Two buses and four trains today from Malbun to Füssen, Germany in the Bavarian Alps. The bus descended to the Rhine Valley via a series of tight switchbacks, with a connection at Vaduz to the railway station at Schaan (1). Plenty of time to catch the connecting train at Feldkirche, Austria to Lindau-Reutin on the shores of the Bondensee in Germany.
A 15 minute connection at Lindau dwindled to 2 minutes due to the late arrival of the Austrian train. Dashing off, then up the stairs to the overpass (2) through the slow-moving, meandering crowd. The German train crew yelled "schnell, schnell" to hurry us along. A personal record for me for the 100 meter dash, even with the stairs. The final connection to the branch line to Füssen was scheduled for 5 minutes. Arriving at the connecting station 8 minutes late, the Füssen train was also late, waiting (almost 30 seconds) for us to dash trough the underpass (3). I'm glad I only travel with a small bookbag; we never would have made either connection with a wheely bag. The branch line to Füssen is known as Konig Ludwig Bahn (King Ludwig's Railway), as the Bavarian King's summer palace is above Füssen.
At Füssen, a modest hike south of town beckoned (550 foot vertical rise). Along the trail, there were small chapels representing the stations of the cross. The trail steepens near the summit, representing Golgotha and offering sweeping views to the town below and the Alps behind, surmounted by towering cumulo numbus clouds. Occasional puffs of wind provided minor relief on this hot, humid day.
Walking back to the hotel, lightning appeared to the west. We were safely back at the hotel before the storm front moved through, freshening the air coming through the windows of our (un-air-conditioned) hotel (4).
(1) The short railway line in Liechtenstein is part of the Austrian State Railways (OBB).
(2) Underpasses are better. Overpasses are high above the catenary overhead electrical wires, requiring more stairs both up and down.
(3) My daughter knows a lot of random things. She told us we were "Deutsche Bahned," a common occurrence on German Railways.
(4) The area is experiencing a heat wave.
Hohe Schloss, Füssen
Steinbok (Stone Bok), symbol of Liechtenstein at Malbun. Not the same as the South African Steenbok
Descending on the bus to the Rhine Valley
Liechtenstein Railway Station
Glimpses from the train in Bavaria
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