My boyfriend and I will be driving from Prague to Rothenberg in July, and we have decided to take 2 days to get there, so we'll have one free night to explore and stay somewhere in Bavaria/Franconia.<BR><BR>Does anyone have any great recommendations of any beautiful villages or towns that are a must see? Something small and special would be great.

At Plzen, detour a little southwest to Regensberg, a lovely town that is really special. If you want a smaller quaint village, stop in Amberg.

My husband & I spent 2 days in Oberammergau (I don't know if I spelled it right!) - the murals painted on the buildings were gorgeous and the city was close enough to visit Linderhoff (another of Mad King Ludwig's castles). We loved the area and wish we could go back

Regensburg is indeed a really nice city to wander around. The tour of the Town Hall is really worth the stop, specially the visit to the medieval dungeons (scarily real!). In the main, noticed the standard measures (foot, etc...) nailed to the Town Hall building square, used on medieval times for trading. Nearby is also the building where Oscar Schindler lived for five years after the war ended (there is a plaque in front of the building; a boutique in the ground floor). I also loved Landshut, lovely town. Didn't care for Nuremberg. On our way to Prague, we stoped in a border town called Furth-i-Wald, and crossed the border really early. Since that's the time when a lot of commercial cargo (trucks) also choose to crossed, they let us go quite quickly because they were much busier with the trucks. Remember to ask your rental company to write in the contract agreement that it is OK for you to take the car to an Eastern Europe country. Have a great time!!

Fussen and Mittenwald are beautiful.<BR>Both offer quaint bavarian vilages w/ painted houses, scenic mountains, great for hiking. <BR>Garmisch is a fun alpine resort town.Parts look like an anciant village.From here you can go Germanys tallest Mt. - Zugspitz. You can go up on a cog railway,than transfer to a cable car. There are upscale shops and shops offering handmade items from the area.<BR>Great restaurants too.<BR>I suggest driving .<BR>Have fun!!!!!!

Landshut. See www.landshut.de<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Many many good ideas about the Bavarian Oberland at www.oberland.de also.<BR>

We did almost the exact trip 2 years ago. We based ourselves in the tiny tiny village of Iphofen for 3 nights and used it as a base to explore the area. It's a charming (but nothing in particular for sightseeing) small village that apparently is in the German tour books but not American. Stayed at the Goldene Krown. We actually made a day trip to Rothenberg from there. If you want something ont he route that is a larger city. Try Bamberg--a delightful city, once again not really highlighted in American guidebooks. We wished we'd had more than one night.

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Agree with previous posters about Regensburg - very nice town. But Bamberg is lovely, and so is Landshut. Also consider Straubing, which is probably better for your route.

While Regensburg is delightful, Bamberg (eqally charming) is more on a direct line from Prague to Rothenberg-ob-der-Tauber. One is on the Danube, the other (Bamberg) is on the Pegnitz, near the Tauber. Bamberg dates back to the 11th century and was an early seat of the Holy Roman Empire. The Romanesque Cathedral at the top of the hill is awesome. The views of the old town from here are gorgeous. The old town sits within about a one mile square area and would be easy to tour in a half day on your trip. The colorful Rathaus or city hall is a sight to see. Approach it from one of the bridges for the best view. The cobblestoned lanes with shops, cafes and half-timbered buildings are fun to wander. Bamberg would be a good stop.<BR>While in Rothenberg, be sure to take a day trip to Dinkelsbuhl. Delightful smaller scale Rothenberg.

If you want the Franconion atmosphere, definitely Bamburg, very scenic and historic. This is also not very far from Regensburg.

Bamberg - no question.<BR><BR>In addition to the 14th & 15th century buildings, the numerous churches are great, especially the Dom.<BR><BR>If you like beer, Bamberg has ten breweries. Specialty is Rauchbier (smoked beer). Try the Spezial Biergarten on a hill with outstanding views of the town. For an un-smoked beer try the Ungespundet bier at the Mahr's brewery, probably my favorite beer in the world.<BR><BR>Try the Alt-Ringlein Hotel.

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I'm adding Landshut and Bamberg to my list. I can contribute a suggestion for a tiny Romantic Road town -- Harburg (maybe as small as Iphofen). Just a bit north of Munchen, and it has a hilltop fortress, a beautiful little stone bridge, and some nice old buildings with chunks cut out of their corners to permit the two-lane road to pass through. We stayed in a good small hotel there, but I can't recall the name. J.

Can't imagine anyone bypassing Munich! If you really want rural Bavaria try:<BR> Mittenwald (near Innsbruck)<BR> Fussen (near Neuschwanstein)<BR> Berchestgarten<BR> Oberammergau<BR> Garmisch-Partenkirchen

I was last in Bavaria 4 years ago, and visited Passau, it is a beautiful city.