Getting Oriented

Getting Oriented

The Romantic Road is not limited to one area of Germany—it is Germany in a nutshell. From Würzburg, in central Germany, an hour from Frankfurt, it runs right down to Füssen on the Austrian border, crisscrossing between the states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Along the way, the road passes through the best-preserved medieval town on the continent, Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber. Farther south it goes through the handsome Renaissance city of Augsburg. The final stop and highlight of the route is King Ludwig II's fantastical castle, Neuschwanstein.

Northern Romantic Road. Wine lovers should plan an extra day for Würzburg, where they can sample very good local wines at reasonable prices. Bad Mergentheim and Creglingen are also worth a look for the home of the Teutonic Knights and the Tilman Riemenschneider altar in the Herrgottskirche.

Central Romantic Road. From the north, the route crosses the rather barren Spessart uplands, before dropping into the lovely Tauber valley. It passes through charming old towns like well-known Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber, with vineyards visible on the northern slopes of the small valley. After crossing the Danube, the route continues to the affluent city of Augsburg, where the countryside changes again.

Toward the Alps. In this region,vineyards are replaced by alpine meadows and beer beats out wine in the small inns of towns like Landsberg and Schongau. The marvelous Wieskirche (Church of the Meadow) is here, just a bit off the Romantic Road, and finally mountains give way to the plain and the fairy-tale Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles come into view.