One of the cutest and best little towns that I visited during our trip to Germany and Oktoberfest was Füssen! Füssen is a Bavarian town in Germany, just north of the Austrian border and is nestled at the foot of the Alps. This town is worth a stop on your Germany tour and is well worth a visit, especially with nearby castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau!

Füssen was the second stop of our Germany tour on our way to Munich for Oktoberfest. We came from Freiburg, Germany (another cute Bavarian town), and rented a car, making it a quick 3.5-hour drive (on the autobahn!) to Füssen. The drive was very easy and scenic, and without much traffic on the road, we were to Fussen pretty quickly. We were only staying in Fussen for one night, so we made the most of it and quickly dropped off our car (at the smallest car rental location I’ve ever been to!) and then called for a taxi to take us back into the middle of town where our hotel was. We wanted to pick a hotel that was in the middle of everything, and since Füssen is so small, it wasn’t hard to find something that was perfect for us. We stayed at Hotel Fussen. It was quaint, the rooms were small, but it was clean and had everything we needed for our stay for the night. Word of warning- most small hotels like this don’t offer air conditioning. While the temperature was still in the 50’s that night and we were able to open our window while we slept, it was still rather warm in the room. We love to sleep with a room as cold as possible, so keep that in mind if you decide you want to stay elsewhere and be sure when researching that you check to see if they have air conditioning or not. We knew this hotel didn’t have it, but since we traveled to Füssen in late September, we knew the weather would be cooler than hot, so we were fine for the night without it.

Füssen is pretty small, so it was easy to get around and see a lot within that afternoon and early evening before the sun went down. The town is absolutely beautiful. Everything sits right at the bottom of the Alps, so when you look up, you are surrounded by beautiful hills. And if you are visiting during their winter or right after it has snowed, you’ll see snow caps at the top!

The reason for our stay in Füssen before heading to Munich was to see the Neuschwanstein Castle. (More on that in a little bit) so we knew we only had the afternoon/evening to see Fussen. We walked all around downtown. This is where our hotel was located, so if you plan to stay in this area, it is the perfect location! The buildings lining the streets look like they are straight from a postcard. You can also walk over to the river and take in more view of this beautiful little town. I felt like I was in a fairytale because it all is so perfect and looks so fake! Sunset is a great time to get views from the river. While it was super foggy and dreary while we were there, the town never lost its charm.  We made sure to see Altstadt (Old Town), Hohes Scholss, and Lechfall. All amazing sites that should not be missed.

After wandering around for a bit, we came across this charming restaurant and since it started pouring rain, it was perfect timing for dinner. This restaurant was SO cute and was so cozy inside. We ate dinner at Restaurant Pizzeria Il Pescatore. Yes, it was Italian in Germany, but it was fresh and authentic flavors and was SO good. We started with the bruschetta and I ate a caprese pasta while Dan opted for a pizza and both options were divine. We left feeling full and happy and headed back to our hotel since we knew we had a long day ahead of us.

The next morning we had plans to visit the Neuschwanstein Castle. We had plans to take a late train to Munich that day, so we knew we wanted to start early. Regardless of your plans for the afternoon, I HIGHLY suggest taking the first tour of the day or start as early as possible. By the time we had finished our tour, it was VERY busy. We woke up early and grabbed coffee and breakfast from the cute bakery right outside of our hotel. The bus stop was a close walk from the middle of downtown Füssen and since bus transportation is very easy to navigate and ride, we decided to take the bus from downtown Füssen to Neuschwanstein. FYI- If you plan to do this and are starting your day early, make sure you are aware that all students ride the SAME bus. It was so funny to me to see school students taking the public bus to school. They don’t have their own school busses and ride with the general public, making these buses PACKED. Make sure to come early to ensure you get a spot on the bus. They will come around often, but if you have a specific time to get to Neuschwanstein, you need to make sure you get to the bus stop about an hour and a half before your ticket time. This way if you are running late, you will have a little time to buffer with.

Neuschwanstein Castle is sometimes referred to as the “Sleeping Beauty Castle.” In fact, it is rumored that Disney actually designed Sleeping Beauty Castle because of Neuschwanstein Castle. This is one of the world’s most famous German castles, and I totally see why. Neuschwanstein Castle was built in the 19th century for King Ludwig II. This was meant to be his castle for him to escape. King Ludwig was obsessed with creating the most perfect castle, so he set out to have the castle build in the Bavarian Alps. Sadly, he never saw his dream come to life. He mysteriously died in 1886 and the castle was turned into a museum a few weeks after his death. Neuschwanstein Castle welcomes a million tourists a year and rightfully so. It is BEAUTIFUL.

