nycgirl1

Ok, I've been sufficiently convinced that 3 nights in Heidelberg is too long.

I've looked at going to Wurzberg or Rothenberg, and maybe I'm really wrong, but those seem totally out of the way and still a relatively long drive from Fussen.

Is there anywhere on the way between Fussen and Heidelberg that is worth a night's stay? I'm not a big fan of going to Stuttgart since it's a pretty big city (that, and I'll be going there for work at some point in the next year). Ulm seems to be getting mixed reviews in the posts I've read.

any help? We like cathedrals, museums, quaint towns, history, music....

thanks so much!

Bob_KY

If you have never seen it, go to Rothenberg. Alternatives are Nordlingen, and Dinklesbuhl. They are all similar walled towns. You can take the autobahn part of the way up from Fussen and then get onto the Romantic Road. The distances are not that great.

USNR

Bad Wimpfen, north of Heilbronn, is just off the autobahn between Munich and Heidelberg. Very picturesque, quiet, and convenient. We stayed one time near Ulm, which has Germany's tallest cathedral spires. Just east of there is the marvelous Benedictine abbey at Ottobeuren.

Russ

Tübingen is a gorgeous city south of Stuttgart. Much smaller but full of cobblestoned nooks and crannies, lots of atmosphere, nice places to eat, and a setting on the Neckar River. And just a few miles off the Autobahn north to Heidelberg. It's a university town, so livelier than other towns its size. You can't do much better, in my book.

Aramis

A second vote for Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

It's only a few minutes north of E/W highway that takes you straight over to Heidelberg, so hardly out of your way - you are just going to take right angle route instead of angling along the hypotenuse (ooooh, let's get all mathy!)

Well worth a night's stay, especially as it is a different experience in the relative solitude of the evening.

You could stop in Dinkelsbuehl and Nordlingen on the way up, both great towns that have quaint stamped all over them.

Tuebingen is nice, but larger.

You could also look into Schwaebisch Hall or some other small towns on the Neckar River valley.

Try the www.cometogermany.com site and look into their maps of charming snall towns, or cities.

A Nordlingen, Dinkelsbuehl, Rothenburg triad could judt turn out to eb the highlight of your trip.

I see you've been convinced, but I would have also suggested that 3 nights in Heidelberg might be one too many.

ira

Hi NYC,

>I've looked at going to Wurzberg or Rothenberg, and maybe I'm really wrong...<

www.viamichelin.com says it's 3:11 hr direct, 3:50 hr if you go via Rothenburg.

You could go by way of Linderhof, Oberammergau and Wies along the Romantic Road, overnight in Mindelheim (we will be staying at the Hotel Stern) and continue on through Rothenburg, etc.

See www.romanticroad.com

nycgirl1

You're all the best! Thanks for the suggestions. Seems to be a big Rothenberg fan club here so sounds like we should give it a shot!

hhildebrandt

Tübingen has already been named as Württemberg´s (a former German kingdom and country, capital: Stuttgart) answer to Heidelberg.

Also good for a base to explore the surrounding. Stuttgart is not exactly a quaint town, but its Staatsgalerie (State Gallery) is worth a detour.

Ulm will also make a base to explore the valley of river Donau from Beuron (monastery) down to bavaria, maybe even Ingolstadt. The Ulm hinterland is off the beaten track (the quite contrary to Heidelberg or Rothenburg) offering small towns, baroque churches (quite nice ones, but not cathedrals) history galore (Ulm had to be rebuilt after WWII, they did it quite fast, this is the background of the idiom: to Ulm up), well, they even have music there, but for that you will be better off at Stuttgart. There is a broadcast station in Stuttgart famous for its orchestra (RSO Radio Sinfonie Orchester - here: http://www.swr.de/swr2/faszination-m...so/saison.html

In general, all the places around do have cultural events, you might check them out in te web or, ask your landlord or hotel manager.

Würzburg may be off the way, but worth a detour. They have an archtectural ensembe quite unique, history galore, there is wine and rich food, music too, as it is an university town, and if yiu think you can "do" it in one day, there is also a nice hinterland, the river main region with Frankfurt not that far away.

Seen in a geographic way, Ulm might be a good pick. Well, there are a lot of nice places over there, its ubp to you to choose.

hhildebrandt

beg your very pardon, madam,

Ulm people are proud to have a cathedral (Ulmer Münster), even a special one with the highest spire.

missypie

Lots of good ideas here!

Lawchick

In Ulm, um Ulm und um Ulm herum

quokka

> Seems to be a big Rothenberg fan club here

I'd really like to know why so many people should be fans of a small village named Rothenberg in the middle of nowhere in the Odenwald, which is the only settlement with this name in Germany.

Aramis

Now quokka - be nice.

People come here to ask questions precisely because they are unfamiliar with the places.

Let's hope she didn't end up in the Odenwald

Larryincolorado

Würzburg and Rothenburg are probably not TOO far out of the way, but there are interesting places more directly on your route.

I was particularly impressed with Tübingen. It's a very pretty university town on the Neckar river.

Ulm is also nice. It has the highest gothic church steeple in the world, and you can go all the way to the top. The view is spectacular.

Another place fairly in line is Nördlingen. It's a walled city, not unlike Rothenburg, but much less touristy. I liked it the best of anyplace on the Romantic Road between Rothenburg and Füssen.

One of the advantages of all three of these places is that the are all on train lines. You won't need a car and can save a lot of money on rental and gas.

Ulm and Nördlingen are both considered "border station" with respect to the Bayern- and Baden-Württemburg-Tickets. You can use a €27 Bayern-Ticket for up to five people to get to either one, and a €27 Baden-Württemburg-Ticket to get from there to Heidelberg. Your total transportation expense for two days would be €54!