All the Fuss About Füssen and Neuschwanstein

eAfter a lackluster Frankfurt, I was more than ready to finally see Bavaria and a cute small German town. On the train ride to Füssen, the countryside was noticeably prettier the closer we got, with the Bavarian Alps eventually revealing themselves in the distance. 

Füssen was a welcome relief from the chaotic exhaustion of Frankfurt. It’s a small town with quaint architecture. I started my time there by having lunch at a local restaurant called Ludwig’s. The food was okay but kind of pricey, and even though I ordered regular water, it still cost me 5 euros!

The town was definitely small and my hostel, Old King’s Hostel, wasn’t a far walk away. Interestingly, the hostel was totally self-service. Generally, this was okay, but in the event you had a question that needed a quick response, you were out of luck. Overall, I did like the hostel, though. It was quiet and clean, and it came with free towels, a locker, and key. Normally, I have to bring my own lock and pay to rent a towel. The only real downside to this hostel is that there was no laundry to use, but thankfully, I was able to use a nearby laundromat to wash my clothes.

Another thing I love about Füssen is that there are some hiking trails near the front of town that take you around to where there’s a lake with turquoise-looking water. I recommend you keep following the path to the bridge, which takes you back around into the main town area. As with Frankfurt and Füssen, I would soon discover that every town I visited in Europe on this trip was surrounding a river.

Day 2
The second day was my trip to Neuschwanstein Castle. I took a bus from the main station in Füssen. It was 5.60 euros round-trip, and I could pay in cash. The bus dropped me off near the town at the bottom. For those interested in staying closer to the castle, there are some hotels and restaurants here as well. That said, I’d recommend Füssen since it’s still so close.

To get to the castle it’s about a 20-25 minute walk uphill. You also have the option to take a car or a carriage ride, but for ethical purposes, I recommend skipping the carriage ride. Another tip is to buy your tickets ahead of time. It can get busy, and the last you want is to waste time waiting in line, especially if they end up being sold out.

It was a gorgeous, sunny day, and Neuschwanstein has has some of the prettiest views and surrounding scenery I've ever seem. I took the tour inside the castle, which was about 40 minutes and no pictures or videos were allowed. Unfortunately, there was construction going on inside, and to be honest, I thought the outside surrounding views were actually more impressive than inside the castle. 

On my way to Füssen, a German couple recommended I go to St. Mary's Bridge while I'm at the castle. I’m sure glad I did! If you exit the castle, just hang a left and follow the pathway that wraps around until you get to the bridge. St. Mary’s Bridge is high above a waterfall, and it might be scary if you're afraid of heights. However, if you can stomach it, definitely go! The views are incredible. Plus, it’s free, so in he event you can't get tickets inside the castle, you can still see it from the bridge (and to be honest, this was my favorite part anyway).

I then took the buss back to Füssen, where I had lunch at Aquila restaurant. It was cozy inside, and the food came out insanely fast. I ordered a Bavarian cheese noodles dish that came with fried onions on top. It was an interesting mix but it somehow worked. 

I loved my time in my first small town in Germany, and Neuschwanstein is absolutely worth visiting.