Things to Do in Füssen with Kids (Neuschwanstein, Eibsee, Zugspitze, and more!)

If you’re looking for things to do in Füssen and the Bavarian Alps with kids, keep reading! I’m sharing all the details of our fairytale experience in the heart of the Bavarian Alps including romantic castles, majestic mountains, and charming historic towns.

We spent 2 weeks road tripping through Germany and Austria, which was a long time to be away from home with kids, but somehow not nearly enough time to do everything we wanted to do!

There were some places we wished we had skipped, not because we didn’t enjoy them, but because we longed for more time in places like Füssen and the Bavarian Alps.

You don’t know which places you’ll most resonate with when you plan a trip, and now that we’ve had a chance to reflect on our trip, this is one of the places I keep wishing we could go back to!

Füssen’s Old Town was exactly what you would hope to find in a charming Bavarian city with cobblestone streets, cafes with outdoor seating, and half timbered houses.

Neuschwanstein Castle was exactly the fairytale experience I had imagined, a quintessential white castle towering over the city nestled in the soaring Alps.

And the natural beauty of the area is unmatched! The mountains and alpine lakes are actually the main reason I didn’t want to leave, and regretted not spending more time in the area to explore more.

Despite my regrets of not doing enough in the area, I’ll share what we were able to fit in with 2 nights based in Füssen, and I”ll make note of a few experiences I wish we had done, but didn’t get around to.

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Guide to Fussen and the Bavarian Alps with Kids

Getting There

I would recommend flying into Munich, the closest international airport to Füssen. The drive from Munich to Füssen in just under 2 hours.

We actually flew into London (it’s a long story involving trying to book flights for a family of 6 with the lowest number of points possible which you can read all about here!). We then took a train to Belgium, followed by an overnight train to Berlin.

In Berlin we picked up our rental car and slowly made our way south through Germany with stops in Lutherland and the Romantic Road.

Our final stop in Germany before heading into Austria was Füssen.

You can reach Füssen without a rental car, as the train system in Germany is excellent. However, I would highly recommend renting a car so you have the freedom to reach some of the alpine lakes and beautiful natural areas outside of town.

Where to Stay

We based ourselves in Füssen for 2 nights (although looking back I would have preferred 3 or 4 nights). We stayed in the Old Town, which means we were within walking distance of grocery stores, restaurants, souvenir shops, and more.

We stayed at Hotel Schlosskrone and booked 2 quad rooms. We have 4 kids, and my parents were with us on the trip, so we had 2 kids in our room, and 2 kids in my parents’ room. They offered free continental breakfast which was one of the best breakfast buffet spreads we had on the entire trip. They even had a chocolate fountain!

Hotel Schlosskrone even has a Royal Suite which can fit up to 6 people, so even if you don’t have the luxury of grandparents helping out, you can still fit your entire family in a room here.

Things to Do in Fussen with Kids

This is by no means a comprehensive list of things to do in Füssen with kids! As I mentioned, our time in Füssen was all too short, but there are the things we did, and that I would recommend to others!

Forest Experience Center (Walderlebniszentrum)

I almost never see anyone else sharing about this place when researching things to do in Füssen, and I’m so surprised! It’s very affordable and family-friendly with great views, and it gets you outside!

The Forest Experience Center, called the Walderlebniszentrum in German, has hiking trails, walking paths, playgrounds, and even an indoor area with interactive exhibits.

This was the first place we stopped on our visit because I had heard about the treetop trail on a podcast (I regret not writing down which one), and could barely find anything about it on TikTok or Instagram!

The Treetop Trail is a boardwalk that takes you above the trees, and you technically cross over the border from Germany into Austria, so you can stand in 2 countries at once on the trail!

While you’re walking you can enjoy incredible views of the Alps from above the treeline.

One thing we were a bit worried about was whether we would be climbing a lot of steps or steep inclines to get that high up, but we barely noticed the gentle slope. It felt very safe, and even those in our party who were afraid of heights had no issues with this easy walk.

Unfortunately for us, it was raining on the day we visited, so the views weren’t as spectacular as they could be on a clear day, but we still enjoyed it!

If we had had more time to explore, I would have also done the Mountain Forest Trail which seems to be geared toward kids with imaginative playgrounds along the path.

The Treetop Trail was 5.00 Euro per person, and kids were free! The other trails are free to use.

Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area, and for good reason! You’ve probably seen photos of this famous palace on screensavers or calendars. Even if you haven’t, it may look familiar because Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Disneyland is said to be modeled after Neuschwanstein! Walt Disney himself visited the castle, and was inspired to recreate it since it truly looks like a fairy tale castle.

I was surprised to find that it’s only a few minutes outside of Füssen! You’ll arrive at the parking lot whether you travel by car or bus, but the journey to the castle has only just begun. From the parking lot, is a 30-40 minute walk uphill to reach the castle, so be sure to factor this into your itinerary for the day. If you have a reservation for a tour of the Castle at a certain time, I would recommend arriving to the parking lot an hour before your time slot.

You can also take a shuttle or a horse drawn carriage to the castle, but keep in mind that there is a fee for both of those. We were on a budget, so we made our kids walk uphill in the rain to reach the castle. It builds character, right? (On that note, my MOM TIP for this experience would be to have a secret stash of gummy bears in your purse or backpack to dole out when spirits are low on the long walk uphill).

You will need to book your tickets online ahead of time and reserve a time slot. We arrived at the Castle 5 or 10 minutes before our tour, which was plenty of time. There’s a waiting area outside of the castle, then they let you in around your time slot. If you have a stroller, you can’t bring it inside, but you can ask the workers where to leave it. They have a designated spot.

The tour is only 30 minutes long, and everyone receives an audio guide so they can listen in their own language. You cannot take pictures or videos inside the castle, which is a shame because the royal blue throne room is one of the most beautiful rooms I’ve ever seen in my life.

After your tour, I would suggest walking to one of the lookout points with views of the outside of the castle.

The most popular spot for this is Marienbrücke, or Mary’s Bridge, which is about a 30 minute walk from the castle. You’ll walk out onto a suspension bridge to view the castle in all its glory. It’s surprisingly closer than you would think!

This was a little scary for my family members with a fear of heights, so we didn’t spend long on the bridge. I’ve heard it often closes in winter, so if you’re visiting during winter months, don’t count on being able to do this.

An alternative viewpoint is Jugend Viewpoint which requires a bit of a hike to get there.

Explore Fussen’s Altstadt

We didn’t spend much time in Füssen’s Altstadt (Old Town), but it was very charming and colorful!

We ate at Restaurant Ludwig’s, and it ended up being one of our favorite meals of the trip with some delicious authentic Bavarian food.

You can find plenty of restaurants, ice cream shops, and souvenir shops in the old town, but you can also visit the Museum of Füssen and St. Mang’s Abbey, which has a stunning interior.

A Few Things We Didn’t Get Around to Seeing…

These activities were on my list of things to do, but we ended up running out of time to see everything. They might be of interest to you if you have longer to spend in Füssen.

Other Castles (Hohes Schloss and Hohenschwangau Castle)

Hohes Schloss towers over the Old Town, and is within walking distance, so it’s easy to add to your itinerary if you have a little extra time.

This used to be the summer residence of the Princes of Augsburg, so the inside is supposed to be quite luxe. The admission fee is very affordable at 6 Euros per person.

Hohenschwangau Castle used to be the summer and hunting residence of the Bavarian royal family, including King Ludwig II who commissioned the building of Neuschwanstein Castle.

Alpsee

Alpsee is a scenic alpine lake located at the base of Hohenschwangau Castle, so you could easily combine the two activities. In fact, you could spend an entire day here, visiting both Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles, and having a picnic lunch at Alpsee in between tours!

Lechfall

Lechfall is a beautiful waterfall just a 20-minute walk outside of Füssen, so if you spend the morning exploring Old Town, you could add this spot in the afternoon.

Day Trip to Garmisch-Partenkirchen

One of the main reasons I think you need more time in this area is because of the gorgeous Garmisch-Partenkirchen region nearby. This area is just an hour’s drive from Füssen, so we thought Füssen would make a good home base for exploring.

Eibsee

Eibsee is a lake at the base of Zugspitze, Germany’s tallest mountain, and it is said to be one of the most beautiful lakes in Bavaria. I haven’t seen all of the lakes in the world, but I would venture to say it ranks internationally as well.

Eibsee is the perfect spot for a day trip. There’s so much to do and see there!

It shares a parking lot with Zugspitze, so there is plenty of parking available.

You can hike around Eibsee, which would be about 4 and a half miles. We didn’t do the entire hike with the kids. In fact, we probably didn’t even do half the hike. But you can hike as long as you want before turning back, or hike the entire way around. It’s very flat, and overall a pretty easy and kid-friendly hike. (I probably wouldn’t take a stroller though).

If you get a warm day with nice weather, you could bring your swimsuits and take a dip in the lake! We just waded our feet in since we didn’t bring our swimsuits, and the water was chilly, but crystal clear, and it actually looked very inviting! We saw a few other people swimming.

You can also rent all kinds of water sports equipment and boats near the parking lot. They have stand up paddle boards, paddle boats, kayaks, etc.

Finally, finish your day at the Biergarten outside the Eibsee Hotel. I am not a beer drinker (I think it’s gross), but I didn’t mind a Radler, which is a light beer mixed with lemonade, on a warm day with a beautiful view. We got fries and soda for the kids, and just enjoyed the vista and sunshine.

Zugspitze

As I mentioned, Zugspitze is the highest mountain in Germany, and shares a parking lot with Eibsee, so it would make sense to combine the 2 activities for a day trip.

This would truly be a bucket list experience for families. Take the cable car up to the top of the mountain where you can eat at a restaurant, enjoy the viewing platforms, and in winter you can go tobogganing as a family!

The cost for our family of 6 to take the cable car up would have been over 200 Euros, so we decided to go with a cheaper option.

Mount Wank

Mount Wank is a mountain opposite Zugspitze, so you get to enjoy views of the iconic mountain from the top of Mount Wank!

This ended up being half the price of Zugspitze, and I’m glad we did it! We had the entire mountaintop to ourselves, and there was a beautiful alpine playground for the kids to enjoy while we relaxed and enjoyed the view.

There are also hiking trails and restaurants, so be sure to spend a few hours here!

Visit the Romantic Road

If you’re looking for more Bavarian charm, head north to the Romant Road. We went north to south, but you could easily flip it around and go north from Füssen ending up in Würzburg.

Here’s my guide to doing the Romantic Road with Kids.