Following a request, I an providing links to the galleries in this blog up front as well as in the text below:
From Würzburg to Füssen is about 305km due south and Füssen in the Allgäu region was chosen because it is considered to be the romantic soul of Bavaria and for its proximity to the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles (see previous blog). The journey there was punctuated by direction signs to fascinating town names such as Nesselwang, Fuggerstadt and Wolfschlugen.
Füssen is actually a popular tourist destination in its own right with a compact and well-preserved pedestrianized Old Town (Altstadt). The skyline is dominated by the Hohes Schloss (High Castle), the former summer residence of the prince-bishops of Augsburg, a remarkable piece of architecture with painted decorations on the outside walls and free to visit.
Füssen is surrounded by a number of small towns so rather that stay in the centre, we booked accommodation about 8km away in the town of Hopfen am See which as its name suggests is built around a picturesque lake and is a magnet for German holiday tourists and cycling, swimming and camping activities. A nice touch is that visitors to the area are given a free card which provides free local bus transport.
The sights of Füssen can be seen here
Hopfen am See can be seen here
Places which include our hub in Hopfen am See, the castles of Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein, the town of Füssen with origins back to the year 750 all tend to be included in an area called the Ammergauer Alps. Our last place of visit in this area was Oberammergau, best known for its 10-year cycle passion play. Another picture postcard town in the region, it is also celebrated for its painted houses and woodcarving crafts.
The difficult-to-find tourist office (because there is no sign which actually says 'Tourist Office') is very helpful once located and provides a useful walking map of the main sights around the town, including many of the old painted houses and the stunning interior of the St. Peter und Paul Catholic church. A half day is sufficient to see most things and earlier in the day is better to avoid the tourist coaches which appear later.
An early start also allows a visit to the nearby Wieskirche. This church with perhaps an even more stunning interior is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As its website states: "The sanctuary of Wies, near Steingaden in Bavaria, is a pilgrimage church extraordinarily well-preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, and is a perfect masterpiece of Rococo art and creative genius, as well as an exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared."
It is always challenging to take good shots of church interiors, partly because the light is usually low but often punctuated by bright window areas, especially if the sun is shining outside; partly because other tourists are wanting the same shots; and partly because the architecture is usually tall and narrow forcing a thin portrait format which often does no justice to actually being there. For the churches in both Oberammergau and Wieskirchen, the art extended all the way over the extensive ceiling so I experimented with a number of stitched shots. See what you think in the Oberammergau gallery here.