Germany is a multifaceted kind of place filled with big cities, medieval towns, beautiful forests and even an Alp or two in there somewhere. But if it’s the quintessential Germany you seek, the castles and medieval villages, then there is really only one way to go–driving Germany’s famous Romantic Road.
The Romantic Road meanders 220 miles through southern Germany, over hills and through stretches of pretty countryside. Along the way, if you drive the entire stretch, you’ll pass 27 towns and several castles, including Neuschwanstein Castle, hands down the most dazzling of all German castles.
To take on this fairy-tale vacation (because that’s exactly what it is), you can start from the north in Wurzburg (plan to fly into Frankfurt) or from the south in Fassen (plan to fly into Munich). Renting a car is really the only way to go with the Romantic Road. Sure, you can do stretches of it by train, but there is no public transportation option that will allow you to visit more than a stop or two. A car allows you to stop for as long as you’d like at each city, skip cities you’re not interested in, or spend the night spur of the moment.
Even so, most people won’t want to stop at every little thing along the way, so here is a guide of what you absolutely should not miss, from north to south.
Würzburg
The first city worth checking out is Würzburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with much to see and plenty of restaurants serving up yummy German food. Don’t miss the Würzburg Residence, which sounds kind of dry, but just happens to be a palace complete with one spectacular staircase and a soaring fresco. If a palace isn’t enough for you, also venture over to the Marienburg Fortress, which is a superb spot for views from the fortress walls. Würzburg is also a great stop for wine lovers as it’s the capital of one of Germany’s best wine regions…and you thought Germany was all beer all the time.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Whatever you do, stop in Rothenburg. One of Germany’s best-preserved medieval towns (it even has walls built in the 14th century!), Rothenburg is almost impossibly adorable. Stroll the cobbled streets lined with half-timbered medieval houses and pretend you’re in a story book, because you’ll feel like you are. Market Square is the center of town and a perfect place to spend some time, but other sights include the Church of St. Jacob and the Town Hall Tower.
Dinkelsbuhl
If you loved the atmosphere of Rothenburg, you’ll love Dinkelsbuhl likely equally as much, but this town has fewer crowds than Rothenburg, and fewer crowds never hurt. Dinkelsbuhl is another medieval walled city, yet there are some unique things to see. St. Georg’s Minster is a Gothic church with a charming tower that was built long before the church ever was. In fact, Dinkelsbuhl is a fine place to be for admiring towers–the city’s walls still have four of their medieval gate towers still standing. Like Rothenburg, Dinkelsbuhl is also home to plenty of museums and shops.
Nordlingen
Near the midpoint of the Romantic Road is Nordlingen, which aside from being a perfectly picturesque kind of place has some pretty neato trivia to its name. For one, the town is seen at the end of the 1971 version (the only version, really) of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Two, the city is built inside a meteorite crater. The Daniel Church tower in town is even built from the rock created when said meteor struck, and you can see the rim of the crater from the top of the tower. If movie sets and meteorological events don’t impress you, you’ll also find much of the same charming nature found in Rothenburg and Dinkelsbuhl here, including medieval walls.
Harburg Castle
Harburg Castle is nothing compared to the castles on the far sound end of the Romantic Road, and yet if you need to get your castle fix, Harburg has got you covered. Harburg Castle is not a Disney, fairy-tale kind of castle. It’s a fortress that meant business about a thousand years ago (windows designed so that soldiers could pour hot oil down on invading troops below? Check and check). Do be aware that the castle isn’t open year round so check before you go.
Schwangau
Schwangau is like the period at the end of the Romantic Road sentence. The crowning jewel. Sure, the village is cute, but that’s not why you’re here. You’re here for the castles. That’s right. Two of them. Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, two of Germany’s most impressive and stunningly beautiful castles. Start at Hohenschwangau, the childhood home of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Then take a leisurely stroll over to Neuschwanstein, the castle King Ludwig II built as an adult. You’ll likely recognize the towering spires of Neuschwanstein and its Disneyland-esque stylings (or more correctly, Disney took some notes from Neuschwanstein).
Fussen
Only a few miles from Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, Fussen is literally the end of the Romantic Road, and yet often gets overlooked in favor of its spectacular neighbors. Still, if you need one last experience with a historical and picturesque southern German town, this is it.
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Photo credits:
Rothenburg: ptwo via Flickr
Wurzburg: <DXR> via Flickr
Wurzburg Residence: Heribert Pohl via Flickr
Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Luftphilia via Flickr
Dinkelsbuhl: ilovebutter via Flickr
Nordlingen: Tatsuhiko Miyagawa via Flickr
Harburg Castle: ilovebutter via Flickr
Neuschwanstein Castle: Heribert Pohl via Flickr
Fussen: Sang yun Lee via Flickr