Füssen, Germany
FÜSSEN
Population: 14,500. Elevation: 750 m (2,460 ft).
Country-Area code: +49-(0)8362. Sister city: Helen, Georgia.
License plate: OAL (short for the district of Ostallgäu, to which Füssen belongs).
Situated 5 km (3 mi) from the royal castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, Füssen is the last Bavarian enclave before crossing the Austrian border. Commanding Füssen’s skyline is Hohes Schloss, a landmark fortress securing the frontier since the Middle Ages. In its shadow is Füssen’s quaint Old Town, accented by medieval architecture and crooked lanes. Although Füssen recently celebrated its 700th birthday, the town really dates from Roman times when Emperor Claudius forged the north-south trade route, Via Claudia Augusta, and garrisoned his troops here. Funnily, the name Füssen translates to “feet”; perhaps suggestive of the emperor’s legions of boots on the ground.
Tourist information (www.fuessen.de, tel. 08362/93850, May-Sept Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-14:00, Sun 10:00-12:00—Oct same hours except Sun closed—and Nov-April Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00, Sat 10:00-14:00) is centrally located a few-minute walk from the train station, GPS: N47 34.177 E10 42.057. Out front of the TI is a cluster of columns capped by rotating rock boulders that compose a mesmerizing arrangement of fountains, which at night are even more entrancing to view. TI has brochures in English, free town map, one Internet computer (1€/15 min or free use for overnighting guests), and convivial staff typically clad in traditional costume. Note: If you arrive after hours use the 24hr self-service info kiosk out front to find a room or snag a brochure.
Railers, most of you are here for one reason: to visit Schloss Neuschwanstein. Trains shuttle between Munich and Füssen every hour (2hr trip) but note that every second train is non-stop. For example, from Munich trains depart for Füssen :51 min past every hour but departures on the even hour (e.g. 8:51 and 10:51) are direct while departures on the odd hour (e.g. 7:51 and 9:51) require one change. From Füssen trains depart for Munich nearly :05 min past every hour but departures on the odd hour (e.g. 15:07 and 17:05) are direct while departures on the even hour (e.g. 16:05 and 18:05) require one change. If you are not traveling on a railpass, purchase the Bayern-Ticket to cover all your train and bus travel for the day. Once at Füssen, buses (73 & 78 depart hrly, 7-min ride, 3.60€ round trip) and taxis (9.50€ one way) depart from outside the station to Schloss Neuschwanstein. Station has lockers, 2-3€/24hr. Bike rental available in shop at end of track (April-Oct 9:00-18:30, 8€/24hr). Across the street is the post office (Mon-Fri 8:30-12:30 & 14:00-17:15, Sat 8:30-12:00) and a short distance farther at the traffic circle is a Netto discount grocery store (Mon-Sat 7:00-20:00). Note: If you have time, 15-90 min, browse Füssen’s Old Town. You’ll find a charming pedestrianized zone, a beautifully Baroque church, and a medieval fortress. (Exit station and follow foot-and-car traffic a few short min straight up to the grocery store, TI, and main pedestrian drag Reichenstrasse.)
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(The updated 2012 guide will soon be released in February)
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Drivers, surprisingly, traffic can get quite congested in Füssen. To avoid the snarl, park in one of the pay garages and survey the town on foot (roughly 1.30€/hr, 7€ max, or metered street parking 50¢/30 min), or park free in lot P2 off Kemptener Strasse (GPS: N47 34.096 E10 41.322) opposite gas station, a 10-min walk from town.
Post office is across from the train station (Mon-Fri 8:30-12:30 & 14:00-17:15, Sat 8:30-12:00, 24hr stamp automat outside, button for English).
Internet: The TI has one Internet computer (1€/15 min or free use for overnighting guests) or you can surf at “be@ns & bytes” (daily 11:00-21:00, 2€/hr, has Skype) at Reichenstrasse 33, which is in a passage off the main pedestrian drag, under a 5-min walk from the train station and TI.
Grocery Store: Pick up your picnic provisions at the Netto discount grocery store (Mon-Sat 7:00-20:00) positioned on the traffic circle in the center of town, equidistant from the train station and TI.
Sights: Besides a picturesque Old Town and cobbled pedestrianized zone, Füssen features a glorious monastery, a medieval castle, and a wondrous waterfall called Lechfall. At the southern end of the main shopping street (Reichenstrasse) is the beautiful parish church St. Mang, which is attached to the former Benedictine Monastery St. Mang that originally dates from the 8th century but renovations 1,000 years later reflect its Baroque character. Within this holy complex is the heritage museum “Museum der Stadt Füssen” exhibiting the history of Füssen, including Bavaria’s oldest Dance of Death painting cycle (Totentanz, 1602). The museum can be found by the Rathaus around the corner from the parish church (enter from Rathaus courtyard, 2.50€/adult, April-Oct Tue-Sun 11:00-17:00, Nov-March Tue-Sun 13:00-16:00, toilets on left before entering). Literally towering above St. Mang is Hohes Schloss (pictured in the header above), a 14th-century powerhouse fortress and former summer residence of the prince bishops of Augsburg. To reach its three-dimensional inner courtyard (recalling its deceptively frescoed facade), climb the path running by the parish church St. Mang. The bishop’s former living quarters now accommodate a painting gallery displaying late-Gothic and Renaissance works from regional artists. Scale the corner tower (free April-Oct 11:00-16:00). About a 15-min walk southwest of the castle is the must-see Lechfall; Drivers heading to Austria will pass Lechfall en route.
