Füssen

The southern end of Southern Germany's Romantic Road

Füssen is the southern terminus of the Romantic Road in the foothills of the Alps with a very picturesque setting on a river.

It has few sights of its own, but it makes a great base for exploring the surrounding area, including the famous Neuschwanstein castle.

The sights of Füssen

If you have time to kill here, stop by the 15th-century Hohe Schloss Castle, once used by the Augsburg prince-bishops as a summer home. The Rittersaal (Knight's Hall) has a carved wood ceiling from the 1400s and is filled with a branch of the Bavarian State Collection of Paintings—a series of late Gothic paintings and sculptures (mostly 15th and 16th century) from across Swabia-Bavaria alongside some 19th century works.

The former Benedictine Abbey of St. Mang across the river is a nice assemblage of baroque architecture that's worth poking around (be on the lookout for the Dance of Death cycle in the Anna Chapel). The monastery cells are now home to the Füssen Heritage Museum, documenting the 1,000-year history of the abbey.

Where to eat in Füssen

For a late dinner in the historic center, head to Zum Schwanen for filling portions of Bavarian and Swabian specialties. Brotmarkt 4; tel. +49-(0)8362/6174.

Where to stay in Füssen

Altstadt Hotel Zum Hechten [€] is a family-owned, modernized inn directly below the castle, and a good place to crash if you're too tired to head up to Munich from here. Doubles start at €93. Ritterstrasse 6; tel. +49-(0)8362/916-099; www.hotel-hechten.com.

» More hotels in Füssen

Continuing on the Romantic Road

Füssen marks the south end of the Romantiscehstrasse, so from here you either

1. Start heading north on the Romantic Road to the Weiskirche (or skip it and go straight to the city of Augsburg)
2. Take an excursion to see the famous Neuschwanstein castle nearby
3. Head up to Munich

« Northbound to the Weiskirche || On to Munich »

Tips

• Planning your time: Honestly? You can skip Füssen if you're not interested in continuing on to Neuschwanstein castle. Though the town has an hour or two worth of sightseeing itself, it's really just a jumping off point for the castle.
• Visitor information:The Füssen tourist office is at Kaiser-Maximilianplatz 1 (tel. +49-(0)8362/93-850, www.fuessen.de).
• Book a Romantic Road tour: Perhaps the easiest way to tour the Romantic Road if you don't have a car (and don't want to be stuck on the bus's schedule) is to let others take care of the logistics and transportation—and provide you with a tour guide. You can book these at a discount via our partners Viator.com:
  
  
  • Neuschwanstein Castle Small Group Day Tour from Munich
  • Neuschwanstein Castle Day Trip from Frankfurt