We went to Füssen for castles, but we got so much more than we expected!
Our seven days in Austria had come to an end and we were sad to leave this beautiful country behind. Our next destination was Füssen Germany, the town most famous for its neighboring fairy tale castle, Neuschwanstein. Built by “Mad” King Ludwig II, this was the castle that Walt Disney modeled Cinderella’s castle after for his Orlando theme park.
But before I get to castles, let’s talk about how beautiful Füssen was. I expected it to be a tourist trap, and there WERE a lot of tourists, but the town was big enough to hold everyone and it never felt crowded. Füssen’s old buildings and cobblestone streets were beautifully maintained. Some of the murals dated back to the 900s. The Lech River that flows through the town was a vivid green, which contrasted so beautifully with the white buildings and red roofs.
We stayed at a quirky boutique hotel called Hotel Fantasia where the garish purple and bling chandeliers were the direct opposite of the no-nonsense matron who greeted us every morning. Perfect location a block away from the train, very comfortable room with a balcony overlooking the city and a good breakfast.
If you visit Füssen make sure to eat at Kelari — a Greek restaurant that is everything you want in a restaurant (cozy, creative, fresh, friendly, good prices).
So let’s get back to the castles. They were only a short bus ride away in the small hamlet of Schwangau. We reserved tickets in advance for both castles, Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. The bus was free (thanks to our hotel’s complimentary Füssen card) but we’d been warned it didn’t always run on time so we gave ourselves 45 min to get there and pick up our tickets before our assigned tour began. That was just enough time for an early morning walk around the village.
If you visit, reserve your tickets online before you leave. It’s MUCH quicker and you’ll know what time your tours will be. Pack a lunch and bring a small backpack with water. I had read somewhere that you couldn’t bring bags into the castles so we didn’t have our packs with us. Imagine my frustration when we saw everyone with backpacks and large purses. It’s true they don’t allow large backpacks or strollers, but everything else is allowed. There are plenty of options for food, but we found them all to be overpriced and mediocre. I’d much rather save the money and splurge on the excellent dining in Füssen.
Hohenschwangua didn’t look like much on the outside but the inside was lavish. We weren’t allowed to take photos of the interior but it was certainly worth the visit.
The 20min walk to Neuschwanstein was pretty and worth the steep trek uphill. You could feel the excitement building as everyone reached the top, where the ideal fairy tale castle appeared before our eyes. Which is also when we met supreme disappointment.
The castle’s main entrance, the part that is so often seen in pictures, was completely covered by scaffolding. The front of the castle sat on the edge of a deep gorge, so in my mind this was going to be one of those magical places where I could fantasize about being Beauty and Eric could be Beast. But alas, sweaty men on scaffolding was not conducive to such imagery. But the castle WAS beautiful, completely different from Hohenschwangua.
Instead of taking the bus, we walked back to Füssen. There was a well-marked trail leading back to town which offered great views of the castle behind. The walk began flat but quickly went uphill into forest paths. We came across an old hut where they used to turn limestone into mortar. The trail ended by walking down to Füssen, so we had an incredible view of the town. The walk took us about 45min and was well worth it.
