Explore Romantic Road in Germany
Heard many good stuff on the famous Romantic Road in Germany? Romantic Road has a distance of 424km long, Filled with castles and 20 over townships along the way, the biggest town closer to it is Munich, usually the major gateway to other parts of the world. The ambience and romantic feeling lead to the promotional marketing strategy from the tourism board to name it such.
With 31 scenic spots along this road, the name given to a route through Bavaria stepped in all the riches of history. It start from the town of Wurzburg in the north, running down through Augsburg east of Munich to Fussen near the Austrian border.
If you are looking for itinerary sample of exploring Romantic Road, you may refer to a separate post on the itinerary here.
I will highlight the major towns to visit in this post.
#1: Mannheim
The reason why I had stayed in this small town was because of the visit to Eltz Castle which is 150km away only. The Eltz castle should not be missed as this is rank alongside one of the most beautiful castle I had ever seen!
Tip: Do note that Mannheim is not situated along the romantic road. However, it is worth a visit. Picture speaks for it!
#2: Heidelberg
Heidelberg is not situated along the romantic road as well. This is one of the best kept secrets thou as this town is magnificent beautiful, certainly worth a visit! The buildings especially so are an art itself. Moreover, one can take the boat ride from Heidelberg to Neckarsteinach. Such a relaxing 80 minutes on the Weisse Flotte Heidelberg cruise, allowing one to witness the daily life of the Germans along the riverbed. Recommended to try it!
#3: Wurzburg
This is the start of Romantic Road and it adds in the romantic flavor with roman empire architecture style buildings. The main river that runs through the town makes it one of the perfect spot to take pictures with the mighty Marienberg Fortress overlooking it. The highlight is the former residence of the prince bishops of Wurzburg, ranked one of the most important palaces in Europe and has been designated a UNESCO world heritage site.
#4: Nuremberg
Located 105km east of Wurzburg, most visitors will head to Nuremberg 2nd largest city of Bavaria region. The St. Lorenz Church is a sight to behold. The city is also the traditional center of the German Spielzeug industry and there is a popular Toy Musuem. Nuremberg to me is the most German of German city.
#5: Rothenburg
It is well known for its well-preserved medieval old town. This is a must stop town with the houses being built in such a unique way. I would recommend spending at least 4 hours to take in the sights and relax at the café.
#6: Dinkelsbühl
A town of Renaissance patrician houses encircled by Medieval walls. The houses such as Deutsches Haus is a great photo spot for its highly ornamented timber framing. I would not skip this town either!
#7: Donauwoerth
This is a small town which we require roughly an hour to walk through and it will be perfect. Ideal for a rest stop between Dinkelsbuehl to Augsburg . It is known as the Bavarian-swabian Danube pearl on the Romantic Road.
#8: Augsburg
The Fuggerei family support this settlement after 500 years. Many rules still apply from past till date. One of the rule is the 10pm curfew. Should you enter the area after 10pm, be prepare to pay Euro 50cents. After 12am, one need to pay Euro 1. The house rental for the poor families cost them 80 cents Euro for each year, in additional to the 88 Euros paid to government for the general maintenance like clearing of rubbish. 140 households are still living in this area.
The city all of Augsburg is absolutely worth a visit. Do note the place is currently in operational use for the local politicians to discuss on plans for the township. One can admire the gold plated structures found inside the building, do not miss this!
#9: Neuschwanstein Castle
Built in 1868, ensure that you have bought a ticket in advance for specific timing to enter the castle if you do not want to miss the touring of the interior. Attracting more than 1.3 million visitors annually, Neuschwanstein Castle is the highlight of the entire Romantic Road. If you do not know yet, this castle is nicknamed as the “Disney Castle”. This fairytale look of the castle has inspired Walt Disney to create the Magic Kingdom found in major Disneyland Theme park all over the world.
There are many ways to go up the castle either by riding the horse carriage or to hike up. If you want to ride horse, do factor in the waiting time. Should one miss the time to visit the castle, you will likely not be able to enter. The horse ride takes roughly 15 minutes. One will still need to walk up to the castle entrance. A commentary tour is provided in the castle that last around 20-40 minutes. After visiting the castle, you may choose to ride the bus down which costs around Euro 1.50 per adult for a one way trip.
Along the route to the castle, this is a scenic drive which allows one to admire the snow capped mountain alps and casually climbing up 800metres above sea level.
#10: Fussen Town
Nearest town to Neuschwanstein Castle which is also the end of Romantic Road lies Fussen. This is a health and winter sport resort on the lower slopes of the Alps. Recommended to stay one night at Buching, experience the countryside life whereby one can engage in paragliding. It is a popular skiing area too so if you are heading in winter, do remember to book your accommodation earlier!
#11: Eibsee
Zugspitz is the highest peak in Germany, known as the Top of Germany (2962 metres above sea level) . The cable car Zugspitz can accommodate around 120 people each time with fix timing going up the mountain.
#12: Munich
Usually, this big city is whereby your holiday ends in Germany. I would prefer to go back from this city as there are more airlines serving this business city. Recommend going to the BMW Museum. Even to people like me who is not a car frantic, the many car models and history behind it is very fascinating. You should not miss it! Experience nothing but the best! Opens from Monday to Saturday, 10am – 8pm.
If you are a football fan, then you should not miss the Munich Allianz stadium. It is situated along the way to airport. Visit the football pitch and tour the stadium for a small fee.
Other than that, engage in beer drinking! After all, you are in the Beer capital of Germany, Munich!
If you are still pondering if Germany is worth a visit, check out the reasons in this blog post here . Below is the video of the Romantic Road Germany trip.
Categories: Europe Region
What make it a romantic road?the palace that you explained