Part of the German ‘Romantic Route’, Füssen is a beautiful little town in the Ostallgau district in Bavaria. It’s one of the best places to stay if you’re looking to visit the iconic Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, since it’s just a bus journey away. Fussen is surrounded by the stunning Ammergau Alps which you can see from the town.

I visited in early February 2024 for a weekend and while it wasn’t snowing, the scenery was still wintery with the beautiful ice-dusted mountains in the distance and the chill in the air.

It’s very possible to spend 2 nights in Füssen and visit the castles nearby - you might like to stay for longer if you plan on fitting in some skiing and longer hikes though. The main attraction for my weekend was getting out to the castles , and then having some time leftover to relax and try out some of the cafes and restaurants in the town.

My itinerary looked something like this:

Day 1: Travel from Bamberg to Füssen by train (3 trains needed). Walk through the Altstadt after checking into the hotel, and then dinner at the Aquila Croatian-German restaurant. Afterwards we went to this authentic little Italian side street for the best homemade tiramisu and coffee, but sadly I can’t remember the name of this place.. The Italian man who served us there was so lovely and I would recommend this delightful little cafe to anyone visiting (I hope I remember or find the name!).

Day 2: Get the bus out to visit Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenschwangau. Schnitzel for lunch and these delicious little sugar-dusted donuts on the way down from Neuschwanstein. Then walked up to Hohenschwangau and then back down to Alpsee to admire the view of the Alps before getting the bus back to town. Dinner was at this delicious pizza place in town.

Day 3: Espresso at Cafe Lucca followed by some apple cake at the little bakery across the street. Bought some Schneeballen as a snack for the train journey(s) back to Bamberg.

For a weekend in Fussen, here are my top recommendations:

1. Try Schneeballen

A local treat, Schneeballen (snowballs) are similar to shortbread, traditionally fried before being covered in powdered sugar. Diller Schneeballenträume is a sight to behold - coconut, cinnamon, chocolate, pistachio, jam and so many more options are on display.

To make this traditional sweet treat, the dough is cut into strips, wrapped around a wooden stick to form a ball shape and fried in oil.

I decided to go for the cinnamon snowball and saved it for my train back to Bamberg, but there is so much choice, whether you’re a chocolate lover or prefer something more plain.

2. Book a Tour of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles

The magical Neuschwanstein Castle is open year round, and visiting in the winter means you’ll avoid the huge crowds of the peak season. You can only access the interior of the castle via a guided tour, so make sure to book this prior to your visit. Tours are offered in German and in English and audio guides in other languages. Tickets are available on the official castle website here.

In the winter season between October and March, the castle is open from 10am-4pm.

Note: Photography and filming inside the castle is not allowed.

3. Stroll around the Historische Altstadt

There are lots of little shops and cafes to visit in the historic centre of town, including bookshops and lots of outdoors shops that sell hiking and skiing gear. You’ll see plenty of historic, colourful buildings, including houses, old walls and churches.

I visited during German Fasching, or Carnival, so lots of the shops were actually closed the weekend I was there, but cafes and restaurants remained open.

4. Try Croatian-Bavarian fusion food at Restaurant Aquila

This was an interesting find on my first afternoon in Füssen! I noticed the Croatian flag on the menu on the outside of this restaurant so had a look, and I just had to go in when I saw they did ćevapčići.. I definitely would recommend it if you're looking to try some Croatian and German fusion food - they even served the ćevapčići with ajvar and had a vegan version too.

See the menu here.

5. Enjoy an espresso at Caffè Lucca

A cute little cafe-bar in the centre of the town overlooking the square, Cafe Lucca was bustling every time I walked past it. Their espresso was delicious and the perfect start to a Sunday full of travelling.

6. Visit the Hohes Schloss and walk around its walls

The Hohes Schloss castle was built in 1291 and is one of the best preserved medieval castles in Bavaria. It was once used as a summer residence for the prince-bishops of Augsburg. I didn’t actually go inside this castle, but I passed it a few times on a walk down to the river. Inside you’ll find the State Gallery and also the City Paintings Gallery. I would have had a look inside had I been there 1 more day!

Where to stay in Füssen

I stayed at Hotel Ludwigs which I’d definitely recommend - it was spotless and comfortable. You’ll have no difficulty finding somewhere to stay in town as there are plenty of hotels and apartments since Füssen sees so many tourists year-round.

Note: shops are closed on Sundays in Germany! Cafes, restaurants and bakeries do stay open though, so you’ll be able to find somewhere to eat or enjoy a coffee.

How to spend a weekend in Füssen, Bavaria