Romantic Road Germany
Aug 28th, 2007, 12:57 PM
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Romantic Road Germany
My husband & I are planning an 8 day trip to Germany late October. We'll fly into Frankfurt & rent a car. Here's where we'd like to stay/visit:
Heidelberg, Rothenburg, drive the romantic road to Fussen, castles in the area and finally to Salzburg for a night or two. Any suggestions on how long to stay in each town/area? For instance, would Rothenburg make a good base for the Romantic road or would that entail too much backtracking? Should we stay a couple nights there & tour the castle road before driving the romantic road & staying somewhere half way down? How long in Salzburg?
Heidelberg, Rothenburg, drive the romantic road to Fussen, castles in the area and finally to Salzburg for a night or two. Any suggestions on how long to stay in each town/area? For instance, would Rothenburg make a good base for the Romantic road or would that entail too much backtracking? Should we stay a couple nights there & tour the castle road before driving the romantic road & staying somewhere half way down? How long in Salzburg?
Aug 28th, 2007, 01:49 PM
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Late October can be superb or iffy, weatherwise, but it's certainly worth trying. Heidelberg is a relatively short drive from Frankfurt airport, but you probably should continue on after stopping and spend the first night at Rothenburg. If you have a special interest in the Romantic Road, you could take a second. I wouldn't. I've visited Neuschwanstein and the surrounding area several times and now feel that it's best done as a drive-by rather than stayover. Neuschwanstein castle is best seen from afar. Close up, it's a ho-hum. On the way, however, a most worthwhile stop is the Weisskirche. You can look it up. From there, you might want to consider Garmisch-Partenkirchen for a night or two or head straight to Salzburg for about three days. If you have time, en route back to Frankfurt, consider stopping at Nurnberg. Either the old city or the Rally Grounds (south of the city) would make for a fascinating visit. You really don't have much time available, once you factor in the driving along the way, so you should figure on no more than three overnight places. Given the time of year, Salzburg should be most pleasant. The rural areas could be great or dreadful, depending on your luck with the weather.
Aug 28th, 2007, 02:44 PM
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One of our favorite small towns in Germany is Bad Wimpfen. It sits above the Neckar River and has two lovely towers from the 13th century as well as the ruins of an Imperial Palace. And there are some very lovely half timbered buildings as well as scrollwork signs reminiscent of Rothenburg.
Using Bad Wimpfen as a base for a couple of days, you can easily do a day trip to Dinkelsbuehl on the Romantic Road as well as Schwaebisch Hall, one of the most beautiful historical old towns in southern Germany.
You could either visit Heidelberg from BW or stop in Heidelberg on the way to BW from Frankfurt Airport.
Also, you are only a little over an hour from Rothenburg.
http://www.badwimpfen.de/showpage.ph...n=1&lang=2
Using Bad Wimpfen as a base for a couple of days, you can easily do a day trip to Dinkelsbuehl on the Romantic Road as well as Schwaebisch Hall, one of the most beautiful historical old towns in southern Germany.
You could either visit Heidelberg from BW or stop in Heidelberg on the way to BW from Frankfurt Airport.
Also, you are only a little over an hour from Rothenburg.
http://www.badwimpfen.de/showpage.ph...n=1&lang=2
Aug 29th, 2007, 07:13 AM
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Hi W,
You might find the Bavaria part of my trip report useful:http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=35014078
You might find the Bavaria part of my trip report useful:http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=35014078
Aug 29th, 2007, 08:38 AM
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What makes the romantic road "romantic are the charming little towns along the way like rothenburg and Dinkelsbuhl.
Rothenburg is worth one night and I would recommend that you go to both castles near Fussen, Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. That makes one night in Fussen.
After that take the scenic route to Salzburg stopping off on the way to see Wiesekirche, Oberammergau, Linderhof, Ettal Monastary and when you get to Garmish take the cable car to the top of the Zugspitze. You may have well taken up a day there so a night along the way might be called for.
Then go on to Salzburg stopping in Bertschesgaden along the way. Look at ViaMichelin.com for routes.
Spend at least a couple of nights in Salzburg and stay in the old part of town (the Altstadt) if you can. We like the Sound of Music tour there. It not only focuses on the movie but gives you a good overview of Salzburg and even takes you out into the Salzkammergut to Mondsee to the "Wedding Church" from the movie. They stop and let you ride a fun luge ride along the way.
Rothenburg is worth one night and I would recommend that you go to both castles near Fussen, Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. That makes one night in Fussen.
After that take the scenic route to Salzburg stopping off on the way to see Wiesekirche, Oberammergau, Linderhof, Ettal Monastary and when you get to Garmish take the cable car to the top of the Zugspitze. You may have well taken up a day there so a night along the way might be called for.
Then go on to Salzburg stopping in Bertschesgaden along the way. Look at ViaMichelin.com for routes.
Spend at least a couple of nights in Salzburg and stay in the old part of town (the Altstadt) if you can. We like the Sound of Music tour there. It not only focuses on the movie but gives you a good overview of Salzburg and even takes you out into the Salzkammergut to Mondsee to the "Wedding Church" from the movie. They stop and let you ride a fun luge ride along the way.
