Rulers and kings have always had the habit - and not least the necessary small change - of building their residences in the most marvellous spots in the country. King Ludwig II of Bavaria was a particularly tasteful person in this respect. Anyone who has ever seen Neuschwanstein Castle with their own eyes will know what we are talking about. It sits enthroned on a spur on the edge of the Alps. From the castle towers, the view stretches almost endlessly across the undulating Allgäu. However, it was during the construction of this prestigious building that the "Kini" - as the Bavarians still affectionately call their Ludwig today - was felled by the matter of small change. In addition to good taste, the king's character traits also included a good deal of megalomania. In short: having already planted magnificent buildings such as Herrenchiemsee and Linderhof Palace in the Bavarian countryside, he now ran out of money. And so, shortly before his death in 1886, he resided in his castle, which was not even half-finished at the time, for just a few weeks.
We stand at a dizzying height on the Marienbrücke bridge and look across to Neuschwanstein. The filigree steel structure of the bridge spans the Pöllat Gorge in a single movement. Looking down into the depths, you get a sinking feeling in your stomach. But most of the tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world who flock to the Ostallgäu every year only have eyes for the turrets and oriels over there anyway. It really does seem as if the castle has stepped out of a fairytale film. Camera shutters are constantly clicking and "aaahs" and "ooohs" are whizzing across the bridge. As many curious onlookers as the buses and horse-drawn carriages carted up here, our ascent to St Mary's Bridge was lonely. As soon as you turn off the tarmac tourist mile onto the signposted bike path, it becomes quiet. But the track to the viewpoint is also steep as hell. Constantly at the limit of traction, we lurch uphill. And the further ascent after the castle viewpoint is also tough.
You can find the complete Füssen-Spotguide as a PDF download below:
- Tour 1: Royal Paths (48.7 km | 1340 m elevation gain | 4 h 00 min)
- Tour 2: Allgäu Panorama (35.9 km | 792 m elevation gain | 3 h 00 min)
Downloads:
Gitta Beimfohr
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