Rothenburg and the Romantic Road – a drive into the Middle Ages

The Romantic Road (Romantische Straße) is Germany’s best-known tourist route – a chain of medieval towns with walls, half-timbered houses and cobblestones running about 400 km from Würzburg to Füssen in the Alps. It’s best explored by rental car, so you decide where to stop and for how long, free of timetables and tour groups.

Würzburg

The road starts in Würzburg, among vineyards on the Main, with the Baroque Residence (UNESCO) and Marienberg Fortress on the hill. See also Bavaria by train.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Rothenburg may be the best-preserved medieval town in Germany.

• The Plönlein – the little square with the yellow house and two towers, one of Germany’s most photographed views.
• The town walls – walk around on the covered walkway (about 2.5 km).
• The Market Square, with the town hall and the Meistertrunk clock. Legend says the mayor saved the town by downing a huge tankard of wine in one go.
• The Medieval Crime Museum – instruments of torture and punishment.
• The Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas shop – Christmas all year round.
• The Night Watchman – an evening tour full of stories about the town’s history.
• Try Schneeballen – balls of pastry dusted with sugar or chocolate.

Dinkelsbühl and Nördlingen

• Dinkelsbühl – less visited but just as pretty, with colourful houses and intact walls.
• Nördlingen – the only German town with a complete town wall and wall-walk you can circle. The town was built inside a meteorite crater formed about 15 million years ago. From the Daniel tower, its round shape is clear to see.

Three-day itinerary

1. Frankfurt – Würzburg (about 1 h 30 min). The Residence and Marienberg. Overnight.
2. Würzburg – Rothenburg (about 1 hour). A full day in Rothenburg, with the Night Watchman tour in the evening.
3. Dinkelsbühl and Nördlingen, then back to the airport or on to Neuschwanstein.

Practical tips

• An EU driving licence is enough to rent a car in Germany.
• Germany has no motorway vignettes for cars, and the autobahns are free.
• Rothenburg is packed between 11:00 and 16:00 – stay overnight to see it quiet.