Day 24 - 23rd May - Lindau to Füssen via the Alps

Better hotel, no better breakfast.. Doh!!

So got up and it was sunny!! Could see mountains and everything! Various webcams weren't quite so promising, but decided to head for the Alps just in case.

Swiss Alps over Bregenz over Bodensee

As we were driving out of Lindau, just through the suburban areas south of there, we went through a roundabout and Stu said welcome to Austria, and I'm like what? Where? There was just a boring sign (that I missed completely) to indicate a change in country! Bah! Wanted Stu to turn around so we could do it again heh.

So took a very back-road scenic trip up into Lech in Austria. And it was soooo pretty :) Went over a couple of passes and Stu got to go out onto real-live snow :) He was very brave and did all the driving up and down scary mountain roads while I took loads of pictures.

Our hire car 

Little church in Bersbuch 

Stu by the Bregenzer Ache river a kilometre north of Au in Austria 

Elevated road just up from Schröcken. Stu looked at this and freaked out a little! 

View from our morning tea spot (you can see the elevated road below) 

Stu on the snow at Hochtannbergpass 

Widderstein from Hochtannbergpass 

Biberkopf from Hochtannbergpass 

All the mountains around the roads and villages had these barricades
to help prevent avalanches 

Biberkopf, coming into Warth 

Looking west down Arlbergpass 

Biberkopf again, this time coming back into Warth from the south 

Biberkoft and cute chalets just outside of Warth

Finally we headed for Füssen in Germany (this time I was keeping an eye out for the border sign, and it was a complete anti-climax. Boring!! :)

Church seemingly in the middle of the road in Hägerau.
In one town the church really was in the middle of the
road and there were dings in the corners from cars
hitting it!

Church in Stockach, coming down the Lech valley 

At least I was expecting the border crossing back into Germany!
Police waiting on the other side!

Checked into our hotel (right in the middle of town - even with onsite parking it was a little crazy), and then we headed out to suss out the castles for tomorrow.

I have wanted to see Neuschwanstein for a very long time (prolly twenty years or so) so finally seeing it was very exciting :) All the parking there is 4.50 euro in gated lots, but didn't want to pay that since we'd be there tomorrow again anyway. So drove off wondering what to do when the no stopping signs stopped and we noticed cars parked on the side of the road, so decided to join them. It was a bit of a hike back, but at least they didn't get our money twice!  Anyways, so got our info for tomorrow's visit.

Neuschwanstein! 

Hohenschwangau

Hohenschwangau 

Neuschwanstein 

Neuschwanstein

So then back into town for Stu to recover for a bit, then went out for walk round Füssen. Took some photos of the schloss, then had beer followed by ice cream for dinner :)

Street in Füssen 

Hohes Schloss Füssen

Hohes Schloss Füssen 

Beer in Füssen

Now have been sitting here waiting for it to get dark enough to go out and try and see some stars....