What to Know Before You Go:

Neuschwanstein Castle offers guided tours that are about 30 minutes. This is the only way that you can see the inside of the castle. These tours have limited spots and are booked on a time slot. Since this castle is SO popular, I highly recommend booking your tickets in advance. You can buy your tickets online up until 2 days before your visit, but just know that time slots can sell out quickly, especially if you are visiting during the summer months when it is most popular to visit. Even though we visited in September, it was very busy, so book your tickets in advance!

Getting to Neuschwanstein Castle:

If you take the public bus to the Neuschwanstein Castle drop off point, you will arrive in Hohenschwangau Village, which is at the base of the castle. There are cute shops and restaurants in the village, but it seemed that prices were higher for things just because you were coming to a very touristy area. If you plan to walk to the castle, know it is a very steep uphill walk and can take about 45ish minutes to get up to the top. There are also horse carriage rides and a shuttle bus that can take you up to the top. Once you pick up your tickets from the ticket center, you will see signs for the shuttle. I recommend taking the shuttle because it is quick and easy and if you are one of the first visitors of the day, you will be able to ride the shuttle without a lot of people on it. These shuttles cost 1.80 euro for uphill and 1.00 euro for downhill. Make sure to have cash and coins with you in order to pay.

Queen Mary’s Bridge:

If you take the shuttle buses to Neuschwanstein Castle, you will be dropped off at a certain point and then be required to walk the rest of the way. Before you continue on to the castle, make sure to stop at Mary’s Bridge. (I suggest stopping to see this before your Neuschwanstein Castle tour because it will likely be very crowded later on in the day).

If you are hiking to Queen Mary’s Bridge, there is a trail that will take about 45 minutes to get to. This is the same walking route if you were walking to Neuschwanstein Castle, but know it’s very tiring!

You will see a sign for Mary’s Bridge, so veer off to the right and work your way to the bridge. The bridge is 90 meters above Pollat Gorge, but it is very short. Even though I was so afraid when I was on the bridge because I was up so high, it is totally worth it to see the castle from here! The views are AMAZING. If you go to Neuschwanstein Castle early and visit Queen Mary’s Bridge on the way to the castle, this will be the best time to visit. The crowds are lower, meaning fewer people on the bridge which gives you more time to enjoy and views and get all the photos that you want.

What to Wear:

You will be walking a lot, so make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes. Since you are up high, it tends to be a bit chilly. Even in September, it was very cold that morning, so I recommend wearing comfortable clothes and bring a jacket in case it is windy.

Coming to Neuschwanstein Castle:

There are many different options to get to Neuschwanstein. You can take the public bus like we did which was simple and easy. You can drive your own car, but know that if you plan to park in the parking lots, they fill up super early in the morning and can be full by the time you arrive leaving you without a place to park. If you are coming from Munich and only for the day, you can easily take the train. From the train station, you will grab the bus and get off at Hohenschwangau. Another great option is a tour. If you don’t like making your own travel arrangements, think about going a lower that will take care of all of your transportation and plans with you. It may cost a bit more, but it makes it much easier for you to know everything is already taken care of and planned out for you.

Tips on visiting Neuschwanstein Castle:

Pick a less busy time to go. Remember, over a million visitors come to see Neuschwanstein Castle. Lines can get lone and people all want the same pictures, so try to visit during a weekday (which is when we went!) or during the offseason.

Make sure to check the weather before you go. It can be warm where you are located and have totally opposite weather at the castle. Be prepared for all types of weather conditions.

Like I said before, get to the Hohenschwangau Village early and pick a Neuschwanstein Castle tour time as early as possible. You will avoid crowds and be able to walk around without a ton of people in the area. Then, once your tour is over, you will be able to make your way back to the village, check out stores and restaurants and visit Hohenschwangau Castle if you have time afterward. We did not visit this castle because of time, but you can buy a combination ticket and visit this castle as well.

After your visit to Neuschwanstein Castle, head back to downtown Füssen and enjoy lunch at one of the many outdoor cafes where you can sit in the square and enjoy the beautiful scenery. We ate at San Marco and enjoyed tomato soup and salad since it was a little chilly that day. It was the perfect way to end our trip to Füssen!

What to do in Füssen:

Visit the Tegelberg Luge- We ran out of time and the weather wasn’t too great for this, but if you’re looking for something the entire family will enjoy, the Tegelberg Luge is a little car with a handle and you are pulle dup on a long rope giving you views of the alps and hills. Then, you get to go down the hills all while controlling the speed of your car. It’s very cheap to do, but is something fun and different for the family to do.

We saw a ton of bikers around Fussen. Lake Forggensee is close to Füssennd is about a 19-mile round trip bike ride around the lake. If you are active and like adventure, this is something else you may be interested in doing.

If you are thinking of visiting Germany in the future, make sure to add Füssen to your travel plans! You won’t be disappointed!

Love and Travel Dust,

Molly