Romantic Road - Germany's Romantische Strasse Is So Much More Than a Plain Old "Road"

The word "road" does not begin to describe the delightful views, villages, surprises and quaint scenery along Germany's Romantic Road. I lived in Augsburg, Germany for three years and traveled along the Romantic Road many times during my stay -- the villages and winding turns along this route are some of my favorites in the world. Winter, summer, spring or fall, you'll love the castles, medieval villages, walled towns, half-timbered houses, baroque churches, delicious food, and homespun Bavarian hospitality you'll find around every twist and turn of Germany's Romantic Road. 

(A quick disclaimer before I proceed -- I did not have a digital camera when I lived in Germany, and since I took slides at that stage of my life, I have no way to illustrate this photo essay by myself. All of these photos are from PhotoBucket. I tried to choose photos that illustrated the Romantic Road I saw through my camera's eye all those years ago. Many of the pictures I found look so similar to many I've taken that they could be mine. So - my thanks to the people at PhotoBucket. I love to take photos, and while it pains me not to be able to use my own, I really didn't want you to miss the beauty of this place. Please forgive me and enjoy the beauty of Germany's Romantic Road.) That said...

Germany's Romantic Road runs from Wurzburg in the north, south to Fussen, in the Alps. The most famous stop along the way is undeniably Rothenburg, on the Tauber River.

Famous for its arched gateways, half-timbered houses, and medieval walls (you climb stairs in several locations and walk along the top of the wall for great views of the village and the rolling countryside around the town), it has some of the best shopping in Germany, as well as some of the most photographed scenes.

While we loved visiting Rothenburg, the streets and shops can be very crowded due to the tourist buses that frequent the town, and the prices in the shops and restaurants are higher than in the surrounding countryside. We found some of the smaller, less frequented towns to be our favorites.

There are excellent gasthauses where there are rooms for rent, similar to B&B's, in the area surrounding Rothenburg. We stayed in a small castle one night -- our dog was welcomed, too, as is the tradition in Germany -- and we were truly made to feel like royalty.

Dinkelsbuhl is another little village that is not as widely visited as Rothenburg, and is much less touristy, which for me, makes it a definite, must see. The walls of this medieval town are surrounded by a water-filled moat, with beautiful vegetable gardens that stretch out in the fields just across the water. If you travel with a tripod, plan to be in Dinkelsbuhl at sunset. The walls of the city are lit at night, and the reflection of the city lights in the dark waters of the moat make a lovely photograph.

Donauworth, on the Danube River, is another quaint little village that merits a stop. The Heiligeskreuz or Church of the Holy Cross dates from 1720, and is splendid example of ornate baroque finery. The doll and dollhouse museum is fun, too.

Just because Augsburg is a big city doesn't mean that it is not worth exploring -- quite the opposite. It is rich in history and architecture from many different periods of history. Make sure you see the Fuggerei, a famous housing development for the less fortunate. The Augsburger Puppenkiste or marionette theatre is great fun whether you're a child or an adult. I saw an excellent performance of Hansel and Gretel at the opera house. At one end of Maximilianstrasse is the Augsburg Dom or Cathedral of St. Maria -- at the other, St. Ulrich and St. Afra, with its onion dome. Both are well worth a stop. In between is the rathaus, many shops, German department stores, and restaurants. Augsburg has Swabian and traditional Bavarian restaurants galore -- if you see Kase Spaetzle or any kind of spaetzle on the menu, order it -- a treat that is sometimes hard to find even in Germany, where french fries have become far more common than traditional Bavarian. For a relaxing interlude, stroll along Augsburg's lovely canals or the Lech River. Fronhof Palace is another beautiful building not to miss.



Further to the south, near Fussen, you will find some of the most beautiful churches and castles in the world. Zimmermann's Wieskirche, located in the foothills of the Ammergau Alps in an alpine meadow near Steingaden, is a rococo masterpiece. Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles are lovely -- in addition to touring the splendid interiors, make sure you allow some time to hike through the trails in the surrounding meadows and hills. Take part in a volksmarch if one is being offered, and see some of the area's most snow-capped mountain peaks, lovely alpine houses, geranium-filled window boxes, lace curtained windows, crystal clear streams, cow and sheep filled pastures, and pristine forests. If you're lucky, you may even see some edelweiss.

I guarantee you will enjoy Germany's Romantic Road!