Baden-Baden & Füssen, Germany - September 2019
- chrissihuf
- Jan 4
- 4 min read
Updated: May 11
Baden-Baden
Brief History/Information (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Baden-Baden literally means “Baths in Baden” goes back over 2,000 years. The Romans discovered the area’s hot springs around the 1st century AD and built baths. Baden-Baden became one of Europe’s most fashionable spa resorts. It is now a resort town for wealthy visitors, royalty, artists, and writers.
What we did
After a couple of days in Munich partying like there’s no tomorrow, we rented a vehicle and began our exploration of the lower/Bavarian part of Germany. We drove 3 hours, pretty much straight west across Germany, right to Baden-Baden, and stayed at Hotel Etol, that included an amazing breakfast. What a nice hotel! Easy walking to just about anywhere in town. This is a very nice, clean, and upscale town. We at at Amadeus Restaurant - Hausbräu and had a wonderful mushroom risotto. We also went to Café König for their famous Black Forest Cake, but they were sold out (must be good?). We walked around the beautiful river and garden area, then had some good pizza at Garibaldi.
Places of Interest
Friedrichsbad – Roman-Irish style bathhouse
Caracalla Spa – modern thermal spa
Kurhaus & Casino
Lichtentaler Allee (historic park)
Old Castle (Hohenbaden) and New Castle
Festspielhaus (Germany’s largest opera and concert hall)
What we did
After our time in Baden-Baden, we hopped in the car and drove to Füssen. During our drive, we stopped in the Black Forest and went to House of 1,000 Clocks, and looked at all of their amazing Cuckoo Clocks, and even purchased one (actually, each couple in the group purchased a clock. We saved on shipping since we were all together).
Black Forest Places of Interest
House of 1,000 Clocks
The places of interest below, due to time limitations we did not do, but worth mentioning:
Triberg Waterfalls: Germany's highest waterfalls, with hiking trails and footbridges
Feldberg: The highest peak, accessible by cable car for panoramic views.
Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald: A treetop walkway with a giant slide for unique forest views.
Wutach Gorge: A wild and scenic hiking area.
Freiburg im Breisgau: A lively university city with a stunning cathedral and charming squares.
Gengenbach: A picturesque, well-preserved medieval town.
Schwarzwälder Freilichtmuseum Vogtsbauernhof: An open-air museum showcasing traditional Black Forest farmhouses.
Rothaus Brewery: Offers tours and tastings in a beautiful setting.
Freiburg's Augustiner Museum: Features art and cultural history.
Europa-Park: A major theme park near the region.
Source of the Danube: Visit the legendary spring.
Überlingen
What we did
On our drive out of the Black Forest, we stopped in the walled city of Überlingen, this is near the Obersee Lake. We walked the seaside downtown along the lake. We ate at La Vita Mexican-this was delicious! We found our way to Museum Überlingen.
We left Überlingen, and found a winery to visit. Weingut Kress KG was way off the beaten path, but boy was this a nice treat! The winery was actually someone’s home. She had us sample many wines and was very gracious.
Überlingen Places of Interest
Überlingen City Museum
The places of interest below, due to time limitations we did not do, but worth mentioning:
Überlingen city garden
Reutemühle domestic animal zoo
dip in Lake Constance after enjoying a sauna in the Überlingen Lake Constance thermal baths
What we did
Once we left the winery, we drove about two hours to get to Füssen, we went to Hotel Ludwigs to check in. The next day, was cold and rainy all day, and of course we were not prepared for that, so we had to buy cheap ponchos. From our hotel, we drove about ten minutes to get to Hohenschwangau Castle this is where King Ludwig’s dad lived and grew up. Then walked another twenty minutes to get to the castle from the parking area. We did the forty minute tour which was totally worth it-very informative. Then went to Neuschwanstein Castle before our scheduled tour, we walked across the Mary Bridge, which is high over a river (there’s a little hike for better views across the bridge). We then took a bus and toured Neuschwanstein Castle this is a fairy-tale castle and inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle. The tour was just OK, but the castle was amazing!
Places of Interest
Neuschwanstein Castle: King Ludwig II's famous fairytale castle, just a short distance away.
Hohenschwangau Castle: The castle where Ludwig II grew up, also near Neuschwanstein.
The places of interest below, due to time limitations we did not do, but worth mentioning:
Altstadt (Old Town): Wander through medieval alleys, gabled houses, and charming squares.
Hohes Schloss: A former bishop's residence, known for its impressive trompe-l'œil wall paintings.
St. Mang's Abbey & Basilica: A beautiful Baroque church and monastery complex with rich stucco work.
Museum der Stadt Füssen: Located in the former monastery, featuring art, history, and famous lute-making exhibits.
Heilig-Geist-Spitalkirche: A small, picturesque church.
Lechfall: A beautiful waterfall where the Lech river flows into a gorge.
Hopfensee & Alatsee: Other beautiful lakes offering leisurely walks and unique sights
Baumkronenweg Ziegelwies: A treetop walk near the Austrian border.
Wieskirche (Wies Pilgrimage Church): A stunning Rococo church.
Linderhof Palace: Another lavish creation by King Ludwig II.
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