Do you like your car journeys? The corona virus, which suddenly entered our lives and changed all our habits, also affected our travel habits. Traveling individually and taking long car journeys with your own route seems to replace train and bus journeys.
There are many beautiful car travel routes in many parts of the world. Today I'm taking you on one of those beautiful routes. How about a 400-kilometer journey full of fairy-tale castles, villages full of historical houses, monasteries in the beautiful nature of Germany? I realize that you don't think of romance when you think of Germany, it is located between Würzburg and Füssen. Romantic Road takes you to medieval romance.
While the Romantic Road was a route used for commercial purposes in the Middle Ages, it came to the fore again in the 1950s as a marketing effort to revive tourism in Germany.
Photo nothingfamiliar.com taken from the website.
Where is the Romantic Road, How to Go?
The northern start of the Romantic Road, the city of Würzburg, is 121 kilometers from Frankfurt Airport. The city of Füssen, which is the southern beginning of the road, is 161 kilometers from Munich Airport.
Between May and October, the Romantic Road bus between Füssen and Frankfurt runs in both directions every day and stops in various villages. Also, the 439 kilometers of bike paths, which are slightly longer than the auto route and mostly flat, are well-marked for cyclists.
The most preferred method is to complete this route in 3-4 days by renting a car. If you want to see not only the popular places but also all the places on the route, you can extend your trip up to 7 days.
If you are thinking of making the route, I suggest you determine your route from north to south, that is, from Würzburg to Füssen's.
Best Time for Romantic Road Route
The best time for a romantic road trip is during the peak season, the summer months. Especially July and August months are preferred. If you do not have the opportunity to go in the summer, it will be very romantic to do this route in spring and autumn. As in the whole of Germany, I am sure that the time of the Christmas Markets will be very enjoyable.
Places to Visit and See on the Romantic Road Route
The Romantic Road, which was created in the 1950s, is 354 kilometers long and has 28 stops on the route. Don't be intimidated by the number of stops, some villages and towns are so small that it will take you 1 minute to drive through.
Names of 28 stopping points on the route (from North to South):
Würzburg →Tauberbischofsheim → Lauda-Königshofen → Bad Mergentheim → Weikersheim → Röttingen → Creglingen → Rothenburg ob der Tauber → Schllingsfürst → Feuchtwangen → Dinkelsbühl → Wallerstein → Nördlingen → Harburg → Donauwörth → Freiburg Austrian → Freiburg → Freiburg → Freiburg → Freiburg → Freisch Rottenbuch → Wildsteig → The Wierkirche and Steingaden → Halblech → Schwangau → Füssen
Along the route, historical German towns are accompanied by colorful flowers hanging from the windows, vineyards on which the sun dances, lakes accompanying the magnificence of the Alps. You can include this route in your travel plans to witness these beauties. .
If we count the places you must see on the Romantic Road route;
Würzburg
The first stop of the route, Würzburg, is also the largest city on the road. Marienberg Castle on the hill in Würzburg, Residenz Palace and Mainbruecke Bridge, which are on the Unesco World Cultural Heritage List, are must-see places. This is also a wine region, so don't leave without drinking wine on the bridge.
Rothenburg
Rothenburg, which means the Red Fort on the Tauber River, is another must-see with its medieval city center with colorful buildings. The Christmas Museum and the Crime Museum are among the places to see while you're there. As you can see from the museum, this city is beautiful at Christmas time.
Dinkelsbuhl
When you think of an old German town, the place that comes to mind should be Dinkelsbühl. The historical city center, which is among the best preserved old German cities, is among the places you should definitely visit.
Nordlingen
Nördlingen, built in a huge meteor pit, deserves to be viewed from above because all the roofs are orange. City Cathedral, Ries Crater Museum and Train Museum are among the places to see.
augsburg
Augsburg is the third oldest city in Germany. It is one of the largest cities in the Bavarian Region. The Old Town Hall, Schatz Palace and Fuggerei, the world's oldest social housing complex, and the puppet theater are must-sees.
schwangau
The legendary Neuschwanstein Castle, which is the reason why many people come to the Bavaria Region, is the most important reason for you to come to Schwangau. I definitely recommend you spare a few hours to see the castle from different points.
Fussen
Füssen city center, the last stop of the Romantic Road route, is small enough to walk around in half an hour. Hohes Schloss Castle and St. Mang Monastery are some of the places to see. You can also reach the Austrian border with a long walk.
The list of places to see on the route is not limited to the above. There are also options to enrich your trip, such as hiking routes and camping areas. If you are looking for an alternative to the classical European routes, the Romantic Road will make you very happy.
This article is an expanded version of the article published in the August 2020 issue of Skyroad Magazine.