Füssen, Bavaria, Germany

Füssen, Bayern, Deutschland

Füssen is home to the Schloss Hohenschwangau and Schloss Neuschwanstein. Again, “Schloss” means “castle” or “palace.” The first was built sometime in the 12 century and served as a home to knights, counts, lords, etc., and it wasn’t until the 19 century that Ludwig II, King of Bavaria (aka Ludwig II. Otto Friedrich Wilhelm von Wittelsbach, König von Bayern) decided he wanted a castle of his own.

Most Disney castle designs are based on the latter. So, while living in Schloss Hohenschwangau, Ludwig II watched the construction of Schloss Neuschwanstein (literally, he had a telescope where he watched its construction). Füssen is so far south in Germany, that both castles are probably a catapult-stone’s throw away from the Austrian border. Surprising, because one would think that the king would live in München (Munich), the capitol of Bayern (Bavaria), and let’s be honest, that was true as well. They had a different castle for a different purposes and this castle was “the city is too crowded” and is also better defended (Munich doesn’t have mountainous terrain like Füssen).

My, “I’m cold” face at Schloss Neuschwanstein

The above castle is iconic and most people can recognize it. The castle is rather secluded on top of a more mountainous range. A winding, forested path leads to a bridge where you can snap a photo like the above. Afterward, one can take a very, very occupied tourist bus, or you can simply go on foot. When I went (in June 2017), it was foggy and raining, which added to the magical allure for me. As you can see in the above picture, the castle connects straight into that cliff-face. This castle was designed to not only be beautiful, but also defensive. Remember, construction began around 1868 and was completely finished about twenty years later (outside structure finished in 1886). At the same time, the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 (Deutsche-Französischer Krieg 70/71) was fought and led to the unification of the German states. Bavaria was an independent kingdom up until then. So, imagine this castle and how it might have started to take on a new meaning from when it was started to when it was finished. “Just a castle,” or did the construction represent a strong, unified Germany? Or maybe I just like symbolisms.

But, don’t let that rich history deter from Schloss Hohenschwangau. One had to trek up a several-minute, little hike of crisscrossing paths to reach the castle. A palace courtyard meets you after many more stairs. To the left, there’s another courtyard with a fountain that has three lions holding it up. To the right leads to the castle entrance. As I entered that castle, there were no photos allowed. But as they took us through the rooms, I saw places like the “silver room” with a pure silver chandelier, pure silver chest, and a pure silver, large shield with every Bavarian house crest on it — a tribute to the Bavarian king. Maybe this gives you a tiny glimpse at some of the culture of Germany — there are royal houses within the kingdom of Bavaria, and Bavaria is a part of Germany. This is only felt as a tremor in the U.S. It’s as if each county of a state in the U.S held onto a deep, historical culture and past to put forth to the state. This is seen in the cultural mindset of the American Civil War era — my duty is to my state, then my country. So, this is why it’s so incredible that all the German states collected together into a unified country when they were so proud of their independent kingdoms.

Schloss Hohenschwangau with Schloss Neuschwanstein in the background

How I can describe Schloss Hohenschwangau is that it’s somewhat cube-shaped. As you can see, building a castle on this more mountainous terrain means you can’t spread it out, but you must build up. This is why it was impressive that in Schloss Hohenschwangau, they dedicated one floor to their great hall for dances and accepting guests. When you’re standing in that room, you forget that the castle is taller than it is wide, etc. This trip was a pleasure to go on as I went with a school group from Wright State. After seeing the castles, we paddled little boats on the Alpsee where one can sing, play an instrument, etc., and listen to the crystal-clear echoes.

Ehron’s Takeaways

A Must-See: I recommend trying to get on or around the Aplsee (or the bigger Forggensee). I think by focusing on the castles, people could easily miss this gorgeous and serene landscape.
What I Recommend: If you decide to trek up yourself to see the Schloss Neuschwanstein, either on the bridge to take pictures or up close and personal, it’s free. Going inside these places and hopping on a bus to take you up to the castles cost money. But, as always, there’s cheap ways around that — walk.
My Favorite Place: The forested path that leads to the Marienbrücke (the bridge overlooking the castle). With the rain diving through the trees and rapping on my umbrella, I quickly fell in love with it.

Below are a few more pictures to give you a closer look and better idea of both these castles and how close they are to each other.