By Vicky · Published Jun. 6th, 2024
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The Romantic Road is the most popular road trip in Germany, winding past picturesque towns, medieval castles, and stunning landscapes.
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Romantic Road Germany Map
Get the route by downloading the .gpx or .kml file below. For navigation with Maps.me on your mobile phone, simply download the .kml file and open to add it to the Maps.me bookmarks.
Tips
- The road itself is not very Romantic, you mainly follow just normal roads in Germany. It’s the stops along the route that make it the Romantic Road. This means it’s not fully necessary to drive the exact official route, but you can just drive the quickest route from place to place if you are short on time. Grab a road map*!
- The southernmost end of the Romantic Road, at Neuschwanstein Castle, is probably the most impressive, so it’s best to save this for last. This means start in the north, then head south!
- For more places to visit in Germany, check out our Germany Guide.
Highlights of the Romantic Road in Germany
On a tour of the Romantic Road in Germany, you’ll pass grand cities, historic villages and fairytale castles. Make sure to check out the highlights below:
Castles: Neuschwanstein Castle is the standout attraction on the Romantic Road, though Harburg Castle is also lovely.
Charming Villages: Rothenburg ob der Tauber and nearby Dinkelsbühl are perhaps the two most worthwhile historic towns to visit on the Romantic Route.
Historic Cities: Augsburg and Würzburg are the largest cities on the Romantic Road and it’s worth exploring at least one of these.
Romantic Road: The nicest section of the route itself is the drive between Wertheim and Rothenburg ob der Tauber. The rest of the drive is less scenic.
Outdoor Activities: Apart from walking around the cute towns, there are some great hikes along the Romantic Road.
Hidden Gem: Wertheim is one of the less-visited towns on the Romantic Route, but it has a lovely historic centre and a magical half-ruined castle looming over the pretty town.
Best Places to Stop on the Romantic Road Germany
Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Neuschwanstein Castle are the two most popular places to visit on the Romantic Road, followed by Würzburg. These are located in the middle, at the southern end and at the northern end of the Romantic Road respectively.
Augsburg, Dinkelsbühl and Harburg Castle are the next most visited stops on the Romantic Road. Augsburg is a city full of history, while Dinkelsbühl is a charming town with Medieval fortifications and a historic centre. Harburg Castle dominates the village of the same name and is definitely worth a look around.
Other places also worth visiting include Nördlingen, with a perfectly intact 4km wall around its medieval centre, Wertheim with its historic buildings and castle on the hill, Füssen nestled at the base of the Alps, and the lovely town of Donauwörth.
Towns you can Skip (but are still quite nice)
The six towns on the Romantic Road between Wertheim and Rothenburg ob der Tauber are located in some of the most scenic countryside, but the towns themselves are all rather small. Of the six, Tauberbischofsheim and Creglingen are probably the most interesting, though Weikersheim has a famous Renaissance Schloss and Bad Mergentheim is known for its grand Residenz.
Further south, Landsberg am Lech is more interesting than Schongau, but still only worth visiting if you have enough time. The Wieskirche is an impressive church and you can do a nice short walk nearby, but it’s not worth a huge detour.
Romantic Road Germany Itinerary
Your itinerary will look a little different depending on whether you drive, take public transport, or cycle the Romantic Road.
Romantic Road Germany How Many Days?
With two days you can visit the two most popular attractions – Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Neuschwanstein Castle. However, it’s best to dedicate at least four days to exploring the Romantic Road in Germany. If you give yourself a week you can also visit hidden gems and go on some lovely walks.
Driving the Romantic Road Germany
A road trip with a car is the easiest way to explore the Romantic Road, though it’s also possible by train (see below). An advantage of driving is that you can stop off in the countryside for some lovely walks along the Romantic Road.
