee:
The Alpsee is a lake located around 4 Km away from the Füssen. It's very close to the famous castles Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenschwangau Castle. You can see the wonderful view of the lake from the windows of the castle.
5. Forggensee:
Forggensee is one of Bavaria's most scenic lakes and the fifth largest in Germany. It boasts a reservoir and is renowned for kite surfing. Moreover, the iconic Neuschwanstein Castle is approximately 11 km away from the lake. During summer, there are numerous places to rent a boat and relish a boating experience on the lake.
It's one of the popular tourist attractions in Füssen, where you can also have the boat on rent and float along with wild swans that inhabit the lake.
Our 3rd day in Füssen - Exploring the surrounding Füssen on Cycle
1. Cycling in Bavaria: Explore Schwangau and the countryside
We started our exploration of 3rd day again on bicycles. We again headed towards Schwangau and enjoyed the cycling track and the view of the valley and farms.
There are also bus connections from Füssen, but we prefer bicycles as on bicycles you can stop whenever and wherever you want, and believe me, the beauty of this area is literally out of this world. It's the next-to-last town on the Romantic Road that terminates in Füssen.
We also enjoyed a mesmerizing view of the castles from the Schwangau, which is beyond words to explain. Schwangau is a town located around 4 km from Füssen and 1.5 Km from Hohenschwangau.
2. Visited Église Saint-Coloman de Schwangau:
Our next point was the Pilgrimage church of St. Coloman. The church is located in the open field and is considered a creation of early Baroque in Bavaria. It's a Gothic church that was built in 1945.
3. Tegelberg:
Tegelberg is a mountain that is a part of the Ammergau Alps. It's a mountain to explore in every season. I would highly suggest spending time here. We almost spend a whole day here. It's just amazing. It's located next to the fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein.
Activities in Tegelberg:
Tegelberg offers a numerous range of activities, from skiing to children's play areas to cable cars to Summer toboggan runs. The valley offers a lot of adventures with the summer toboggan run, the children's playground, the mountain water paddling pool, and climbing rocks.
In Winter, groomed slopes and cross-country trails invite you to Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, or touring. We have experienced the following activities and highly recommend enjoying them.
Tegelberg Bahn:
Tegelberg Cable car takes you to the top of the mountain, where you can enjoy the magical view of the Alps on one side and Neuschwanstein Castle on the other side. The breathtaking view of the valley floor is so mesmerizing that you will forget whether you are on planet Earth or in heaven.
The ticket costs you around € 20 per person for the round trip. It depends on you as well, you can also hike or also take a one-way ticket. As we wanted to enjoy the view from the cable car, we bought a round-trip ticket. You can easily buy tickets from the ticket counter. Now, the price of the ticket must have been increased.
Oh, My GOD !!!!! I want to spend the rest of my life here. I totally lost in the beauty of the Alps and the valley. The weather was perfectly fine, with amazing sunshine, but the winds were very strong.
There's a restaurant there where you can enjoy your coffee. We spend around 3-4 hours there, but it’s not enough for a place like this.
Be careful about the closing time of the cable car. We were so lost in the beauty – we forgot about the closing time. In winter, it closes at 4:30 PM.
But the staff of the cable car was so generous that they took us along with them in the last cable car. In case you missed the last cable car, you have to come on foot.
Summer Toboggan Run:
It's the best thing to do in the Alps. The Sumer Toboggan has a ticket for € 4 per person, and for kids- it’s € 3.5. You can easily buy tickets from the ticket counter. It takes up automatically. The view of the Alps is so amazing. Once you are on the top of the hill, it starts descending.
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That's the point where the real fun starts. You have to control it manually with the help of pulling the gear. It has many steep turns on which you have to reduce the speed. THIS IS SO MUCH FUN.
P.S. I tried it 3 times !! .. Highly recommended to do it.
Hiking and climbing:
Due to the limited time, we have not gotten the chance to hike or climb the mountain, but you must really go for it if you love hiking and enjoy the beautiful view.
Paragliding:
There's also an option for an adventurous activity to fly in the Alps. For the paragliding, you have to book in advance.
There's also a café where you can try the famous Franconia Currywurst and Pommes.
Ending Note:
After three days full of fun, indulging in history and natural beauty, Adventure, and thrill in Bavaria. It's time to go back home. We took a Regional Express Train from Füssen to Munich and then From Munich to Dortmund on ICE.
I will recommend spending at least 3 days in Füssen to enjoy the beauty of this alluring area.
As we live in Bavaria now, we have been to Füssen quite a lot of times now, and we always enjoyed our trip. The best way to travel within Bavaria is to buy Bayern Day Ticket and travel unlimited for a day on all means of public transport except high-speed trains in Bavaria.