When I went on my three country tour of Germany, Austria and Italy, I had an opportunity to stay at many different places. When a trip is planned to Europe or to anyplace, for that matter, where you will spend the night is an important consideration. Füssen is at the end of the Romantic Road ; or the beginning depending on which way you are travelling. I came from the north so it was at "the end of the road" for me.

The night before we got to Füssen, we were in Rothenburg. We had gotten up early and gotten on the Autobahn for the drive to Füssen. As luck would have it there was an accident - not my car - but some other poor soul. When you are used to driving at 90 or 100 miles per hour or even faster, and then you come to a halt, it puts you in a whole different mindset.

Driving on the Autobahn was something I had heard about all my life and something I had to do for myself. It was an experience. But going past the car that had the accident, you get a better appreciation of what happens to metal and plastic when they come in contact with another at those speeds.

We actually went by Füssen since we had an appointment to go to the Neuschwanstein Castle. We made it on time so it worked out O.K. in the end. We had a nice afternoon touring the two castles and taking in all of the sights in downtown Füssen.

I stayed at Altstadthotel zum Hechten. It sits at Ritterstrasse 6, in downtown Füssen. You really should go to the web site to get full appreciation of this hotel. Altstadthotel zum Hechten . Click on the link above the picture on the right hand side for the English version. We really lucked out with this choice. Since we were going in the shoulder season (late September - early October), the rates were quite reasonable.

Our room was 90 Euros per night and it included a very hearty breakfast. Notice that if you stay at the hotel you get free parking but you have to ask for it. Also, for you hot springs aficionados be sure to check out Königliche Kristall Therme Royal Crystal Spa located not far from the hotel.

We were exhausted from tramping all over the castles at Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau and decided to eat at the hotel restaurant, Zum Hechten. While they specialize in pike (Hecht) I had venison. The waitress spoke excellent English, although that had not been a problem in the past.

When eating on vacation in Europe, it is the little things that I notice. Real butter on hot rolls. When the butter is put on the table there are no pats of butter. The butter also does not have paper on it telling you that it is butter. Real cream comes to your table for your coffee. They do not have thoese little plastic "things" with lightener inside that is "like" cream. It is all the real stuff. The meal and the wine at Zum Hechten were excellent, the people at nearby tables were friendly and we had a very nice time. It was a great end to a perfect day.

I went to bed early after a very busy day. The room was very comfortable, and the bed was surprisingly large. I forgot to even ask about a larger bed when I made the reservations, but it was not a problem. The bed had a down comforter and pillows. It got cold and snowed overnight, but with the comforter, it made no difference in the room. It was very toasty and warm.

This place was very nice and I would recommend it if you are ever staying in Füssen.

Until next time, let me know what is on your mind, and how you are doing, O.K.? You can send me your questions or comments on my bio page. My next article will be out shortly.

Jim Fortune - the BellaOnline Budget Travel Guy

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