On the way to visit the famous castles Neuschwanstein and Hochschwangau, Füssen can be just a short stop. Coming from Augsburg by train, I hurried together with the throngs of touristis to get a place in the crowded bus. On the way back, it was possible to do the same, running for my train, but decided to take the chance to discover another destination in Germany.
Everywhere, there are beautifully painted houses, many of them telling various stories about the region or just displaying episodes from the life of the first owners. The art of painting is an attraction in itself, as I imagine how difficult must have been a couple of centuries ago to create all those works of...street art.
The narrow streets end up in small piazzettas, embelisshed by flowers set around metal statues. It is weekend and the streets not only have colours, but are also embraced by the live music of the street musicians.
The cobblestone streets can be strolled leisurely, getting the feeling of how is to be a local living in this small place. It has a population of around 15,000 which makes social life and interactions very intimate.
The open squares bordered by massive houses or institutions are the best places to admire people and listen to as many languages as possible. Once in a while, a big group leaded by a guide is popping up in the landscape and if you know a couple of good languages you have the chance to acquire useful snippets of information.
As for me, after such an intesive day when I woke up early in the morning to visit the castles, I need some refreshments. A pizza and a local beer - one of the many produced in this region, famous for its German beer purity law - is a gift to my tired body. The location: Herzl am Rathaus, close to the city hall and far away from the busy streets. The food is delicious and the beer cold enough to make me forget that actually I am not a big fun of pure beer. Chosing a restaurant wasn't an easy task, as there are so many other eating possiblities, from Oriental, to German and Italian ones.
The city hall, with its beautiful painted ceiling of the entrance, is a beautiful appearance. Another top destination for short-time visitors is the castle, a former summer residence of the prince-bishops of Augsburg, hosting religious paintings and displaying a late baroque architecture.
One of the main reasons I am already planning to return to Bavaria the next year is the beautiful landscape, an invitation to hiking and spending time in the middle of the nature. This beautiful view over the Lech River, reminds me of beautiful Switzerland. Füssen is only 5 km. away from the border with Austria and thus, a hiking started in Germany can continue easily on the other side of the border, in the equally beautiful Tyrol.
In the old times, Füssen used to be famous for its violin and lute production, a branding industry generously displayed on the walls. As usual, having insight information about a destination, upgrades your status from simply visitor to a knowledgeable traveller.
During the winter times, the ice hockey stadium is a local and regional attraction. This sport made often Füssen famous, with many local and international players being originally from here.
When I am about to leave back to Augsburg, my last leg of my Bavarian summer, I know that I've not only seen what I planned to do in this region, but had the chance to learn and discover many other facts and to see interesting historical places I couldn't know they exist.
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