Bavaria's highest-elevation town Füssen enchants its visitors with a romantic old town where there is plenty to discover. Along the medieval alleys, pretty medieval houses, cute shops, quaint cafés and restaurants, as well as all kinds of monuments and sights are lined up. We tell you what you should definitely see in Füssen's old town.
The Hohe Schloss
The Hohe Schloss (High Castle) can be seen from afar on a hill above the old town and is a must-see during a holiday in the Allgäu. The magnificent building is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Bavaria and is already worth seeing from the outside: The majestic white façades of the castle wings and the gate tower are adorned with ornate architectural and illusion paintings dating back to 1499.
The interiors are also highly impressive, above all the two French Rooms with their late Gothic wooden ceilings and the magnificent Knights' Hall regularly amaze visitors. Art lovers can look forward to a branch gallery of the Painting Collection of the Bavarian State and the Municipal Gallery, which are housed in the Hohe Schloss.
The Benedictine Monastery of St. Mang with the Museum of the City of Füssen
The venerable former Benedictine monastery of St. Mang, whose history dates back to the 9th century and which was later extended in the magnificent Baroque style, is in the old town as well. In addition to impressive interiors such as the spacious Kaisersaal (Imperial Hall), which forms the centre of the entire monastery complex, the monastery also houses the Museum of the City of Füssen, which is dedicated to topics such as the history of the city and lute and violin making, which is steeped in history in Füssen. Among other things, a valuable collection of historical lutes and violins can be viewed here.
Also housed in the monastery is the Füssen town library, which holds countless books. A reading café in the Orangerie invites you to browse through books in the extraordinary ambience. In front of the St. Mang monastery is the Franziskanerplatz, which offers a very beautiful view of the old town with its sights and houses.
Other Highlights in the Old Town
Along the narrow, winding alleys in the old town of Füssen are rows of neat Gothic houses, quaint cafés and restaurants and small churches worth seeing, such as the Spitalkirche Hl. Geist. Owner-managed shops invite you to browse in comfort. If you feel like taking a long walk, the Baumgarten city park, which lies behind the Hohe Schloss and where you can view the so-called Wasserburg – a water reservoir designed in the style of a castle ruin. A trip to the Lech Falls, located on the southern outskirts of the city, is worthwhile as well.
Here, the turquoise waters of the Lech plunge over 12 metres to enter the Lech Gorge. The impressive natural spectacle is best watched from the König Max footbridge, which leads over the waterfall. Also worth seeing here at the Lech Falls is the Magnustritt, a fossilised shell that, with a little imagination, resembles a footprint. According to legend, St. Magnus, the patron saint of Füssen, once jumped across the river here while fleeing from political adversaries. In a rock niche above the gorge is a bust of Maximilian II, the father of the fairytale king Ludwig II, which the town had erected here in his honour.
