Füssen

A walled town left untouched by World War II bombs, Füssen's red roofs and turrets stand in picturesque contrast to the turquoise waters of the Lech River that rushes alongside the town, separating it from the Romantic Road. The only town with the infrastructure to accommodate the crush of tourists from the famous castles nearby, Füssen has a lot of charm of its own, with tidy, meandering streets lined with original architecture that offers an authentic slice of the past. The small town square is filled with cafés, restaurants, and shops, and a centuries-old abbey and castle round out the sights. Home to violin makers for centuries, Füssen takes pride in its musical heritage, which it showcases during an annual summer jazz festival. At the foot of the mountains that separate Bavaria from the Austrian Tyrol, it is also a great starting point for hiking and bicycle tours in the area, and on the nearby Forggensee, a reservoir created to hold glacial runoff, you can take a boat ride with stunning views of Neuschwanstein.