From the Kenzen Hut, follow the track to the south. The trail leads past the Kenzen waterfall into the “Gasse” cirque, which is strewn with boulders. Then continue to the south west on a steep uphill course of several hairpin bends to the Kenzensattel pass at 1,650m between Hochplatte and Kenzenkopf. To the north of the Hochplatte mountain, walk down on a rocky track into the picturesque karstic landscape of the Gumpen valley. Here, surrounded by all of the noteworthy summits of the Kenzen range, several trails converge. Via Alpina follows the left-hand path towards the west. Further to the left, the trail turns off to the Fensterl. The steep track leads to a rocky arch in the ridge between the Krähe and Hochplatte peaks. Via Alpina, however, remains on the track heading straight ahead and follows it to the Gabelschrofensattel at 1,900 m (this is an easier variation, as the route over the Fensterl has several very exposed areas secured with ropes). From the Gabelschrofen, continue downhill to the west in sharp bends in to the Schwangauer basin. The trail takes an easy course through the basin. After a short distance through woodland, the track widens out. Only a gentle climb and later another downhill stretch takes you to the Niedere Straußbergsattel pass. The trail takes a sharp turn and immediately afterwards, the hiking trail swings down to the left through the wood. Cross the Köllebach stream at a little bridge to reach the Ochsenängerle area. Further downhill, you will come to a wide forest path at a hunting lodge. Keep to the right and walk at a leisurely pace along the Pöllat gorge down to Bleckenau, where the inn and original hunting residence of Emperor Maximilian invites you for a rest. From here, there is a regular bus service on the asphalt road to Hohenschwangau. But you can of course also continue on foot. Then, however, you should change again to the other side of the Pöllat ravine and, at the Fritz-Putz-Hut, follow the forest trail out of the valley through the mixed mountain forest. Exactly at the Marienbrücke bridge, which offers the best view over Neuschwanstein Castle, this trail meets the asphalt road coming from Bleckenau. Following the hiking trail down to Hohenschwangau with Hohenschwangau Castle. Take the road to Schwangau to also pass Bullachberg Castle. Pass through the town centre of Schwangau to reach the lake promenade by Forggensee lake, which leads on an easy route to Füssen.
(Christina Schwann, OeAV)

 

The royal Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles are situated in the Ostallgäu region, in a magnificent countryside setting. The castle ruins of Hohenschwangau, whose history goes back as far as the 11th century, were acquired by Ludwig’s father, Maximilian II, restored between 1832 and 1836 and partly rebuilt. As a child and a youth, Ludwig often stayed in this summer residence of his father and lived out his happier days here, which would explain his later penchant for castle romanticism. Greatly inspired by Wartburg castle, he decided in 1868 to build Neuschwanstein Castle, a project that was still in process at the time of his death in 1886. Neuschwanstein is often wrongly taken by foreign visitors to be the image of a German medieval castle. The picturesque castle stands on a rock over the Pöllatschlucht ravine, and the best view over the imposing “fairytale castle” can be enjoyed from the Marienbrücke bridge high above the waterfall. In the lifetime of the monarch, there was little understanding for such a waste of money on a dream world, and Ludwig was incapacitated not lastly because of this. Today, a whole region profits from his foible for the romantic, blissful Middle Ages. In Schwangau, which is poudly named the “village of the royal castles”, the “Colomansritt” takes place every year on the second Sunday in October, a celebratory procession with horsemen and carriages, during which prayers are said for the blessing of all farm animals. Coloman was an itinerant monk from Ireland who was canonised in 1245 and whose relics are said to bring protection and healing from disease. The Colomansritt is a custom that dates back to the 15th/16th century. The procession starts from Schwangau and heads to the church of St. Coloman (relics of St. Coloman are kept inside the church), standing alone on a meadow outside the town. After a field service in front of the church, the procession withdraws to the refreshments house at the spa centre, where a festival market is then set up. The Forggensee lake was built 50 years ago to generate energy and to protect the area from flooding. The flooding of the lake washed away remains from Roman times that had been found here, and also the villages of Forggen, Deutenhausen and Brunnen. As the lake is to a large extent emptied from October to May, images from a sunken world surface at this time, and can be examined more closely on a guided tour. (Michael Kleider)