As if drawn by an artist’s hand, Füssen’s medieval town centre rises high above the banks of the River Lech. The Hohes Schloss, the former summer residence of the prince bishops of Augsburg and one of Swabia’s largest and best preserved late gothic castle complexes, is Füssen’s landmark, towering over a maze of narrow lanes.
In the castle courtyard the facades are adorned with illusionist paintings that delude the viewer into seeing oriels, window frames and moulded corners. Below the Hohes Schloss is the magnificent baroque complex of the former Benedictine Monastery of St Mang, whose history goes back to the 8th century. In particular, the Füssen Heritage Museum is well worth seeing.
Regular tours of the town, the museum and the churches are available throughout the year. Entertaining festivals against an historical backdrop, open-air culture on the market squares or in the courtyards and the Christmas Market, all infuse Füssen’s medieval centre with magic of a very special kind.
