Bavarian fantasy- Füssen Germany 2022
Grand American Travel Blog leaves America for the first time! This summer I had the pleasure to study abroad for about a month in Germany. Rather than creating an ultra long blog to cover a whole month of travels, I have chosen to break it up into smaller articles. Why not start with my personal favorite place in Germany, the small city in Bavaria called Füssen. Despite its small population of around 15,000 people, this town is globally known for its castles. Specifically the Neuschwanstein Castle, and the less popular(but still beautiful) Hohenschwangau Castle.
Train Station Fun
Getting to Füssen is very easy by train. The high speed trains were very comfortable and efficient, I left from Berlin in the evening, and made it by morning. I took a high speed train from Berlin to Munich, then two regional trains to get to Füssen. The German train system makes travel easy, however there were a few hiccups. First and foremost, if you are going to take a train overnight, do yourself a favor and avoid long layovers at the train station. While the trains were safe and comfortable, the stations at night were…slightly sketchy.
The longest layover was in Munich, and lasted about 5 hours, which felt like a whole day. The Munich train station is not fully covered, it has a roof and side walls, but the front of the structure is completely open so the trains can pass through. This made for a cold and scary night, which I did twice over the course of 3 days. 2 am at the station was interesting, nothing was open, and security only stayed in one area. Benches were extremely limited, and most were in dimly lit areas. To be as safe as possible, I sat on the second story balcony with my back against the glass wall, and my bags in hand. There were many interesting people, I witnessed many intoxicated people, at least 5 people walking around while drinking out of very large(and visible) wine bottles. Oh and there were also a few people who were screaming. The worst part was when a man confronted my girlfriend and I and demanded we give him wine(we didn’t even have any). Another man was clearly drunk and tried to get my girlfriend to party with him, which we declined his offer.
After 5 hours of 40 degrees(pretty chilly for late May!) and sketchy encounters, the sun was beginning to rise and our time at the station was coming to an end. We waited for our train, and then a few minutes before arrival, we were notified that our regional train would not be coming due to staffing issues. Panic mode began to set in, and a fun weekend was at risk of deteriorating. I was unsure how I would make it back to Wittenberg(home base for our studies on this trip), and I was also worried there would be nobody to help. Fortunately that fear was all for nothing, and the railroad employees told us we would be able to hop on the next train that was only an hour away. We were very glad to make it safely to Füssen, which had a very nice train station that had a delicious bakery.
Things To Do In Füssen Germany: Exploring The Town
The train dropped us off in Füssen around 10 in the morning, on a misty day no warmer than 50 degrees. After taking a much needed long nap at the hostel, we decided to explore the town. Seated beneath the hills of the Ammergau Alps, the town possessed a charm I had only seen in the movies. Cute little shops, cobblestone streets, and the aroma of German food filled the village square. After wandering the town, we decided to stop at a small Italian restaurant nestled into the back corner of the village, called Michelangelo’s.
Due to the close proximity of Italy and Germany, and the large amount of Italians that reside in Germany, Italian food is extremely popular in Germany. The food was so good here, we actually went here back to back nights. My favorite dish was the tagliatelle al salmone, which was tagliatelle pasta amalgamated with a creamy tomato sauce and Atlantic salmon.
Hike
After a lovely dinner, we decided to go for a brief hike to work off our food. This town is also known for its spectacular hiking in addition to the castles, so hit the trail if you have the time! The beautiful trails are free and they are some of the best things to do in Füssen Germany. We hiked a few miles through the woods along the Lech River, then turned around at the Austria border. The trails in Germany are very clean, I spotted no litter, and no sticks block the trail. This trail was very safe, and there were no tripping hazards. I was blown away by how clean and safe this town was, you can tell that the Germans prioritize cleanliness in their cities.
Things To Do In Füssen Germany: Castles
Hohenschwangau Castle
Some of the best things to do in Füssen Germany are to see the castles. Hohenschwangau Castle was first mentioned in records during the 12th century, and was home to the knights of the Schwangau. The castle had been partially destroyed during multiple wars and was plundered in 1743. The ruins were purchased by the Bavarian King Maximilian II in 1832, and the castle was rebuilt to its original condition. This castle served as the summer home of the Kingdom of Bavaria’s monarch and their family until 1912. The royal family that spent summers here belonged to the “House of Wittelsbach” who ruled Bavaria and nearby territories from the 11th century til World War 1.
This royal family even has ties to the House of Windsor, as the House of Windsor descended from the Wittelsbach Princess Sophia of Hanover(1630-1714). To learn more about the rulers of these castles, check out the “Museum of the Bavarian Kings”, which is also located in Füssen. At the castle you can receive tours in many languages, or receive an audio guided tour. All of the tour guides spoke English, and the audio guide had English as an option as well. We did the audio tour, which is still led by a tour guide, who explained a bit about each room, and assisted with the audio devices.
Neuschwanstein Castle
After spending his summers growing up at the nearby Hohenschwangau Castle, King Ludwig II of Bavaria(1845-1886), desired a new castle nearby. Neuschwanstein began construction in 1869 and was funded privately by King Ludwig II, and commissioned to the famous composer and his close friend Richard Wagner. In 1884 the king moved into the castle during its construction, but he mysteriously died in 1886 just a few days after being deposed as king. His body was found in a nearby lake, and his cause of death remains a mystery to this day. Many believe he was murdered following his deposition, largely due to the large amount of debt he accumulated building his castles. The king only spent 172 nights at the castle, and it was never fully finished at the time of his death. Many of the plans had to be simplified following his death, and some planned portions of the castle were never realized. The castle opened to the public six weeks after King Ludwig II’s death, and construction ended in 1892, with many rooms unfinished. The castle also served as one of the main inspirations for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella Castles.
Now that you know a bit more about the history of the marvelous castle, I will talk about my experience. This castle is stunning, both on the inside and the outside. I have heard people say that they were unimpressed by the castle, but I fully believe that those people are probably secretly jealous that their house will never be nearly as amazing as this castle, so they pretend to be haters. Unfortunately picture taking is forbidden inside the castle, however there are a few pictures on the castle’s website.
The interior of the castle is very large, and each room is unique. Architecture is inspired from a variety of styles including Roman, Turkish, and Byzantine. Additionally Wagner’s opera “Lohengrin” (inspired by the legend of the swan knight) is featured in much of the buildings art. There is even a chapel adorned with frescoes of Biblical scenes. When you arrive at the castle, expect about a 25-35 minute walk uphill. I read blogs that said it took an hour, but it did not take me even half that time, and I was walking about as fast as everyone else was. If walking up hills isn’t your thing, they also have horse carriages that can take you both up and down the hill. Additionally there is a bridge that goes between the hills and provides a better look out of the castle, but unfortunately it was closed for construction, so I will have to wait until next time for that experience. If you have ever considered visiting Germany, Füssen is a must see location, and should be on your list!
For more blogs about my adventures in Germany, stay tuned for my Germany Series