The approximately 16,9 kilometer long royal forest hike, which is also suitable for families with older children, leads around Füssen through the favorite landscape of the Bavarian kings. A wealth of attractions along the way, such as three castles, three museums and an exciting treetop path, make this tour an absolute hiking highlight for young and old.
There are numerous great hikes for every fitness level around Füssen-Weißensee, which lead through the Allgäu picture-book landscape, past natural and architectural sights. The royal forest hike is undoubtedly one of the region's absolute hiking highlights, as it combines the enjoyment of the landscape with varied sightseeing to create a feast for all the senses. The approximately 16,9 km long hiking tour takes around six hours and is also doable for families with older children. The starting and finishing point of this popular circular tour is the Tourist Information in Füssen. There are places to stop for refreshments along the way.
First of all, this tour, which follows in the footsteps of the Bavarian fairy tale king Ludwig II, takes you through the romantic Füssen old town, where interesting buildings can be admired at every turn. The hikers cross Sebastianstrasse and go to Schrannenplatz before walking through Brunnengasse to Lechhalde. You cross the Theresienbrücke, enjoy the view of the wildly romantic Lech and keep right on Tiroler Straße until you reach the Frau-am-Berg-Kirche. This is where the ascent to the Füssen Calvary begins, a way of the cross that was also often used by Ludwig II. The summit of Calvary is considered one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the region.
The descent on the other side takes hikers to the picturesque Schwansee. Via Fischersteig and Fürstenstrasse you will then reach the 2011 opened Museum of the Bavarian Kings, one of the most beautiful and modern museums in Germany. The tour leads through the village of royal castles Hohenschwangau to the gypsum mill, where the entrance to the Pöllat Gorge is located. The hiking enthusiasts then reach the “Jugend” viewpoint, which offers an unforgettable view of the vast foothills of the Alps, and to the Marienbrücke, from which the world-famous Neuschwanstein castle can be admired from a uniquely great perspective.
The excursionists then walk back to Hohenschwangau via the toboggan run and walk across the courtyard of the romantic residential palace Hohenschwangau, where King Ludwig spent large parts of his childhood and youth, in order to walk back to Füssen via the Berzenkopf and the wonderful Alpine rose path. Families in particular should make a stop at the Ziegelwies Forest Adventure Center to get to know the numerous attractions (including the impressive treetop walk) before continuing on the Tiroler Straße to the König-Max-Steg. Here you can watch the fantastic natural spectacle of the Lech Falls up close, where thundering masses of water plunge up to twelve meters into the depths.
The tour then takes you to the scenic gem of Bad Faulenbach. Via the old smugglers' paths Ländeweg and Schwärzerweg, hikers come to the Path of the Senses in the Faulenbacher Valley, which offers wellness in harmony with nature. There is, among other things, a Kneipp facility and other stations, each of which appeals to one of the five senses. Hikers reach the Morisse via the Ruchtisteig and the Kobelweg, where they keep to the right to get through the Baumgarten to the High Castle - Füssen's landmark. You finally return to the starting point through the pedestrian zone.
Numerous sights and natural beauties along the way ensure a wealth of unforgettable holiday impressions on the royal forest hike. Hiking enthusiasts should not miss this tour when vacationing in Füssen-Weißensee.