Aug 29th, 2007, 08:55 AM
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The responses to this thread really show the differences in people's interests and impressions of places.
wayne says that Neuschwanstein is ho-hum up close and that the Weiskirche is a most worthwhile stop. I had the oposite impression. We absolutely loved seeing N up close - thought the fairytale castle was wonderful, would have liked a longer tour, but such is life. The interior is unfinished - the finished rooms are really outlandish, and you get to walk through some unfinished parts and I really liked seeing the basic structure that is under all that ornate decoration in the finished rooms.
The Weiskirche was more of a "been there, seen that" sort of stop for us. LOL. Different things interest different people.
On the Romantic Road, we enjoyed Rothenberg and Diklesbuhl very much. I wished that we had more time to spend in D. I think it would make a nice overnight.
wayne says that Neuschwanstein is ho-hum up close and that the Weiskirche is a most worthwhile stop. I had the oposite impression. We absolutely loved seeing N up close - thought the fairytale castle was wonderful, would have liked a longer tour, but such is life. The interior is unfinished - the finished rooms are really outlandish, and you get to walk through some unfinished parts and I really liked seeing the basic structure that is under all that ornate decoration in the finished rooms.
The Weiskirche was more of a "been there, seen that" sort of stop for us. LOL. Different things interest different people.
On the Romantic Road, we enjoyed Rothenberg and Diklesbuhl very much. I wished that we had more time to spend in D. I think it would make a nice overnight.
Aug 29th, 2007, 10:31 AM
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October should be a good time to visit these areas. One of the visits I made to Neu Schwanstein was in October, my favorite season. I liked Hohenschwangau because it had more of a lived-in feel than the fantasy that is Neu S.
I think Heidelberg is worth a visit to see the castle and the Hauptstrasse (Main street), but it has become so tourist-oriented over the years that it has lost much of the charm (for me) that it used to have in the 60's.
If you haven't seen Rothenburg before, you'll enjoy it, especially if you are there in the earlier hours of the morning and in the evening when the day trippers have gone home.
The opulent Wieskirche (church in the meadow) is certainly worth a look, but for my money Kloster Ettal is much more beautiful.
Linderhof, another of Ludwig's extravagances is just too over-the-top rococo for me, but it's interesting for its very lushness. It gives one a glimpse into his quirky? mind.
I think Heidelberg is worth a visit to see the castle and the Hauptstrasse (Main street), but it has become so tourist-oriented over the years that it has lost much of the charm (for me) that it used to have in the 60's.
If you haven't seen Rothenburg before, you'll enjoy it, especially if you are there in the earlier hours of the morning and in the evening when the day trippers have gone home.
The opulent Wieskirche (church in the meadow) is certainly worth a look, but for my money Kloster Ettal is much more beautiful.
Linderhof, another of Ludwig's extravagances is just too over-the-top rococo for me, but it's interesting for its very lushness. It gives one a glimpse into his quirky? mind.
Aug 29th, 2007, 10:38 AM
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If you have any interest in staying in a castle, please take a look at
www.berg-colmberg.de. We stayed here for 2 nights on a 3 week Germany/France trip this past May. It is about 20 minutes from Rothenberg so it was very easy to visit Rothenberg and nearby locations if you have a car. It was truly the highlight of our trip, very picturesque, high atop a hill with views into the countryside, the accomodations were very nice, tho the room was super small but that was OK, everything else made up for it. We go to Germany yearly for the past 14 years and for some reason I always have to spend 1 or 2 nights in Rothenberg or nearby, know it's a tourist trap but I love it, especially if you can be there at night when it is very quite. Also, don't forget to look into the Night Watchmans Tour if you're there at night.
Have a wonderful trip.
Susan
www.berg-colmberg.de. We stayed here for 2 nights on a 3 week Germany/France trip this past May. It is about 20 minutes from Rothenberg so it was very easy to visit Rothenberg and nearby locations if you have a car. It was truly the highlight of our trip, very picturesque, high atop a hill with views into the countryside, the accomodations were very nice, tho the room was super small but that was OK, everything else made up for it. We go to Germany yearly for the past 14 years and for some reason I always have to spend 1 or 2 nights in Rothenberg or nearby, know it's a tourist trap but I love it, especially if you can be there at night when it is very quite. Also, don't forget to look into the Night Watchmans Tour if you're there at night.
Have a wonderful trip.
Susan
Aug 29th, 2007, 12:35 PM
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We are taking a very similar trip and will fly into Frankfurt October 29. All our stays are reserved with first night in Beilstein to see Burg Eltz--which closes October 31. Be sure to check for closings--luges, salt mines, cabel up to Zugspitz, Hellbrun Palace, Eagles Nest, and Herenchimsee , as I understand, will be closed. We will have two nights in Salzburg (the B&B Ira liked) and three nights in Vienna. Hope to see as many castles as possible--and also hoping for good weather.