Romantic Road One Day Itinerary Driving
Highlights: Neuschwanstein Castle & Rothenburg ob der Tauber
If you only have one day to explore the Romantic Road, you’ll need your own car (find cheap car rentals in Germany here*). Start the day visiting Neuschwanstein Castle in the foothills of the Alps. Remember to book a tour in advance! After the morning, drive to Rothenburg ob der Tauber (quickest route 250 km, and 2hr20, following the Romantic Road it’s a similar distance but takes at least one hour longer). Stay here overnight to enjoy a lovely evening in this historic town.
Romantic Road Two Day Itinerary Driving
It’s best to spend at least two days exploring the Romantic Road, and preferably more. If you have two days, one option if you don’t have a car is to take two day trips from Munich. For example, a Day Trip to Rothenburg ob der Tauber*, and a Day Trip to Neuschwanstein Castle*.
Highlights: Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Augsburg & Neuschwanstein Castle
A suggested two-day itinerary for driving the Romantic Road in Germany:
- Day 1: Start in Rothenburg ob der Tauber and explore the town before driving on to Augsburg (1hr30).
- Day 2: Explore the rest of Augsburg and continue south to Neuschwanstein Castle (1hr30) for an afternoon tour. If you have time, walk around a nearby lake.
Romantic Road Three Day Itinerary Driving
Three days is a good amount of time to drive the Romantic Road, though you could still spend longer.
Highlights: Würzburg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Augsburg, Neuschwanstein Castle & Alpine Lake Walk
A suggested three-day itinerary for driving the Romantic Road in Germany:
- Day 1: Start in Würzburg and spend most of the day exploring the city before driving south to Rothenburg ob der Tauber (50 min). Spend the evening walking around the town and stay overnight.
- Day 2: In the morning explore the rest of Rothenburg ob der Tauber before reaching Augsburg (1hr30 or 1hr) early afternoon.
- Day 3: From Augsburg drive to Neuschwanstein Castle (1hr30) and tour the castle. In the afternoon, walk around either Alpsee (6.5 km) or Schwansee (4.5 km), or go on a longer walk from the castles to Füssen and back (10.3 km).
Romantic Road Four Day Itinerary Driving
Adding another day allows you to spend more time in the towns and cities on the Romantic Road and visit a couple of additional places.
Highlights: Würzburg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dinkelsbühl, Harburg Castle, Augsburg, Neuschwanstein Castle & Alpine Lake Walk
A suggested four-day itinerary for driving the Romantic Road in Germany:
- Day 1: Arrive in Würzburg, explore the town and stay overnight.
- Day 2: Drive to Rothenburg ob der Tauber (50 mins), explore the town, and drive on to Dinkelsbühl (40 mins) to stay overnight.
- Day 3: From Dinkelsbühl head straight to Augsburg (1hr30), stopping off at Harburg Castle on the way if you have time. Walk around Augsburg and stay overnight.
- Day 4: From Augsburg drive to Neuschwanstein Castle (1hr30) and tour the castle. In the afternoon, walk around either Alpsee (6.5 km) or Schwansee (4.5 km), or go on a longer walk from the castles to Füssen and back (10.3 km).
Romantic Road One Week Itinerary Driving
Highlights: Würzburg, Wertheim & Tauber Valley, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dinkelsbühl, Ries Crater Hike, Nördlingen, Harburg Castle, Donauwörth, Augsburg, Panorama Walk or Lake Walk, Neuschwanstein Castle, Füssen, Alpine Lake Walk
A suggested week-long itinerary for driving the Romantic Road in Germany:
- Day 1: Arrive in Würzburg, explore the town and stay overnight.
- Day 2: Drive to Wertheim, look around town, then drive along the Tauber Valley. Stop at one or two villages and reach Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
- Day 3: Explore Rothenburg ob der Tauber, drive to Dinkelsbühl and stay overnight.
- Day 4: Go on a hike in the Ries Crater, then explore Nördlingen. Drive on to Harburg to visit the castle before ending the day in Donauwörth.
- Day 5: Tour Donauwörth before driving to Augsburg, explore the town and stay overnight.
