Popular in the late 18th and early 19th century with luminaries such as Strauss, Wagner, Kafke, Freud, Twain and Edward VII, this sprightly spa town is a charming spot. Delicately painted spa houses and hotels tiptoe up the lush, forested mountainsides. One hundred mineral springs with high carbon dioxide and iron content confetti the town and nearby hillsides, many with neat colonnades and stately pavilions. The most famed is the cupola-capped and colonnade-adorned Krizovy pramen.

Fussen is steeped in over 700 years of history, from its roots as a Roman trading fort to its present-day status as a nearly secret Alpine holiday escape. Situated on the southern end of the Romantic Road, the medieval town centre is framed by the majestic Alps, towering above the banks of the river Lech and surrounding lake region. Here you will discover late-Gothic castles, baroque cathedrals and the oldest preserved fresco in Bavaria.

One in a constellation of elegant resort towns ringing Lake Garda (Italy’s largest lake), the southerly Desenzano Del Garda is celebrated for its Roman villa, castle, and archaeological museum. It’s just a quick trip from larger hubs like Brescia and Verona, too.