Aug 29th, 2007, 01:15 PM
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Hi wannago, I'm living in Stuttgart and have been to all of the places on your itinerary in the past 2 years. They are all worthy stops but you are definitely trying to pack a lot in, so you need to give some serious thought to your priorities.
As AisleSeat points out, the Romantic Road as a "road" is not the attraction per se, it is the towns along the way. So saying you want to drive the Romantic Road from Rothenburg to Fuessen without thinking about where you want to stop could result in disappointment. I might suggest choosing at least two places to stay along the way (I second the recommendation of Burg Colmberg if you have ever wanted to stay in a castle!) and be sure to spend some time in the towns OTHER than Rothenburg - which is definitely worth a stop as well, don't get me wrong, and should be a bit quieter in late October. Some of my favorites are Dinkelsbuehl, Noerdlingen, and Landsberg am Lech. Schloss Harburg is worth a visit if you have an interest in authentic medieval castles.
Heidelberg is usually on everyone's list and it is a gorgeous city with an interesting, partly ruined castle, but it can be VERY crowded, especially with the large U.S. military presence nearby. You may find you hear more English than German on the streets.
I fall into the camp that finds Neuschwanstein vastly overrated, but that's because I prefer authentic fortresses to fairytale castles. If you've always wanted to go to Neuschwanstein, then by all means, do it, but also tour Hohenschwangau just down the road so you get the complete historic picture. The tours are run very efficiently and you can tour both castles in a couple of hours.
I found our visit to the Wieskirche to be magical, but that is because we were treated to an impromptu concert from a singer who perfomed a few Gregorian chants for what looked to be his parents!
Given all you want to do, I would limit Salzburg to two nights at most - you will still get a good taste for the city that way.
Assuming you have 7 nights...
1 - Heidelberg
2 - Rothenburg area
3 - another Romantic Road town
4 - Fuessen area (or maybe Garmisch or Oberammergau - I haven't been there but have heard good things)
5 - Salzburg
6 - Salzburg
7 - If you need to drive back to Frankfurt to fly out, how about spending a night in Bad Wimpfen as bettyk suggested? It is one of my favorite villages in Baden-Wuerttemberg.
This is assuming you don't mind moving from place to place every night. I travel like this quite a bit but some people absolutely hate it. Due to the linear nature of the sites on your list, it may be the best approach for you.
We are expecting an early autumn this year due to the very cool summer but hopefully you will get some nice weather (October has been gorgeous the past 2 years) and still see some fall colors.
Happy planning!
As AisleSeat points out, the Romantic Road as a "road" is not the attraction per se, it is the towns along the way. So saying you want to drive the Romantic Road from Rothenburg to Fuessen without thinking about where you want to stop could result in disappointment. I might suggest choosing at least two places to stay along the way (I second the recommendation of Burg Colmberg if you have ever wanted to stay in a castle!) and be sure to spend some time in the towns OTHER than Rothenburg - which is definitely worth a stop as well, don't get me wrong, and should be a bit quieter in late October. Some of my favorites are Dinkelsbuehl, Noerdlingen, and Landsberg am Lech. Schloss Harburg is worth a visit if you have an interest in authentic medieval castles.
Heidelberg is usually on everyone's list and it is a gorgeous city with an interesting, partly ruined castle, but it can be VERY crowded, especially with the large U.S. military presence nearby. You may find you hear more English than German on the streets.
I fall into the camp that finds Neuschwanstein vastly overrated, but that's because I prefer authentic fortresses to fairytale castles. If you've always wanted to go to Neuschwanstein, then by all means, do it, but also tour Hohenschwangau just down the road so you get the complete historic picture. The tours are run very efficiently and you can tour both castles in a couple of hours.
I found our visit to the Wieskirche to be magical, but that is because we were treated to an impromptu concert from a singer who perfomed a few Gregorian chants for what looked to be his parents!
Given all you want to do, I would limit Salzburg to two nights at most - you will still get a good taste for the city that way.
Assuming you have 7 nights...
1 - Heidelberg
2 - Rothenburg area
3 - another Romantic Road town
4 - Fuessen area (or maybe Garmisch or Oberammergau - I haven't been there but have heard good things)
5 - Salzburg
6 - Salzburg
7 - If you need to drive back to Frankfurt to fly out, how about spending a night in Bad Wimpfen as bettyk suggested? It is one of my favorite villages in Baden-Wuerttemberg.
This is assuming you don't mind moving from place to place every night. I travel like this quite a bit but some people absolutely hate it. Due to the linear nature of the sites on your list, it may be the best approach for you.
We are expecting an early autumn this year due to the very cool summer but hopefully you will get some nice weather (October has been gorgeous the past 2 years) and still see some fall colors.
Happy planning!
Aug 29th, 2007, 11:47 PM
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Hi bettyk, it has been a cool, damp August; if last year's trend is any indication, you can expect warm, dry weather in September - but be prepared for anything. You might even be lucky enough to see some of the grapevines turning color early in the Mosel Valley. Hope you have a wonderful trip!
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