I will be driving the Romantic Road from Fussen to Wurzburg for 3 days in May. I have read and researched the towns on the Romantic Road. I am looking for suggestions of towns/sights off the Romantic Road to visit to see a more "authentic" Bavaria. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

A lot of people really like small Harburg. I believe it actually is a town on the official Romantic Road, but it is not often visited by tourists.

Some of the towns on the road are quite authentic and undertouristed - Weikersheim comes to mind - while others are Disneyesque.

I wrote this review a while ago on Papenheim and surroundings:

www.epinions.com/content_84480069252

I suggest that you take a look at Iphofen and Bamberg.

I second the suggestion to look at Iphofen and Bamberg. We plan to spend 2 nights in Iphofen in May.

Dinkelbrul, I think that is the right spelling, gets my vote. it is quaint and offers a variety of places to visit.

Clea

Dinkelsbuhl, Nordlingen, Harburg are all OK, but don't discount Rothenburg. It is heavily tourist-infested by day (escape by taking a day-trip to Bad Wimpfen or Schwabisch Hall), but at night after tourist the buses leave, Rothenburg becomes much more everyday and pleasant.
Another town, further south on the Romantic Road (below Augsburg), is Landsberg am Lecht. Very nice.

Meant to say "after the tourist buses leave" but you probably got what I meant anyway. Add Bamberg to the "day escape" possibilities.

Bamberg is an absolute gem, with a well-preserved Altstadt. It's actually a real, living city not just maintained for tourists.

www.blsv-schwaben.de/ _9_donau-ries/aktuelles.htm

Here's a picture of my favorite view in Harburg(Schwaben). It's a very tiny town, but it gets my vote, no question. Unless, of course, you're not a fan of tiny, in which case Bamberg might be better. J.