Romantic Road Germany - The Famous Route in Bavaria

The Romantic Road is a popular holiday route in Germany. The route is the most beautiful connection between the cities of Wuerzburg in northern Bavaria and Fuessen, close to the Austrian border deep in the south of Germany. The road has a length of only 260 miles, but it is packed with over 20 tourist attractions including Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Augsburg, Dinkelsbuehl and the famous Castle of Neuschwanstein. So it is no surprise that almost 2 million Germany visitors travel the Romantic Road each and every year.

Because of that, you will see many signs in English and Japanese. There are also lots and lots of gift shops alongside the Romantic Road, selling useful and more often not so useful souvenirs.

Travelling Around the Romantic Road Germany

I would recommend travelling this route by car. This way, you can really enjoy the beautiful landscapes and stop wherever you want when you want. Another way to travel is by bus. There are many organizations offering bus tours, a very reliable and experienced one is Europabus. They offer daily connections between the highlights of the Romantic Road. You can find the bus plans and book tours at romanticroadcoach.de. A good starting point for travelling the Romantic Road is Wuerzburg. You can also start from Frankfurt or Munich - the local tourist offices will help you willingly. But be aware, the busses may be very crowded especially in summer.

Thanks to the solid public transportation system in Germany, it is also possible to travel the Romantic Road by train. Every destination can be reached by train easily. Students and pensioners as well as people travelling with children might consider this way of travelling, as they qualify for special discounts. The German Rail Pass is applicable. With this ticket you can travel around the whole German country. Check for prices at bahn.de.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Apart from the magnificent Neuschwanstein Castle, Rothenburg is definitely the most famous spot you will come across alongside the Romantic Road in Germany. It is recommended to go there either late in the afternoon or real early in the morning. For a simple reason: This place is very crowded with tourists all day long and this takes away much of the romantic you can truly find here. Over two million visitors a year speak for itself.

But if you stick with the early birds, you can enjoy a truly fantastic visit to one of the most beautiful towns in Germany. Or you stay overnight and enjoy the towns charming atmosphere late in the evening. This is a good idea as quite a big number of tourists only stay during the day and move on in the afternoon.

The sights in Rothenburg are quite numerous. In fact, the whole city is a sight for itself. You can visit the ancient city wall with its towers, the Gothic town hall and several impressive churches. Visitors interested in the medieval jurisdiction will likely enjoy a stay at the Medieval Crime Museum.

From the development of jurisdiction and the procedure of medieval trials to ancient instruments of torture – when you have been here you will be glad not to be born a few hundreds of years ago.

If you want to connect the historic Rothenburg with entertainment, the Watchman of Rothenburg is a very good choice. From the middle of March until Christmas, the watchman takes you on a tour back to the Rothenburg during the Dark Ages. All he wants is a small fee that is really worth it. The tour is held in English and starts at 8 pm every single night. Meeting point is at the market square of Rothenburg.

Dinkelsbuehl

On your way alongside the Romantic Road Germany you will come across a beautiful little town called Dinkelsbuehl. This town is about 30 miles south from Rothenburg ob der Tauber. What makes Dinkelsbuehl so special is the very well preserved city core with its medieval architecture. You will see gorgeous half-timbered houses, glorious ancient trading houses and massive churches of historical relevance. The flair of Dinkelsbuehl attracted many expressionist painters and other artists looking for inspiration.

A significant sight in Dinkelsbuehl is the Minster of Saint George. This is truly one of the most beautiful hall churches in Germany. It was built in the middle of the 15th century and should be on your list of sights you want to see when travelling the Romantic Road. From outside, the church seems rather usual, but the inside architecture is really amazing.

Every year in the middle of July, you can witness the annual town celebration. The reason for this fest goes back to theyear 1632. During 30 Years War, Dinkelsbuehl faced a threat from Swedish troops ready to conquer the town.

According to the legend, a brave woman from Dinkelsbuehl crossed their ways with a swarm of children melting the heart of the Swedish general to spare Dinkelsbuehl. Obviously the plan succeeded - The well preserved town is truly a highlight across the Romantic Road of Germany.

On your Germany vacation alongside the Romantic Road, the Castle of Neuschwanstein is truly a must see. It is one of the most viewed sights in Germany with over 1.3 million visitors a year. Neuschwanstein Castle reminds of a fantasy world building with its peaky towers and the white chalkstone walls. Disney World’s Cinderella Castle was inspired by this magnificent building.

Development of the Neuschwanstein Castle

The building process of Neuschwanstein Castle started in 1869 by order of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. King Ludwig spent much of his childhood in a nearby area and he wanted to give this location a lift to the more famous area around Munich. The fabulous style of the castle is mainly the work of King Ludwig II himself. Ludwig was fascinated by medieval sagas and he insisted his architects to show him every little detail for approval. The castle was finished in 1884. Two years later, King Ludwig II passed away. He only had the chance to spend a couple of months living in his lifetime achievement. The construction of the castle was very expensive and paid by running into massive debts. The new Bavarian government wanted to pay off these debts and opened the castle to visitors right after Ludwig’s death.

During World War II the Castle of Neuschwanstein was fortunately not damaged at all, but it was in danger. An SS-colonel had the order to blow up the castle to prevent the enemies of stealing the fantastic art treasures hosted by Neuschwanstein Castle in 1945. Luckily, the colonel refused this mad order and after the end of World War II the castle was committed to the Allied Forces.  

Today, the Castle of Neuschwanstein is a tourist magnet. People from all over the world come to see this spectacular building. In summer, it is very crowded around the castle, so you might have to bring steady nerves and some waiting time. However, your effort will be rewarded with great impressions. Also in winter, the snow-covered castle is a true beauty.

Neuschwanstein Castle Opening Hours & Tickets

The Castle of Neuschwanstein is opened to visitors all year long. You can receive tickets at the ticket center, which is located in the village of Hohenschwangau just below the castle. Here, you can also book guided tours, which is recommended.  It is also possible to arrange private tours. For this experience you have to contact the Neuschwanstein staff. You can find the contact info below.

From the ticket center you can either take a walk up (about 30 minutes) or you can take the bus, which stops about ten minutes away from the castle. Romantics take the horse-drawn carriage for a small fee. Dogs are not allowed in the castle.