Fussen

Fussen is the nearest large town to Hohenschwangau, where the future King Ludwig II grew up, and Neuschwanstein, the palace he built that nearly bankrupted Bavaria and helped bring about his downfall.

But more on that later; Fussen has some other attractions as well.

We stayed out of town a little, in Bad Faulenbach, ten minutes walk but miles from the bustle of Fussen. In a most peaceful, scenic location, and full of robust bicycling and hiking Germans, the Aktiv Hotel Schweiger was terrific, if a bit strange. It is certainly the only hotel we have stayed in that has an in-house dialysis centre.

Nearby was the Lechfall, an attractive, 18th-century weir over which the River Lech tumbles some twelve metres into the Lechschlucht Gorge. The water had a wonderful pale blue, limestone-cloudy look to it.

Near the gorge also is a monument to King Maximilian II, Ludwig’s dad and generally well-liked monarch.

We enjoyed Fussen’s old town and its two star attractions, the Hohes Schloss (High Castle), where, around 1500, someone had the clever money-saving idea to paint the details around the windows on to the walls and St Mangs Basilica, dating from 1726 and with a truly splendid interior.

The following day we caught the bus out to Hohenschwangau, site of the former royal residences and now a core piece of Bavarian tourism.

It has all the attributes. Scenic castles in lofty, romantic settings, an easy path to a bridge - the Marienbrucke - from which picture-postcard photos can be obtained and a gorgeously scenic lake - the Alpsee - for relaxing.

The sight of Neuschwanstein jutting out from its mountain foundations is truly stunning; it’s hard to imagine how it could be made to look any more photogenic.

The interior is fascinating. A throne room in the Byzantine style, a bedroom in the Gothic style, Wagnerian references everywhere, it was an interesting look at the masterwork of Ludwig, who was maybe not mad but certainly very unusual.

Hohenschwangau was different, and not overly architecturally pleasing. However, as the home where Ludwig was raised and lived as monarch, it held other items of interest. The walls are painted extensively with works of art, and it was in one of the rooms that Ludwig signed a letter that contributed significantly to the formation of Germany as we know it today.

Slightly castled out, we are moving on to our next stop, Munich.Read more