Füssen: A city with an illegally- built castle

Füssen is a charming little city, with a lot of great places to get ice cream, special bakeries, and restaurants. The old city is authentic, and filled with tourists, gifts, and good food. It seems like the locals and tourists do a great job of mixing in together. A lot of people also bike around this area, so don’t be surprised by the number of bikers in the city center! 

Lucas and I stopped to have ice cream at a delicious ice cream cafe, Eiscafe Hohes Schloss. Anything they have, I recommend! There was another specialty at a bakery- a pretzel sprinkled with pepper. It had a bite to it, but it was kind of addicting after a while. This is interesting to try.

You could also tell the region had a huge southern German  influence, because there were beer shops everywhere and also stores to buy regional dress- the Tracht or Dirndl. It’s the perfect place to pick up some regional dress for yourself!

The castle is perched upon a hill and was once built as a watch tower for the bridge, and then a man came in and illegally built a castle in this area, which still stands to this day. It seems to have also been used as a bishop’s residence, and is now an art museum, with lots of religious paintings. You also get to walk along the walls of the castle, and climb one of the towers. The ashen wall where the watchman cooked his meals and meals for the wounded and prisoners is still visible in the tower. 

The castle was not as impressive inside as the others we have been to. The inside was an art museum, which you could explore for a small fee. The rooms had names regarding who used to live in each room, but none of them were as architecturally impressive as the other castles we visited. However, the outside was still impressive. 

Another big attraction is the bishop’s residence and cathedral next to the castle. It looked charming, but we were pressed for time, so we didn’t stop. If you have been there, tell us what you thought in the comments below!

Behind the cathedral and the castle is a park, where lots of people come to relax, read, and have lunch. There are also castle ruins nearby, which you can climb on and explore. 


Füssen is really a charming city, a must see for all those in southern Germany!