The small town of Füssen, near the fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle, is at the southern tip of Germany's “Romantic Road” or “Romantische Strasse.” Visitors who drive this rural route through the Bavarian countryside from Füssen to Würzburg (near Frankfurt) will experience quaint villages and medieval walled towns such as Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber, Dinklesbühl, and Nördlingen that feel untouched since the Middle Ages.
Rothenburg is Germany's best-preserved walled town and is tremendously popular with tourists. Despite the crowds and commercialism, the town remains one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Europe. Spend the night to avoid the day-trippers and by sunset the streets are deserted. The most popular event in Rothenburg is the annual Christmas Market, one of the most popular in the country.
Dinkelsbühl has fewer tourists than Rothenburg and is a few centuries older. Consider spending a night at the Deutsches Haus, considered by many to be the most beautiful half-timbered building on the Romantic Road.
Nördlingen lies in a huge crater left by the impact of a meteorite 15 million years ago. U.S. astronauts were trained for the Apollo 14 and 17 lunar missions here, and NASA presented the town with a piece of moon rock that is displayed in the Ries Crater Museum.
When traveling by car or bicycle, simply follow the brown “Romantische Straße” signs. Visitors can drive the entire length of the route, non-stop, in less than ten hours. But why not spend a couple of days driving leisurely along one of the most beautiful routes in all of Europe. Bicycles can be rented at train stations along the road for 5-8 Euros, and tourist offices provide maps and information. Campgrounds are generally located about 5-10 miles apart.
The Europabus runs between Füssen and Frankfurt, April through October, and departs daily in each direction. These deluxe coaches stop for about an hour in both Rothenburg and Dinklesbühl. Visitors can stop-over at any town along the way, for an overnight stay, and then catch the bus another day to continue the journey. The entire journey takes about 12 hours. One-way travel costs 82 Euros including on-off privileges, round-trip is 115 Euros. If you have a Eurailpass cost can be heavily discounted! Reservations are recommended for summer weekends.
Before or after your journey on the Romantic Road, check out nearby Neuschwanstein Castle. The castle was the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty’s fairytale castle in Disneyland and is featured in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
