Schloss Neuschwanstein near Füssen in 2013

Füssen in Allgäu is an enchanting town in south of Bavaria, Germany known for the Hohes Schloss and its Basilica and former Benedictine monastery of St Mang. The world famous Neuschwanstein Castle is situated a few kilometres to the east. Some visitors come to tour the castles and leave immediately afterwards leaving the beautiful little town unexplored. This is a great pity as there is much to see in Füssen and the surrounding area if you know what you are looking for! There are magnificent lakes with beautiful views and the "Kalvarienberg" which has the "Stations of the Cross" on it.

Get in

By train

From Munich, direct trains leave about every two hours and take two hours. There are more frequent connections if you are prepared to change trains somewhere along the way.

From Innsbruck, head to Vils in Tirol (a small town 7 km from Füssen), Ulrichsbrücke-Füssen (the stop before Vils) or Reutte in Tirol. Bus 74 runs from Reutte to Füssen via all these stations. Bus 71 runs from Vils directly to the castles. Innsbruck to Füssen takes about 3 hours.

By car

Füssen is on the end of the Romantic Road, coming from Augsburg as Bundesstraße 17 (B 17). From Munich take the Autobahn A 96, leave at Landsberg Ost and follow the B 17. If you come from the north via Autobahn A7, take the last exit before the Austrain border.

By bus

Maybe the cheapest way to get there: Many bus tours are operated to Füssen from most parts of southern Bavaria, often including a visit of the fairy-tale castle Neuschwanstein. Watch for tours at Munich main station (Hauptbahnhof).

Get around

Füssen is small enough that a car is not really needed. There is a bus to the castles and the trains to Munich and Augsburg and the old town is easy enough to access by foot. You can walk to Neuschwanstein and Hochschwangau castles via some marked roads; travel times posted on the signboards are comfortable over-estimates.

There are some great areas nearby, like some of the lesser-known castles, which would be easier to reach with your own car. It is possible to rent a car in Füssen.

Another alternative is to rent a mountain bike. There are numerous shops, one even right at the train station. Füssen has invested a lot into developing a network of bike routes and paths to make biking easier.

Houses and Hohes Schloss (Higher Castle-Formally home to the Prince Bishops of Augsburg) in Füssen

See

In the town

• The State Gallery in the Hohes Schloss (Staatsgalerie und Städtische Gemäldegalerie im Hohen Schloss)
• St. Mang's Abbey (Benediktinerkloster St. Mang)
  • The Füssen Heritage Museum (Museum der Stadt Füssen)

Outside

• Schwangau

Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau from the Bavarian countryside

Hohenschwangau Castle.

Wieskirche

• • 1 Schloss Neuschwanstein, Neuschwansteinstraße 20 (Bus Nr. 73 or Bus Nr. 78 from Füssen. Horse carriage from Hotel Müller: uphill €6, downhill €3), ☏ +49 83 62 - 9 39 88-0, fax: +49 83 62 - 9 39 88-19, svneuschwanstein@bsv.bayern.de. Ticket sale times: April - September: 9 am - 5 pm, Oct. - March: 10 am - 3 pm. Closed on January 1, Shrove Tuesday, December 24, Dec 25, Dec 31. The mother of all German castles is only 3 kilometers away from Füssen. This fairy-tale castle is well known worldwide. Make sure to sit behind the driver while bussing to the castles. You can also walk to the castle, which is about 30 minutes walk uphill. Be warned that taking photographs is prohibited inside the castle. You must buy the ticket in Ticket-Center Hohenschwangau, Alpseestraße 12. Admission: adults €12, reduced admission €11, children under 18 years free. Combination ticket „Königsticket“ for Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenschwangau Castle on the same day: €23 or €21 concession. (updated May 2018)

• 2 Hohenschwangau (Bus Nr. 73 or Bus Nr. 78 from Füssen. Horse carriage from the Ticket-Center: uphill €4, downhill €2.), ☏ +49 83 62 - 93 08 30, fax: +49 83 62 - 93 08 320. Ticket sale times: April - September: 9 am - 5:30 pm, Oct - March: 10 am - 3:30 pm. Closed on Dec 24. The castle directly across from Ludwig II's fairy-tale castle. This castle served as Ludwig II's home while he was growing up. The ticket office closes half an hour before the castle does. Make sure to sit behind the driver while busing to the castles. You must buy the ticket in Ticket-Center Hohenschwangau, Alpseestraße 12. Admission: adults €12, students, seniors (over 65) and groups (15 people or more) €11 per person, children under 18 free. Combination ticket „Königsticket“ for Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenschwangau Castle on the same day: €23 or €21 concession.  

