The second day of cycling through the Alps began after breakfast at Hotel Boarding House Hohenwart, where we stayed in Fuchstal. I love their vast garden with a pavilion in the middle of it and a massive apple tree ready for harvest.
At around 10.30 am, we took our bikes out of the bicycle garage and cycled parallel to a major road in the direction of Denklingen for some time.
In Denkligen we saw what looked like Welsh Black cattle, and the landscape increasingly turned Alps-like.
More cows! This must have been the day on which we saw the highest number of cattle in a week of cycling.
There was a petition/protest against private waste incineration in the town of Altenstadt, which started in August and apparently still continued when we cycled past in mid-September.
Petrol station? Nope, we stopped by a milk filling station of an organic farm in Schongau. How cute is that? We put some change into the 24-hour vending machine and guzzled two cups of fresh milk from Biohof Jocher. Can’t get any fresher than that!
Energized by the the milk, we continued cycling and it was a smooth ride for a while. No cars, just a few cyclists like us along the way.
We then entered a forested area full of gravel, a surface which I’m not familiar with and, combined with the hilly terrain, made me terribly nervous. I lost my balance and fell off the bike, but thankfully not injured.
Exiting the forest, we met the river Lech in Steingaden. The river is used extensively for electricity generation, and 50% of all German hydropower projects are located in Bavaria. We stopped by a dam on the lake Lechstausee, which is part of a hydroelectric power station, soaking in this breathtaking view.
Although it was time for lunch, we couldn’t find an open restaurant nearby, so we detoured slightly to one in Lechbruck am See. I had been wanting to eat Käsespätzle (fresh egg pasta topped with cheese and fried onions typical to the Swabian region, one of the few vegetarian options usually available in traditional Bavarian restaurants) since we arrived in Bavaria and finally ordered it here. Spätzle portions are usually too big for me and I’d get tired of eating it halfway, but not this time! Maybe I was just too hungry.
After lunch, we biked towards Forggensee. We found another Via Claudia Augusta “milestone” and were mesmerized by the panorama leading up to and around the lake.
Forggensee is a man-made lake created in 1954 when the river Lech was dammed for the first time. While serving to reduce the risk of flooding, the lake is also a popular recreational area.
J was happy to jump off the bike and into the (cold) water for a quick, refreshing swim.
We came across a lone Nordic walker as we continued cycling along the lake‘s perimeter.
Don’t you just love the view of a lake against a mountainous backdrop?
The city of Füssen doesn’t lie too far from the Forggensee and you could even see the famed Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles in the distance as you go around the lake.
We reached our accommodation, Central City Hotel, at around 5 pm and parked our bikes in their garage. The hotel is much more modern than our hotel in Fuchstal, although the room is smaller. While it’s clean and centrally located, its rates are also the highest among all of our accommodations. Perhaps not surprisingly, considering how touristy Füssen is (the Neuschwanstein Castle is visited by 1.4 million people every year).
After a quick shower, we walked to the city center for an Italian dinner at da Peppe. Most restaurants in Füssen close at around 8 pm. Unfortunately there was no time for us to visit the castles, but J & I had been there a few years ago and highly recommend them, including the lake Alpsee in the vicinity.
Day 2 of Via Claudia Augusta complete!
Key stats and stops
Distance traveled: 60 km
Total ascent: 565 m
Total descent: 389 m
Max altitude: 835 m
Terrain: mostly paved (tarmac/asphalt), stony/gravel & sand between Schongau and Burggen and around Forggensee. Steady increase in altitude, you could feel that the Alps is close!
Bike guide: Denklingen-Füssen on https://www.komoot.com/tour/97857952?ref=wtd
Milk filling station: Biohof Jocher on Römerstraße 20, 86956 Schongau
Lunch: Metzgerwirt on Flößerstraße 14, 86983 Lechbruck am See
Dinner: Pizza da Peppe on Hutergasse 4, 87629 Füssen
Accommodation: Central City Hotel on Bahnhofstraße 8/1/2, 87629 Füssen
One thought on “Via Claudia Augusta Day 2: Fuchstal-Füssen”
Comments are closed.