- Day 6: Drive south from Augsburg and do the Auerberg Alps Panorama Walk or the Lechsee Loop Walk in the morning. Continue to Hohenschwangau (the village by Neuschwanstein Castle) and tour the castle in the afternoon. Stay overnight in Hohenschwangau or nearby Füssen.
- Day 7: Walk around either Alpsee (6.5 km) or Schwansee (4.5 km) and explore the town of Füssen.
Romantic Road Germany by Train
Tips: Google doesn’t have all the train timetables in Germany, so check the official German public transport website, Deutsche Bahn, instead. The trains and buses you use to explore the Romantic Road are all included in the Deutschland €49 public transport ticket. This is definitely worth buying.
Summary: The main towns on Germany’s Romantic Road are connected by train. However, to reach the smallest places you have to take a bus. The easiest stops with the train are Würzburg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Donauwörth (detour to Nördlingen & Harbug), Augsburg & Füssen (easy bus from here to Neuschwanstein Castle).
Getting to the start: At the northern end, Würzburg is easy to reach on the main train line. It’s 2 hours on the fast train (not included in €49 ticket) from Munich, 1hr10 from Frankfurt, or about 4 hours from Berlin. You can also reach Würzburg on slower trains that are covered by the €49 ticket.
Romantic Road by Public Transport Route Description
From Würzburg, if you want to explore the smaller villages and keep to the Romantic Route, you can reach Wertheim on a bus that takes just under 1 hour. After Wertheim, a train stops at all the villages southeast (Tauberbischofsheim, Lauda and Bad Mergentheim), ending in Weikersheim. From Weikersheim there’s a direct bus past the next two villages of Röttingen and Creglingen to Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
If you want to keep to the main sights on the Romantic Road, take the train from Würzburg to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. The train takes just over an hour, with one change in Steinach.
From Rothenburg, the next two main stops along the Romantic Road are Dinkelsbühl and Nördlingen. These are slightly more awkward to get to on public transport, though still doable with a couple of buses. If you skip Dinkelsbühl, it makes sense to get the train from Rothenburg to Donauwörth (about 2 hours). If you stay overnight here, there are easy, direct trains to Nördlingen and Harbug Castle. It’s also an easy journey to the next stop of Augsburg.
Heading south on the Romantic Road from Augsburg, you can get a train to Landsberg am Lech in 1hr, Schongau in 2 hrs, or head all the way to Füssen at the southern end of the Romantic Road in about 2hrs. From Füssen there are buses from the train station to Hohenschwangau, the village by Neuschwanstein Castle.
Romantic Road Four Day Itinerary on Public Transport
Highlights: Würzburg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Augsburg, Neuschwanstein Castle, Füssen
A suggested four-day itinerary for taking public transport to explore the Romantic Road:
- Day 1: Arrive in Würzburg, explore the town and stay overnight.
- Day 2: Take the train to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, explore the town, stay overnight.
- Day 3: Take the train to Augsburg, walk around town, stay overnight
- Day 4: Take the train from Augsburg to Füssen, then the bus to Hohenschwangau (the village by Neuschwanstein Castle). Take a tour of the castle, then walk around either Alpsee (6.5 km) or Schwansee (4.5 km).
Romantic Road One Week Itinerary on Public Transport
Highlights: Würzburg, Wertheim, Weikersheim, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dinkelsbühl, Nördlingen, Harburg Castle, Donauwörth, Augsburg, Neuschwanstein Castle, Füssen
A suggested week-long itinerary for taking public transport to explore the Romantic Road:
- Day 1: Arrive in Würzburg, explore the town and stay overnight.
- Day 2: Take the bus to Wertheim, look around town, then get the train to Weikersheim and bus to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, stay overnight.
- Day 3: Explore Rothenburg ob der Tauber, catch the bus to Dinkelsbühl, stay overnight.
- Day 4: Get the bus to Nördlingen, walk around the town, then take the train to Donauwörth. On the way, stop off at Harburg Castle if you have time.
- Day 5: Walk around Donauwörth before taking the direct train to Augsburg, explore the town and stay overnight.
