What's on in Füssen (Neuschwanstein), Germany through the year

Busy — Christmas holidays in Germany, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Castles on winter hours (16 Oct – 31 Mar), Marienbrucke closed for winter (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually)), Ski season (20 Dec – 15 Mar (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Castles on winter hours (16 Oct – 31 Mar), Marienbrucke closed for winter (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually)), Ski season (20 Dec – 15 Mar (usually))

Busy — Easter holidays in Germany, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Easter holidays

  3–6 AprEaster & Holy WeekClosuresCrowded

  Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays everywhere, and shops close on Friday, Sunday and Monday. Good Friday is a quiet day with dance and loud-event bans in most states, and Germans use the four-day weekend to travel, so trains, motorways and holiday towns are busy. Source ↗

Still on: Castles on winter hours (16 Oct – 31 Mar), Marienbrucke closed for winter (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually)), Ski season (20 Dec – 15 Mar (usually))

Peak crowds — Easter holidays, Easter holidays in Germany

• Holiday

  Ascension and Whitsun

  14–25 MayNational holidayClosuresCrowded

  Ascension Day, a Thursday 39 days after Easter, and Whit Monday 11 days later are public holidays nationwide. Shops close on both, many people bridge them into long weekends, and trains, motorways and hotels in holiday areas get busy. Source ↗

Still on: Easter holidays (3–6 Apr)

Peak crowds — Ascension and Whitsun, Whitsun/Pentecost holidays in Germany

Nothing new starts in May.

Still on: Ascension and Whitsun (14–25 May)

Busy — Castle high season, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Opening

  Forggensee filled and boats running

  1 Jun – 15 Oct · usuallySummer season opens

  The reservoir is drained every winter and refilled by mid-June; the two lake boats run 1 June to about 15 October. Out of season the basin is a gravel plain you can walk across. Source ↗

• Holiday

  Castle high season

  20 Jun – 10 Sep · usuallySchool holidaysCrowdedBook early

  Timed slots for Neuschwanstein sell out days ahead through the European school holidays, and the shuttle queue at Hohenschwangau runs to an hour. First slot or last slot, or another month. Source ↗

Still on: Ascension and Whitsun (14–25 May)

Peak crowds — Castle high season, Summer holidays in Germany

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: Forggensee filled and boats running (1 Jun – 15 Oct (usually)), Castle high season (20 Jun – 10 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — Castle high season, Summer holidays in Germany

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Forggensee filled and boats running (1 Jun – 15 Oct (usually)), Castle high season (20 Jun – 10 Sep (usually))

Busy — Castle high season, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Forggensee filled and boats running (1 Jun – 15 Oct (usually)), Castle high season (20 Jun – 10 Sep (usually))

Busy — Autumn holidays in Germany, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Nature

  Autumn around the castle lakes

  5 Oct – 5 Nov · usuallyAutumn colour

  The beech below the two castles and around the Alpsee turns through October, which is the one time the standard view is worth queueing for twice.

• Rule

  Castles on winter hours

  16 Oct – 31 MarClosures

  From mid-October the castle tours run 9 to 3.30 instead of 9 to 6, and Neuschwanstein shuts entirely on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January. Tickets are timed and online only. Source ↗

Still on: Forggensee filled and boats running (1 Jun – 15 Oct (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Closure

  Marienbrucke closed for winter

  1 Nov – 31 Mar · usually

  The footbridge over the Pollat gorge, the classic viewpoint for Neuschwanstein, is shut once ice and snow arrive, and the dates shift with the weather. Castle tours are unaffected; check the ticket centre's daily notice before walking up. Source ↗

Still on: Autumn around the castle lakes (5 Oct – 5 Nov (usually)), Castles on winter hours (16 Oct – 31 Mar)

Busy — Christmas holidays in Germany, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  Ski season

  20 Dec – 15 Mar · usually

  Small local hills rather than a resort: the Tegelberg and the Breitenberg, plus cross-country loops on the drained lake flats. Snow at this altitude is not a given in a mild winter.

Still on: Castles on winter hours (16 Oct – 31 Mar), Marienbrucke closed for winter (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually))