Travel Timo: November 2014

Füssen and especiality Schwangau are perfect places to stay for 4-5 days in Germany. It covers lovely walking places for couple days and famous Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein castles.

Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein Castles from Alpsee

Difference between Füssen and Schwangau

Füssen:

Füssen is town with population around 15.000
Füssen have a train station
All main public transport is related to Füssen
Hohes Schloss Füssen is localed in Füssen - it's ok castle, nothing fancy, ok to visit
Füssen have tiny town centre - it's also ok.

Schwangau:

Schwangau is municipality population around 3.100.
Schwangau have all those cool places, as tegelberg mountain top, tegelberg cable car to mountain top, nice day hiking route(s) and famous Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein castles.
Schwangau is located next to Füssen - Tegelberg and castles are perhaps 10km far away from Füssen train station.

It's still good to book hotel in Füssen rather than Schwangau:

Train station is in Füssen - you will save a lot hassle if your hotel is near train station
City tax of Füssen (now 2.20e/night) in hotels gives you free Füssen card - Füssen card gives you free public transport in Füssen area - including Schwangau - NOTE: you have to return that Füssen card to hotel when you checkout the hotel.

Public transport

Public transport - local bus - goes to Schwangau once in hour usually. Bus #78 (and #73) go to Schwangau.

Timetables search:

Allgaeu web page - in German - Check: "Fahrplanheft" to view all timetables on region
You can also search time tables from RVO Bus web page (in German) - set "region" as Füssen and "liniensuche" as 78 for example and you get timetable information by search - click the line 78 from search results and then look at "PDF herunterladen" to get proper timetable.
You should also get proper timetable book from hotel as well.

How to get to Füssen

Nearest international Airport is in Munich, use it if possible.

From Munich Airport to main train station of Munich - München Hauptbahnhof

I would suggest Lufthansa Airport Bus - it's direct connect and very easy, check the time tables and fares from Lufthansa airport bus web page.

NOTE: will probably take 45min - 90min from landing to get luggages and be ready to jump into airport bus - depends are you coming from, inside EU or not. Inside EU - there is no security checks - but if you are coming from outside the EU - you have to check in into Germany - show your passport and check possible VISA and other things that take time.

From Munich main train station to Füssen

Use train, you can check and even book the schedule of train to Füssen from Deutsche Bahn web page.
- If you book a ticket from Deutsche Bahn web page, just print the ticket in your home and you are ready to jump into train without any check-in in the train station - just make sure it's a correct train.
NOTE: If you book from home, and you use VISA/Mastercard pay the bill- make sure you have that VISA/Mastercard card or any ID card with you to make sure - it's really you - they might ask it during the checking the ticket.
- You can also buy a ticket from train station.

City of Füssen

Füssen have tiny city centre and nice small castle with tiny castle museum (cost only 4 euros), but overall - I noted - Füssen was just place to have a hotel for me.


Street of Füssen	Hohes Schloss Füssen

Schwangau

Schwangau is tiny municipality with all cool things ....

Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein Castles

Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein castles are wonderful to view from outside, but little disappointing inside.


Neuschwanstein Castle	Hohenschwangau Castle

The art wise both wise inside is good, but there is few things I don't like:

Only guided tours - I never liked guided tours, and probably never will. I want to spend some own time to look things that are interesting to me, but in guided tours this is not possible. There is always too many people in the same room and then you never see stuff so much as you would see it by yourself.
Tight schedule on guided tours, basically, you buy a ticket for guided tour, and guide is on certain time, for example, Hohenschwangau castle at 9:30, and Neuschwanstein castle at 11:55. First you go to first castle gate - wait for your tour to begin, take a tour, then go to another castle gate and wait for your tour to begin....

To me, going inside castle is only worthy in raining days. If you have sunny days around, it's much nicer to walk around by yourself and enjoy the lovely nature at alpsee, or tegelberg or other places.

Museum of the Bavarian Kings

There is nothing much to say about the museum - probably worst museum I ever visited, just few things I don't like:

Too much text - I rather read a book
Not much items to show

Taking photos is not allowed - not a problem - there was nothing to photograph anyways.

Tegelberg

Tegelberg is mountain top near castles, it is 1,881m height and you can use tegelberg bahn (cable car) to get on the mountain top - and you can also come back with cable car or walking. I highly recommend this.


Walking paths from Tegelberg	Landscape from tegelberg bahn

Hiking trails

Hiking trails from Tegelberg to down are just awesome, I highly recommend it too.

All hiking trails are well marked with different levels and estimate time to down. But consider - If you are slow walker and the sign shows "1 hour to hohenschwangau" - it may mean 1h 30min for you.

Trail sign can also show the walking path ID number - it's useful if you have a proper map with walking path numbers.

Difficult levels:

Example sign - this sign is from
Berchtesgaden National Park
(Not Schwangau) - but signs are
similar in Schwangau

Full black color circle - Dangerous trail - to me - requires some experience.
Red color circle - Difficult trail, it doesn't mean dangerous, but can mean just difficult walking. For example: There are just big rocks that are annoying to walk or unmarked track, or narrow path that have wire to help you when walking, or small (1-2m little climbing) - to me - anyone that have normal condition can do it alone as long you are not scared too much high places in mountains - older and very young people might have difficulties with this.
Blue color circle - Easy trail - but wheelchair users cannot not pass this.
Black border & Yellow Circle - Very easy, even wheelchair users can do it.

I did do two tracks from Tegelberg to down:

Short track

2-3 hours - Directly from Tegelberg to down Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles - marked as red circle (difficult) - there was only two tiny difficult places:

One 1.5-2m climbing down - without wire - not problems for me, I just had to think a bit - because it was easy to take hold from rocks and ground.
One perhaps 10-20m long and very narrow path - that on another side had deep straight downfall, and another side of the path had straight up wall with wire to hold - should not be a problem - as long you don't scare high places too much.

View my short route from Tegelberg to Marienbrucke

On short track - there is some areas that you don't see much - because there is a lot forest around the walking path but when there is no forest - the sights to castles and Alpsee are awesome at some places and cliffs are deeper.


Walking path in short track	Landscape in short track

Longer track

3-4 hours to Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles. Marked as blue circle - Easy path - nothing dangerous nor difficult. Very cool track. Superior sights to mountains - I highly recommend this track.

View my longer hiking route - Tegelberg to Marienbrucke

Some pictures from longer route:


Field near Tegelberg	Landscape from near Tegelberg

Lake Alpsee

Lake Alpsee is beautiful lake near castles - there is also easy walking path around it - the walking path is nice, and from opposite direction you can see lovely views the castles.


Both castles and Alpsee	Lake Alpsee

Pöllatschlucht

During my visit, Pöllatschlutch was closed - but if it's not - try not miss it. It's quite cool gorge by pictures.

Travel Timo

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Traveling in Füssen and Schwangau