From the old town of Füssen, follow the signs to the west into the district of Bad Faulenbach. Follow the road bordering the Faulenbach stream alongside the Kneipp spa resort and the Mittersee and Obersee lakes to reach the Alatsee lake. From here, continue on the forest road, which takes some sharp bends uphill through the mixed mountain forest to the Salober Alp. Directly on the border between Austria and Germany, follow the hiking trail first towards the north and then turning to the north west. It heads steeply uphill and a section is secured with ropes, before reaching the Zirmgrat ridge. Here, follow the course of European long-distance hiking trail E4. Crossing the Zwölferkopf and Einerkopf peaks allows you some wonderful views over the alpine foreland and the Tannheim mountains. A forest road at a hollow leads for the last metres around some sharp bends up to the Falkenstein peak. At 1,267m, the highest situated castle ruins in Germany provide an impressive vantage point. Just below the Falkenstein castle restaurant, a short detour leads to the Mariengrotte cave. A steep stretch across woodland and meadows takes you on a small trail to an asphalt road and to the locally popular Schlossanger Alp. From here, follow the signposted trail over the Manzengrat ridge, which finally winds its way to the Manzenstüble inn. The short road takes you into the valley. Walk straight over the meadows to arrive in the town centre of Pfronten.
(Christina Schwann, OeAV)

Füssen lies at the Lech valley exit from the Alps in the lake-scattered foreland and exactly on the Via Claudia Augusta road, built in 47 A.D. by the Romans to link Rome with Augsburg. It led from Italy over the Reschen pass and along the Lech through Füssen. The Roman garrison at that time was called Foetibus, and the German name Füssen appears for the first time in documents at the end of the 12th century as Fuzin, Fozen, Fießen or Fuessen and means “feet”. Although the etymological origin of the name is not unambiguous, there is nevertheless no doubt as to its meaning as Füssen has a “talking” coat of arms. The name is directly reflected by its image, with three feet on the coat of arms standing for Füssen. The nucleus of the settlement was the Benedictine monastery of St. Mang, established in the 9th century, around which the settlement grew. In 1295, the status of Füssen was raised to that of a town and was an important trading place along the imperial road, which followed the course of the old Roman road. In the early modern era (15th-17th century), Füssen was known as a European centre for lute-making. In spite of the major destruction caused by the Thirty-Year War (Swedish invasions in 1632 und 1642) and the fire of 1703, part of the picturesque little town was able to preserve its historical appearance. In addition to bourgeois houses from the 15th and 16th centuries, parts of the town wall – with round towers and town gates – have also been preserved. The remains of frescos from the 10th century were discovered in the Magnus crypt of St. Mang. The Hohe Schloss (High Castle) that crowns the town (originally a fort) dates back to the 13th/14th century and was extended between the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century into a fortified castle. The premises in the castle, restored in the 19th century, have been used since 1863 as a district court, and the state gallery and town picture gallery are also housed there. The ruins of Falkenstein Castle (1,267m), the highest situated in Germany, tower high above Pfronten. From here, a glorious view over the Allgäu lakes, valleys and foothills can be enjoyed. There are two theories about the construction time and purpose of the castle. The most widely held opinion is that the castle was built in the 11th century to monitor the important road through the Vilstal valley, which connected the Lake Constance area with Venice, but this is opposed by castle researcher Joachim Zeune with another theory: he says that the castle was only built in the 13th century and had no military or strategic significance, but was simply a threatening gesture on the part of Tyrolean Count Meinhard II to provoke the Dukes of Bavaria. Due to the exposed location, it was only possible to use and live in the castle to a limited extent and was of no military significance whatsoever. Over more recent history, on the other hand, unanimity reigns: in the Thiry-Year War, the castle was set on fire so as to leave the advancing Swedes behind without a base. A good 200 years later, in 1884, Ludwig II, the “fairytale king”, purchased the ruins in order to build a dream castle on the same site. When he was incapacitated, the work that had already begun was cancelled and in 1889 the castle was hit by a violent stroke of lightning, which destroyed everything, down to the foundation walls. The Mariengrotte (grotto of the Virgin) with its statue of the Virgin is situated at the foot of the Falkenstein rock face.
(Michael Kleider)