Rothenburg & Romantic Road (Summer)

The Romantische Strasse (Romantic Road) runs south through Bavaria, going from the imperial city of Würzburg on the Main River to the mountain frontier town of Füssen, launch pad for Germany's greatest attraction, the two Royal Castles of Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein, seat of "the fairytale king," Ludwig II. This 215-mile (344 km) drive south from Würzburg reaches the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. The strasse is not the easiest of drives, and some of the route isn't so romantic, going along major highways. Yet it is one of Europe's most scenic routes, with major stopovers in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany's ...

The Romantische Strasse (Romantic Road) runs south through Bavaria, going from the imperial city of Würzburg on the Main River to the mountain frontier town of Füssen, launch pad for Germany's greatest attraction, the two Royal Castles of Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein, seat of "the fairytale king," Ludwig II. This 215-mile (344 km) drive south from Würzburg reaches the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. The strasse is not the easiest of drives, and some of the route isn't so romantic, going along major highways. Yet it is one of Europe's most scenic routes, with major stopovers in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany's best preserved medieval city with its gabled patrician houses, old fountains, mansions, and fortified walls. In the vine-clad hills of the Franconian wine country, Würzburg is the country's greatest baroque city. Historic Augsburg is another major stopover, the oldest city along the Romantic Road. You can also visit the beautifully preserved medieval town of Dinkelsbühl and the fortified town of Nördlingen with its ancient buildings, towers, and gates.

About the Expert

Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince have written many guidebooks for Frommer's, including Frommer's France and Frommer's Germany.