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Today's hike is a short (at least short for the H2H!) and charming walk between lakes and mountains through some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe. You'll take your leave of two castles (Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau) and say hello to a third (Falkenstein, the highest castle ruins in Germany).

Along the way you'll cross the River Lech just below an impressive waterfall, skirt the Austrian border (but not cross it -- that is for the next stage), traverse a short ridge, and enjoy glorious views over the alpine foothills and the Tannheimer mountains.

Enjoy too the view of the flatter land to the north... you won't see much more of this until you are well into Provence a few months from now.

Route
Today's hike is identical with the Via Alpina from the Alatsee onwards. From Hohenschwangau walk past the Alpsee along the road towards Schloss Hohenschwangau, then take the Alpenrosenweg path to your left above the Schwansee. In Ziegelwies go north a bit to cross the Lech at the Lechfall waterfall, then walk just to the south of the Mittersee and Obersee along the path there until it ends at the road. After a couple of kilometers along the road past the Alatsee you'll turn right onto a mountain path to Salober and along the Zirmgrat ridge until a final kilometer along a road brings you to Falkenstein castle.

Alternatives: if the weather is bad, take the low-level route from the Alatsee along the Weißensee, through Roßmoos and Benken to Falkenstein (about the same time, but safer because it avoids the exposed ridge).
Map: K-4 Füssen.

Journal
The House to House blog... stage 10.

Photos
<A couple of representative photos from this stage will be added here after the hike>
In the meantime, click here to go to all of the H2H photos on Flickr.

GPS Track
<To be added during or after hike>

Room and Board Options
Lunch: restaurants just before and shortly after the Alatsee are seductive alternatives... or you could just picnic. If you are planning on having a picnic during Stage 11, buy food for it before you leave Hohenschwangau.
Dinner and overnight: at Falkenstein there are two hotels under the same management: Berghotel Schlossangeralp (+49-(0)8363/914550, 60 beds in 30 rooms), and Burghotel Falkenstein (+49-(0)8363/914540, 9 rooms, built in the castle ruins). To get to the former, go past the castle and take the path downhill and to the west. There are also many other options a few kilometers further on in the town of Pfronten, although you will then have to backtrack a little at the beginning of the next stage.

Getting There and Back
Hohenschwangau: Füssen has a railway station (for schedule information see Die Bahn) from which frequent buses go to Hohenschwangau.
Falkenstein: walk west down the hill (1h, 3.5km, -250m) to Pfronten, which has a railway station.
ViaMichelin Road Map and Driving Directions: centered on Hohenschwangau, centered on Pfronten.

Background Information and Links
Many and various...

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