Good Eats: For an economical lunch or dinner, try Hotel zum Hechten (see entry below) or quicker and cheaper sample one of the nutritious daily specials at the Vinzenzmurr butcher-deli (3-5€ per special that are listed on a leaflet stacked on the counter, Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00, Sat 8:00-13:00, located at Reichenstrasse 35 on the main pedestrian drag, just a handful of doors along on the right past the Hotel Sonne on the corner, under a 5-min walk from the train station and TI).
(Note: To beat down the listed room rack-rates for the following accommodations, surf my recommended wholesalers in the right sidebar, e.g. Priceline, Expedia, Hotels.com, Travelocity, etc.)
If you’re looking to overnight in Füssen, the below-listed digs cover every comfort level and are listed in order of price and preference (and all include breakfast). Add an extra 1.60€ per person per night for so-called Kurtaxe, i.e. local taxes. Drivers, unload out front; parking at Sonne 5-7€/24hr, and free at zum Hechten (hard to find, ask ahead).
$$$ Hotel Sonne, (Prinzregentenplatz 1, GPS: N47 34.171 E10 41.994, tel. 08362/9080, sgl 89-121€, dbl 111-139€, dbl superior 149-175€, dbl deluxe 195€, trpl 139-163€, trpl superior 169-199€, 4/5-bed room 189-215€, all major CCs accepted; free Wi-Fi and use of Skype-enabled computer in lobby). Spearheading the pedestrian zone across from the TI, these fashionable digs in a historic shell are hard to beat. Moreover, treat yourself to the hotel’s wellness center—perhaps a full-body massage (49€/60 min), back or foot massage (25€/30 min), classic face treatment, or a cleansing spell in the bare-all sauna—consult reception for details.
$$ Hotel zum Hechten, (Hintere Gasse 2, GPS: N47 34.044 E10 41.914, tel. 08362/91600, sgl 59-65€, dbl 94-110€, dbl superior 98-116€, trpl 126-141€, quad 140-156€, CC: VC, MC, AE; free Wi-Fi and use of Internet computer). Positioned beneath the castle at the back end of the main pedestrian drag, these digs run by the Pfeiffer-Tramp family offer a compatible mix of contemporary and traditional living in the hub of the Old Town. Relish a bite at zum Hechten’s restaurant; a large and easy-to-read English-language menu lists every appetizing component of every meal, from crispy salads and soup-of-the-day to vegetarian dishes and Bavarian gastronomy to specialties from the grill (daily 10:00-21:00, lunch buffet typically Mon-Fri 11:00-14:00 7€/person). Note: The hotel has three floors but no elevator.
$ (hostel) Jugendherberg, [HI] (Mariahilfer Strasse 5, GPS: N47 34.449 E10 41.245, tel. 08362/7754, dorm bed 20.70€, dbl available; hostel is closed mid-Nov thru Dec). This Hostelling International property with its 134 beds in 31 rooms within a 15-min walk of the train station (follow tracks back to hostel) is listed here for backpackers seeking an unfussy bunk bed. But note that in the Bavarian HI association youth still takes precedence over travelers 27 years or older (who are only allowed to stay if it appears there will be a vacancy and after paying a 4€ surcharge per night, excluding families).
Click here to go back to Good Sleeps in Hohenschwangau (community by castles).
Wieskirche
Wieskirche, (daily 8:00-17:00, April-Oct till 18:00, but visiting is restricted during Mass; regular services are held Sat 10:00; Sun 8:00, 9:30, 11:00; Wed May-Oct 8:15, 10:00, 11:00, 11:45, 15:15, 16:00; and Tue & Fri June-Oct 19:00).
Some 45 km (27 mi) south of Landsberg, and 22 km (13 mi) north of Hohenschwangau, you’ll discover the Wieskirche, a gloriously scenic “Church in the Meadow.” In 1740, a chapel was built to pay homage to a wooden likeness of Jesus allegedly seen weeping. The Christ-like figure, known as the Scourged Savior, became an object of worship for pilgrims Europe-wide. To handle the influx, a significant church was built in the meadow (by the artistic brothers Dominikus and Johann Zimmermann). Dating from 1754, the Wieskirche recently celebrated its 250-year anniversary. And there’s much to celebrate; the church’s heavenly interior accented by a confection of swirling ornamentation is arguably Germany’s most dazzling example of Rococo style, earning a place (since 1983) alongside the Taj Mahal and the Acropolis as an esteemed member of UNESCO’s World Heritage List. That said, the interior of St. Peter’s Church in Salzburg, in my opinion, is as equally stunning.
GPS: N47 40.943 E10 54.013. Drivers, turn off the Romantic Road at the north end of Steingaden and follow the brown Wieskirche signs (5 km mostly uphill) to the church; metered parking 1€/hr. Railers, because of the church’s isolation, connections are limited. Your best bet is bus 73 departing Füssen train station typically 8:05, *9:45, 12:40, 13:05, *14:10 (*not Sat/Sun), 45-min trip (note that the last bus back to Füssen is about 15:50). The Romantic Road “Touring” bus is scheduled (daily May thru Oct 24) to stop here (northbound only) for 15 min.
Click here to go to Ludwig's Castles.
(Note that this page has not yet been updated for 2011.)
COMMENTS
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