• 3 Linderhof Palace. 
• 4 Wieskirche. This pilgrimage church is one of the world's great rococo masterpieces, located only a ten-minute bus ride from Fussen in nearby Steingaden. A work of Dominikus Zimmermann and his brother Johann Baptist, it has been designated a UNESCO world cultural heritage site. Two bus trips daily; check at the station or Fussen tourist bureau for departure times. 
• 5 Falkenstein. Another castle, this one is a ruin, a short distance from Füssen, near Pfronten. There is a great hotel and restaurant nearby, but driving there is a bit tricky. 
• 6 Via Claudia. Füssen is on the Via Claudia — the old Roman road from Donauwörth over the alps to Venice. You can travel the Via Claudia (or parts of it) by bike. 
• 7 Tegelberg. A ski area, but in the summer you can take the lift to the top or enjoy a luge ride down the mountain. Enjoy the view, hike some trails and stop by one of the little restaurants. 

Do

• Visit Castles
• Visit the Stadtpfarrkirche und former Abbey of St. Mang. The church (the Abbey was founded over 1100 years ago) is known for its very beautiful choir and orchestra Sunday Masses and historic organs
• Swim in the public lakes: Alpsee, Obersee, Mittlerersee, Alatsee
• Mountain Biking
• Sauna
• Sail on the Forgensee
• Attend The Füssen Festspielhaus to watch a show.
• Watch hockey at the Bundesleistungszentrum
• Dance

Buy

• Galeria Bavaria, Reichenstraße 37, ☏ +49 83 62 6630, info@galeriabavaria.com. 
• You'll find a lot of souvenir shops around castle Neuschwanstein. Decide yourself what's worth the money.

Eat

• Maximilian (in Hotel Sonne). 
• Hotel Ruchti. Great food, typical Bavarian. 
• Bierstube (in Hotel Hirsch), Kaiser-Maximilian-Platz 7, ☏ +49 8362-93980. 11:30 - 14:00 and 17:30 - 23:00. The "Bierstube" is a charming, bavarian snuggery with delicious, regional food and draft Beer from Munich. This is Füssens meeting point for the locals and a must see for visitors. 

Drink

• Eisenschmied. Nice atmosphere with some outdoor seating. 

Sleep

• Hotel Sonne. A modern, 4-star hotel, directly in the old town of fuessen. About 5 minutes away from Castle Neuschwanstein. 
• Hotel Fantasia. A 2-star, design hotel, a 1 minute walk from town. About 6 minutes away from Castle Neuschwanstein. 
• Haus Bagci. A very friendly guesthouse a few minutes' walk from town. The rooms are very comfortable and the price is reasonable. There are apartments or double rooms. 
• Hotel Ruchti. A smaller, 3-star hotel, minutes away from the old town, but in an area with almost no traffic. They have about 26 rooms and a great restaurant. Great people and great atmosphere, and wireless internet. 
• Youth Hostel (Jugendherberge). The youth hostel is located behind the train station and is roughly a ten-minute walk. Most of the staff are not locals, but Germans from other parts of the country and want to complete their civil service in the area of the Alps, so they can be active in alpine sports. 
• House L.A-City Hostel, ☏ +49 170 62 48610, fax: +49 8362 38534, info@housela.de. for travellers or family on a budget who wish to explore the region or who are looking for a weekend getaway. They offer private rooms for two to five people (suite) and are located in Füssen, near Neuschwanstein Castle. From the balcony or terrace you can enjoy the amazing view of the Alps. 
• Gasthof Engel, Hauptstraße 36, Hopferau (in the village of Hopferau), ☏ +49 8364 - 312, fax: +49 8364 - 8622, info@gasthof-engel.net. A small guesthouse with 100 years of family history if you don't mind going 10 minutes by car and be off beaten path. Nice authentic food, clean and affordable rooms, great breakfast! Child and pet friendly. 
• Hotel Hirsch, Kaiser-Maximilian-Platz 7 (3 kilometres from the Schloss Neuschwanstein), ☏ +49 8362 93980. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. Hotel Hirsch is a traditional and welcoming hotel with modern amenities in the center of Füssen. It is a family run hotel in the 4th generation with Bavarian à la carte restaurant and most beautiful guestrooms. 
• Another option is to drive about 10-minutes via the Schnellstraße or hike about 1-hour along the beautiful wooded "fairy tale" trails that connect Füssen with the nearby Austrian village of Pinswang. There you will find several inns and private homes with guestrooms for travelers.

Go next

• Ehrenberg Castle: Across the border in Tirol, Austria, near the city of Reutte. Very authentic castle, being restored. Just over 20 minutes by car.
• Be sure to visit nearby Austrian villages of Vils, Pflach, Pinswang and the capital of the Austrian Ausserfern District, Reutte.
• Garmisch-Partenkirchen, next to the highest mountain of Germany, the Zugspitze.
• Oberammergau, famous for its Passion Play that's been performed every 10 years since the 17th century and the murals on the façades of many buildings, is 1 hour 38 minutes to the east by train and about a 45-minute drive.
• Munich, a large, cosmopolitan city with a beautiful Old City and many great attractions. Munich Central Station is a bit over 2 hours away and the drive is about 1 hour 45 minutes to the east-north-east.