- Day 6: Take the train from Augsburg to Füssen, then the bus to Hohenschwangau (the village by Neuschwanstein Castle). Take a tour of the castle, then walk around either Alpsee (6.5 km) or Schwansee (4.5 km).
- Day 7: Explore the town of Füssen, enjoy the scenery and take the train home.
Cycling the Romantic Road Germany
Along the Romantic Road there’s also a cycle route, similar but not the same as the route you drive. It’s mainly on small roads and dedicated cycle lanes, with a few short sections of busier roads. The length of the route is roughly 485 km but you also need enough time to explore the villages.
One of the nicest stretches of the Romantic Road to cycle is from Wertheim to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, through the lovely Tauber Valley. A second scenic stretch is the southern end from Schongau to Füssen, though the entire route is also quite pleasant.
Romantic Road One Week Itinerary Cycling
Highlights: Würzburg, Wertheim & Tauber Valley, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dinkelsbühl, Nördlingen, Harburg Castle, Donauwörth, Augsburg, Landsberg am Lech, Schongau, Neuschwanstein Castle, Füssen
A suggested week-long itinerary for cycling the Romantic Road:
- Day 1: Explore Würzburg, cycle to Wertheim (40 km), stay overnight.
- Day 2: Cycle through the scenic Tauber Valley to Rothenburg ob der Tauber (95 km), stay overnight.
- Day 3: Explore Rothenburg ob der Tauber, cycle to Dinkelsbühl (45 km), stay overnight.
- Day 4: Cycle to Nördlingen (45 km), walk around the town and continue to Harburg Castle (25 km). End the day in Donauwörth (15 km), 95 km in total.
- Day 5: Walk around Donauwörth before cycling to Augsburg (65 km), explore the town and stay overnight.
- Day 6: Cycle down to Landsberg am Lech (50 km), stop for lunch here before continuing to Schongau (45 km), 95 km in total.
- Day 7: Cycle 45 km to Neuschwanstein Castle and tour the castle in the early afternoon. Continue to Füssen (5 km) and the end of the Romantic Road, 50 km in total.
Best Places to Stay on the Romantic Road
Würzburg
Budget: Mercure Hotel Würzburg am Mainufer* is a good hotel with parking close to Würzburg Castle and the bridge to the old town.
Comfort: Zur Stadt Mainz* has a great location in the centre of Würzburg close to all the attractions, with large, comfy rooms and friendly staff.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Budget: Hotel Rothenburger Hof* is a great value hotel just opposite the train station, 10 minutes walk from the old town. Free parking and clean rooms make this a great choice for budget travellers.
Comfort: Hotel Reichs-Küchenmeister* is a historic hotel right in the centre of town, with lovely rooms, a great breakfast and dining rooms full of character.
Dinkelsbühl
Budget: Romantica Hotel Blauer Hecht* is a well-located hotel that offers large rooms and regional specialities in the restaurant. There’s also free parking, an indoor pool and spa area.
Comfort: Hotel Deutsches Haus* is a historic hotel in a lovely building right in the centre of Dinkelsbühl, with spacious rooms full of character and antique furniture.
Donauwörth
Hotel: Hotel im Ried* has a great location on a mainly pedestrianised island in the old part of Donauwörth, with a great restaurant attached.
Apartment: Apartment in der Altstadt von Donauwörth* is bright and spacious, in the centre of Donauwörth’s old town with a kitchen and everything else you need for a great stay and space for bikes.
Augsburg
Budget: Rugs Hotel Augsburg City* is a stylish hotel with small but cosy rooms by the station and not far from the old town.
Comfort: Best Western Hotel Augusta* is located in the old town and has large, modern rooms and lots of facilities.
Füssen
Budget: Hotel Ludwigs* has large, clean rooms full of character, right in the middle of town. It’s great value for money as it feels like a fancy hotel, yet doesn’t break the bank.
Comfort: Hotel Sonne* is a great hotel, with lovely decor and the perfect location in the centre of town. There’s a delicious breakfast and an on-site bar and restaurant.
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