Füssen

Füssen is a charming walled town whose maze of pedestrian streets are fun to explore. There are lots of shops, outdoor cafés, and restaurants, and a wonderful indoor market. Füssen’s Hohes Schloss, standing high above the river, is usually overlooked in favor of its more famous neighbors; but now Füssen has an attraction all its own, the Musical Theater Neuschwanstein, with a majestic setting right on the edge of Lake Forggen surrounded by the Alps. Here the legend of Mad King Ludwig and his fantasy-filled life is presented in the musical production Ludwig II. The musical, which lasts three hours, including a 45-minute intermission, is performed in a heavy Bavarian dialect: so English, Japanese, French, and Italian translations are projected above the stage to aid comprehension. A remarkable tribute to Bavaria’s king, the production is as opulent as Ludwig’s own life, with a revolving stage, sleighs pulled by real horses prancing through a dramatic snowfall, and a grand finale when the king walks on the lake and the golden fountain, a replica of the one at Linderhof, rises up from the depths of the water. An enchanting performance! Tickets are available at the theatre ticket office in Neuschwanstein and conveniently at almost all the hotels in the region that proudly display the Ludwig II Musical decal. I would strongly recommend obtaining tickets through your hotel or travel agent before you leave home to enable you to schedule your trip accordingly and not waste precious travel time trying to obtain reservations. (May to October, shows at 7:30 pm every day except Mondays, matinees at 2:30 pm, Saturdays and Sundays; November to March, shows at 7:30 pm, Sundays, matinees at 2:30 pm, Saturdays.)