Epic Alpine Adventure
Images: the Zugspitze; Neuschwanstein Castle; Lech River.
Epic Adventures in Fussen
Days 5-6 of tour
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Zugspitze and luge with tour
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Hohenschwangau castle
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Wurst and ice cream from street vendors. Prima!
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Fussen walk and Lech Falls
How many miles I walked
Friday (Day 5): 3.99 (bus day!)
Saturday (Day 6): 10.63
A side diversion: Shops in Fussen were more plentiful and diverse. Stop in the equivalent of Woolworth's for a peak at German life.
Through the Clouds
We headed north this morning, back into Austria before crossing into Germany. We were headed for Fussen, Germany, home of the Wittelsbach castles, and one of the most famous - Neuschwanstein. Our break today - in addition to the Autogrill - was the Zugspitze.
This towering mountain is the highest in Germany, but we came up on the Austrian side (I think). At the top, you can walk back and forth between the two countries - a bridge that once required a passport (top left). While it was cloudy, the views were stunning (top right). And it had just snowed (row 2)!
Here you can wander and get a different perspective on the peaks. One of my favorites was the overlook in the museum, where you can walk out on a glass-floored balcony over a drop of several thousand feet. I'm sure they're perfectly safe, but why risk it?
Most amazing to me, even in this weather, was the line of people waiting to summit the Zugspitze. The top is marked by a gold cross. Dozens of people carefully picked their way across a bridge and scaled the rock. I know this is something that a lot of people do - it's just that the majority of people in the visitor center were part of the line. Kudos to them; I wish I had the nerve.
This venture in the sky was capped with a soup lunch in the cafe. It helped me to warm up, as did the Gluhwein, hot mulled wine that I first sampled at the Christmas markets. Plenty warm after that!
Images: Border sign marks Tirol and Austria; A visitor gazes at the cloudscape; This is a lot of snow in NC; We don't have snowblowers there; The overlook; A creative stained glass window; The line for the summit; The border to Bavaria, Germany.
The Luge
We made a fun stop at a luge track outside of Fussen. I'm a big fan of roller coasters, so I did a run down the track. I thought I was going plenty fast, but not enough for the experts behind me. Careful may have been better though - one of our group pulled out all the stops on his cart (literally) and hit his head. He had to take it easy the rest of the trip - but he is OK now. Use caution, and know langsam means slow!
Good Bed, Good Food
With a little more modern spa vibe, this room most matched my style. It was nice and warm too, so much so that I slept with the window open. And it's true earplugs are a must on weekend nights in Europe - keep them handy.
A group of us wandered into Madame Pflusch's for dinner the first night. This was the best meal I had on the tour - turkey cutlet, potatoes au gratin and grilled tomato. (But no gruner tonight!)
Castles and Clouds
After the beautiful skies in Italy, rain greeted us this morning. I love misty mornings - full of mood and drama. But the way to Hohenschwangau castle was smooth, and I was very early for my tour. It was also an hour before the cafes were open. So in a pretty steady rain, I tackled one of the items on my list - the walk around Alpsee.
I had the lake to myself, and it was really quite beautiful. Even in the mist, you could see the green of the glacial water. The path wandered around the lake on the left side, then along a raised bridge across the inlet (outlet?) and marsh, then up, with views of the lake peeking through the trees.
I hiked up the hill to Hohenschwangau, the home of the Wittelsbach family. This was, of course, the home of King Ludwig, architect of the more famous castle, Neuschwanstein, up the hill. I saw this on a previous visit, so I spent this trip in the family hunting lodge.
Ludwig's parents, Maximilian and Marie, restored this lodge. I include Marie, because she was one tough cookie. She was an avid hiker, summiting the Zugspitze in her free time - and in a dress and women's shoes. The king and queen had separate rooms, and the servants walked in gaps between the walls. (The walls had ears.) The later rooms in the tour were filled with gifts from Maximilian's and Marie's wedding, some ornate and some, well, a loaf of bread preserved for decades.
Ludwig became king when his father died, spending much of his time here in this lodge/castle with a direct line of site to the construction of Neuschwanstein. His friend Richard Wagner visited often, possibly getting the ideas for two major works from the wall paintings in this building. Wagner also had a bedroom with a great view - see the top picture at right.
With the tour over, and the rain still coming down, I headed back to Fussen. I have some old, snowy pictures from Maria's bridge, and I knew I wouldn't better them this day. Plus, there was more to do in Fussen!
Images:
View of Alpsee; Hohenschwangau on the hill; two fountains in Hohenschwangau courtyard; a peaceful morning on Alpsee.
Walking Fussen
In the afternoon, I met some tour members for an ice cream lunch, and then took the RS walk around Fussen. (Highlights above.) My favorite was just outside the TI, a fountain of seven pillars (first circle). The tops of the stones rotated as they sprayed water!
My walk ended at Lech Falls, an area dammed for flood control. The city built a beautiful viewing area over it, creating a peaceful place, even on a busy Saturday afternoon.
That night, several of us had booked the hotel dining room for dinner. We ended up at a long table, sharing wine and stories.
Gemutlichkeit!