10 Things to Do in Füssen, Germany
When putting together the itinerary for our family trip to Germany and Austria last fall, my dad immediately knew he wanted to check out the famous fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle (that inspired Sleeping Beauty’s castle at Disneyland!), so we added a couple nights in Füssen to make it happen! It’s an easy trip from Munich and the perfect getaway from the craziness of Oktoberfest.
In addition to Neuschwanstein and other nearby castles, there are a number of fun things to do in this cute Bavarian town located southwest of Munich along the Germany—Austria border. I rounded up 10 fun things to do in Füssen to inspire you to add this town to your own Germany itinerary!
READ NEXT: How to Get to Neuschwanstein Castle
10 Things to Do in Füssen, Germany
Füssen, Germany, is a super cute Bavarian town located north of the Austrian Alps. The scenery around Füssen is simply stunning; there’s mountains and rolling green hills and lakes. The Lech River runs through Füssen and has a gorgeous glacial blue color. Contrary to what you may think based on its proximity to the mountains, Füssen does not get terribly cold or a lot of snow. (Korri and I chatted with a Füssen resident that moved many years ago from Chicago and said their winters are nowhere near as bad as Chicago winters, ha!)
Füssen is a smaller town, so it’s easy to walk around, but it’s also well-connected to the rest of Germany (and Austria). You can find a plethora of spots serving authentic Bavarian cuisine as well as tons of shops offering traditional German trachten! I purchased my dirndl for Oktoberfest in Füssen. It felt like one of the more touristy places we visited on our trip because so many folks were in town (presumably taking their own quick jaunt from Oktoberfest). Grab the Füssen Card to get discounts on many of the local attractions!
Where is Füssen, Germany Located?
Füssen is located southwest of Munich along the Germany—Austria border. You can get there by train (recommended) or by car. The train trip (on a slow regional train) takes about 2 hours, barring any delays, which can sometimes happen because there is only one track into and out of Füssen.
How to Get to Füssen, Germany
From Munich, you’ll take a regional train to get to Füssen, so the trip takes longer than it would on a high-speed train. There are more stops and it doesn’t go quite as quick; the trip is about 2 hours long if there are no delays. (It also doesn’t have a dining car, and the cars itself aren’t all connected so you can’t freely walk between them.) Because of its close proximity to Munich, Füssen is an easy day trip, but I highly recommend spending at least a night and ideally two nights to explore the area.
Do note that the regional train from Munich requires a paid ticket. If you don’t already have a train pass, you can purchase a ticket at a kiosk in the Munich main train station; look for the kiosks with BRB (or Bayerische Regiobahn) on them near the northernmost tracks (27-36). Deutsche Bahn also operates regional trains. We all had Deutsche Bahn train passes, and on the day we went to Füssen, we started in Berlin, so we didn’t need to buy separate tickets. Our passes were checked again on the BRB train to Füssen.
You can also get to Füssen via bus from Garmisch—Partenkirchen. The fastest route takes about 2.5 hours, and you’ll either head south through Austria (you’ll pass through Ehrwald and Reutte) or north through small towns in Bavaria to get around the mountains. Germany, like most of Europe, is well-connected with public transit, so it’s easy to get to Füssen from almost anywhere!
Once you’re in Füssen, the town itself is quite walkable, but if you want to go outside of town a bit (including to the castles), the buses are the easiest option. They pick up and drop off just outside of the train station. You can also rent bikes to go to the castles or ride around the nearby lakes.
What to Do in Füssen, Germany
Neuschwanstein Castle
You can’t visit Füssen and not make a trip to Neuschwanstein Castle! This 19th century castle is one of the most picturesque in the world and definitely one of the most photographed. Plus, it’s easier to get to Neuschwanstein than it looks (read my guide on how to get to Neuschwanstein Castle for all my best tips). I recommend visiting the castle in the morning before all of the day-trippers from Munich make it into town. Be sure to book your tour ticket ahead of time so you can enter the castle!
Hohenschwangau Castle
Hohenschwangau Castle is the big yellow castle that is right above where you grab the shuttle up to Neuschwanstein (and it’s visible from Neuschwanstein). This is the castle King Ludwig grew up in, and since it was actually finished on the inside (whereas Neuschwanstein wasn’t), you can see much more of it if you do the tour. A tour ticket is required for entry. I recommend going inside both Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles if you have the time! I found the tours of both to be fascinating but especially loved the Hohenschwangau tour.
Explore Old Town
The old town of Füssen has medieval roots! It’s worth wandering around the city center of Füssen, checking out the cool old buildings and the shops inside of them. I recommend grabbing gelato for sustenance! Walk towards the river to see the beautifully painted Church of the Holy Spirit. I loved it; it looks like a gingerbread church!
Shop for Traditional German Trachten (Outfits)
While you’re wandering the old town, you’ll pass by a few shops selling traditional German trachten (a wide variety of dirndls for women and lederhosen for men along with all of the shoes and accessories your heart desires). It’s a great spot to pick up your own trachten for Oktoberfest! Just be prepared to pay a little more than you might if you ordered something online in the states. Of course, I fell in love with one of the most expensive dirndls, lol. We shopped at Trachten Wolf and Trachten-Werner, and the latter offered us apple juice or beer while we shopped!
High Castle (Hohes Schloss)
The Hohes Schloss is a large castle (can’t miss it!) and one of the main focal points in Füssen, as it’s located on top of a hill overlooking the town. You can wander around inside, including up the various towers to get a view over the town of Füssen below. If you don’t have time to go inside, wander around the courtyard and the park adjacent to the castle and the Lech River.
Lechfall
After checking out the park next to the castle, keep walking for a while and you’ll eventually make it to Lechfall, a tiered manmade waterfall along the Lech River. There is a bridge that crosses over the waterfall. When the water is running high (after winter or a big storm), the tiers won’t be as apparent. If you don’t want to walk, the falls is also accessible via bus or taxi. Or you can ride bikes (more on that below)!
Museum of the City of Füssen (Museum der Stadt Füssen)
If you walk through town towards the river, you might be intrigued by the entrance to the former Benedictine Monastery of St. Mang like I was. Walk through the arch, and you’ll enter a courtyard. Turns out, that stunning building straight ahead of you houses the Museum of the City of Füssen! Learn more about the history of the town, including a section about the local flutes and violins. There’s a gorgeous library inside, and Emperor’s Hall is also worth a stop.
Eat Traditional Bavarian Food
You can’t come to Bavaria and not enjoy traditional Bavarian dishes! There are a variety of restaurants in Füssen that serve Bavarian food. Get off the main walking paths to find spots the locals enjoy. The schnitzel I had at Eisen-Schmidt was delicious! That spot came recommended by the Füssen transplant we met.
Bike to/around Forggensee
Did you know you can rent bikes in Füssen?! There’s a bike rental company located right inside the Füssen train station. You can ride bikes to the castles, of course, but you can also ride to the nearby lakes! It’s the perfect activity to get close to nature. Forggensee is the largest lake near Füssen and is about 15-20 minutes away. Other options include but aren’t limited to Alpsee (near the castles) at 15 minutes away and Hopfensee (outside of town to the north) at 30 minutes away.
Tegelberg Cable Car
If you aren’t afraid of heights, catch a ride on the nearby Tegelberg Cable Car for a unique view of Neuschwanstein Castle from a distance as well as views of the Ammer Mountains (as long as the weather cooperates)! During the summer months, you can hike around at the top of the mountain and feel an adrenaline rush on the toboggan run. The ride on the cable car takes about 10 minutes, and it climbs to just under 3,000 feet. There are a variety of huts offering food options. I want to do this cable car next time!
