It can be tough to decide which small town to stay in when visiting the castles, Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. We opted for Füssen and were not disappointed! The size of the town is small, cute, and walk-able, but big enough to have a variety of activities at the castles and around. Keep reading for ideas of things to do around the castles, in Füssen, and in the surrounding area.
1. Things to do in Füssen: Castles!
Obviously, the first thing that comes to mind when visiting Füssen is the castles: Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. They are so impressive and fun to visit! I have an entire post dedicated to what it is like to get tickets, when to go, and how to see the interiors of the castles in this post called Germany Castle Day. Be warned, it is chaos busy in the little village at the bottom of the castles. Go early for a few moments alone on the trails and around the castles.
1a. Other Castle Activities: Mary’s Bridge
Be sure to buffer time to visit Marienbrücke or Mary’s Bridge. Queen Mary (Ludwig II’s Mother) loved hiking the surrounding hills so much that she had a bridge built to easier access across a gorge. Hiking was a favorite pastime of hers. The view of Neuschwanstein is incredible. However, be sure to check that the bridge is open when you visit. It was sadly closed when we visited and often closes in winter. I was so bummed when it was closed, but we still made the best of our day.
1b. Other Castle Activities: The King’s Museum
We stopped by the King’s Museum the day before our big Castle Day. I would recommend the Museum only if you have a couple hours, plenty of energy, and a healthy interest in the history of the Bavarian Kings. The Museum is thoughtfully laid out with interesting exhibitions and a metric ton of information. It was overwhelming! It was neat to see Ludwig II’s coronation robe and some of the artifacts from Hohenschwangau and other castles. If I had to choose, I would definitely say to go on the castle tours because you can always catch up on the history another time. I enjoyed the Museum, but wish I had more energy when we visited.
1c. Other Castle Activities: Paddle Boat Alpsee
While visiting the King’s Museum in the late afternoon, I noticed the paddle boats on Alpsee Lake. Although we didn’t have the time, it would be so romantic to rent a paddleboat for an hour and enjoy the peace of the vibrant blue lake with a backdrop of castles. I found this website that has the prices for a paddle boat rental. Maybe there is a little area you can row to with a picnic lunch with a view.
2. Downtown Walk
Something you absolutely must do is walk to the old downtown area of Füssen because it is so dang darling! The pastel-colored buildings tightly line the streets to make the town postcard-perfect. See if you can spot the trompe l’oeil’ (trick of the eye) of the windows painted onto some of the buildings. I also recommend walking over to the river, for even more beautiful views of the this town. Sunset was the perfect time to visit.
3. Luging
Not just for kiddos, I had a blast at the Tegelberg Luge! On the Tegelbergbahn, you load up on a plastic little car with a handle. You are pulled up a long rope with views of the green hills, alps, and Neuschwanstein in the distance. Then you begin the twisting turning route down the hill. You have control over your speed, so you can take the turns as quickly or slowly as you wish. I read the best way not to get hurt is to hold on with two hands to the handle at all times. For 3.80 € per ride, it was an inexpensive an thrilling ride. This luge seemed a bit tame, so I would be curious to try the one near Oberammergau or in Austria.
4. Biking around Forggensee
We had read that it was possible to bike around the lake Forggensee, which is less than a kilometer north of Füssen. It is a 19 mile round trip ride around the mid-sized lake, which we fully intended to do… But we couldn’t figure out a place to rent bikes!! Let me know in the comments if we overlooked a bike rental place and I will add it to the post! You can also ride to the castles, which would save some cash in parking fees, or to Austria. We did visit Forggensee and you can see Neuschwanstein from the far shore. A little tough to see in these photos, but it was there!
5. Hot Springs
Another thing I looked into (as I do for almost every place I visit) is hot springs or spas near Füssen. In the town over, there looks to be a large spa/sauna complex called Kristall Therme. As enticing as it sounded after a long day of castle-tours, we didn’t make it to Kristall Therme. Perhaps in the future!
6. AROUND FÜSSEN: LINDERHOF PALACE
Getting further outside Füssen, Linderhof Palace is about 50 minutes away by private car. Linderhof was the private residence of King Ludwig II and the only castle/palace that he saw completed. It is drastically different than Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, but located in a beautiful valley with incredible gardens and interior. 100% worth the trek. Read about my visit in here.
7. AROUND FÜSSEN: DIP INTO AUSTRIA
If you head south from Füssen, you will be in Austria within 15 minutes. There are some funny wooden bridges that look like fun for kids at the border. Or, if you go another 20 minutes or so, you will see an suspension bridge high above the highway. This suspension bridge connects a series of old castle ruins called Ehrenberg. The bridge, ruins, and overall touristy vibe took us by surprise when passing through and we did not stop to climb the hills. Upon further inspection and if we had more time, it would have been kind of silly and fun to do the suspension bridge and take pictures with the ruins.
8. Around Füssen: Wies Church
On your way to or from Munich from Füssen, you will have the opportunity to visit Wieskirche or Weis Church. Located in the foothills with rolling hills, grazing pasture, and tiny little towns is the Rococo dream of Weis Church. The location is jarringly different than the ornate paintings and stucco inside the building. Like the pilgrims in the 18th and 19th centuries, I stood in awe of the intricate details of the church. The Pilgrimage Church is about an hour or so outside Füssen and detours from the main autobahn, but an interesting stop if you have the time.
What to Wear in Germany: Late-September and Autumn
While in Germany, we had perfect weather – mostly sunny and a little chilly in the evenings. Most days I wore pants, a cute blouse or light sweater, boots, and brought along a jacket and scarf.
- White top in the photos: I thrifted the lace top you see in the photos at a second-hand store. But this one from Free People, or perhaps this one from Anthropologie, or a cute little option from H&M.
- Shoes: In these photos, I’m wearing little grey Keds. For some cute but functional boots consider Clarks or Sorel.
- Castle Day Dress: The dress was also thrifted! The brand is holding horses, and it was tough to find another dress like it that’s available now. Here’s one from Free People at Pac Sun.
- Scarves: I love the chunky scarves that H&M has each season.
Overall thoughts: Füssen
Füssen was a wonderful home-base in the southern Germany region. There was plenty to do and a touch of magic with two castles just outside the town. We stayed in an airbnb while in Füssen, which put us in a residential area of the town. It was lovely to see the German families around and also gave the town a modern vibe with a lot of history. I would visit again.
Did I miss anything that I should recommend visiting in Füssen?? Let me know in the comments as I would love to have even more on in this list!
Happy Travels,
Hanna
