Location: Germany Bavaria Füssen
Musical theatre on the shore of the Forggensee in Füssen, opened in 2000 – its terrace looks across the lake to Neuschwanstein Castle, about four kilometres away.
Interesting facts
- The first musical, "Ludwig II – Sehnsucht nach dem Paradies", ran until the end of 2003 with more than 1,500 performances.
- The auditorium has 1,350 seats and no boxes.
- The building is around 160 metres long, 80 metres deep and 32 metres high.
Why visit
- Musical theatre with a connection to King Ludwig II
- Setting directly on the Forggensee
- View of Neuschwanstein Castle from the terrace
The Festspielhaus Neuschwanstein stands on the shore of the Forggensee lake in Füssen. It was built between 1998 and 2000 as a musical theatre to designs by the architect Josephine Barbarino and opened on 7 April 2000 with the premiere of the musical “Ludwig II – Sehnsucht nach dem Paradies”.
The building is around 160 metres long and 32 metres high; the auditorium seats 1,350 in amphitheatre-style rows without boxes. From the theatre terrace you can see Neuschwanstein Castle, about four kilometres away, which has been the subject of several musicals staged here.
The venue has seen changing operators, an insolvency and several changes of name. Since 2020 it has once again carried its original name, Festspielhaus Neuschwanstein, and it continues to operate as a musical theatre.
History
Opened in April 2000 as the "Musical Theater Neuschwanstein". Renamed Festspielhaus Neuschwanstein in 2004, later run as Musiktheater Füssen, Festspielhaus Füssen and "Ludwigs Festspielhaus". After an insolvency in 2016 the owner changed; the original name has been used again since 2020.
Special features
Theatre building directly on the Forggensee, on an artificially created lakeside plot with a garden. Auditorium with 1,350 seats in amphitheatre-style rows and a view of Neuschwanstein Castle from the terrace.
Map
Opens an external route planner. Please check access and opening times before you set off.
Nearby

High Castle of Füssen
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2.3 km away
Late Gothic castle above Füssen's old town, once a seat of the bishops of Augsburg – known for the painted trompe-l'œil architecture in its courtyard.
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St. Mang’s Abbey
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Former Benedictine abbey in Füssen's old town, rebuilt in Baroque style by Johann Jakob Herkomer – today home to the town hall, the town museum and the library.
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Lech Falls
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Waterfall on the River Lech at the edge of Füssen – just under eight metres high, with a gorge, the King Max footbridge and the legendary Magnustritt.
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Faulenbach Valley
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Protected karst valley near Füssen with the Mittersee and Obersee lakes, outdoor pools, a Kneipp facility and hiking trails – along the Faulenbach stream between the Alatsee and th…
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Hopfen Castle Ruins
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3.9 km away
Castle ruins on a hill spur above Hopfen am See near Füssen – regarded as the earliest stone castle in the Allgäu, with views of the Ammergau Alps and the Tannheim mountains.
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Neuschwanstein Castle
Schwangau, Bavaria
4.4 km away
King Ludwig II's unfinished castle on a rocky ridge above Hohenschwangau in the Bavarian Allgäu – built in Romanesque Revival style from 1869 and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Si…
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Sources
Image: Memorino · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
