Driving Germany’s Romantic Road in 3 days
Last Updated on October 26, 2024 by Ingrid & Alex
It was early August when I left sweltering Bucharest behind and headed to rainy Germany with one thing in mind: driving Germany’s Romantic road for the next few days.
The strong AC and 15 degrees from the airport prepared me for the coming days. Munich was rainy, moody, and cold—because that’s what I call 15 degrees in early August—cold.
Munich was not new to me, but Germany’s Romantic Road has been something I have dreamed about ever since I booked my tickets. If you are driving, make sure always to have insurance. We use and recommend SafetyWing. They are great because they offer more than health insurance, covering travel delays, lost luggage, and even natural disasters.
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Table of Contents
- Driving Germany’s Romantic Road: Our German castle-itinerary
- Other Romantic Places in Germany
- Driving Germany’s Romantic Road – tips and learnings
- Similar Posts
Driving Germany’s Romantic Road: Our German castle-itinerary
What exactly is Germany’s Romantic Road?
I think I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it: before working for a German company and having the chance to see Munich and its surroundings, for me, Germany was not a travel destination, let alone a romantic one.
But man, was I wrong!
Germany’s Romantic Road is called that way for a reason. It has beautiful, colorful villages, medieval castles, churches, vineyards, delicious wine, and much more.
It can quickly be done in one week in Germany or even in a few days, as we did, but if you choose to add a few places to your trip through Europe, make sure to have all you need from the backpacking Europe packing list.
The 350 km road stretches from Bavaria to the Baden – Württemberg area, and one can start and end it no matter where. It begins at Fussen in the south and goes to Wurzburg in the north.
In an ideal world, I would have spent three weeks discovering the castles in Germany and its vineyards, but unfortunately, we only had a few days and wanted to do so much more (including two towns in France—Strasbourg and Colmar). Choosing the itinerary was hard since there are so many amazing places to visit in Germany.
That being said, here is our 3-day Germany’s Romantic Road itinerary.
Day 1: Drive from Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle & stop for the night in Augsburg
I’m sure anyone traveling to Germany has heard of the famous Neuschwanstein Castle. The good news is you can easily visit it by car from Munich, and it is also part of the famous Romantic Road.
Thus, we started our itinerary by stopping at this impressive fairytale-like castle on a hill surrounded by lush greenery.
The drive there is less than 2 hours long, and if you leave in the morning, you will have plenty of time to visit the 19th-century old castle.
Spend the night in Augsburg
We continued our itinerary on the Romantic Road by driving to Augsburg, which took us approximately one hour and fifteen minutes.
We spent the afternoon and night exploring some of the city’s main attractions. Augsburg is the third largest city in Bavaria and a university town, so there are plenty of cool restaurants and bars to choose from.
The two main attractions in town are the Town Hall, built in the Renaissance style and dating from 1620, and the Perlachturm, a bell tower built ten years earlier.
If you want to feel like a royal, stop by the Schaezlerpalais and admire the impressive villa with its beautiful gardens.
Where to stay in Augsburg:
This hotel has rooms overlooking the Old Town Center and its impressive Town Hall building. It also has spacious rooms and a supermarket next door, and its colorful reception made me smile.
See availability and prices here!
If you would rather stay in an apartment, this stylish option suits you. The apartment is within walking distance of the city center, and you can tell that the owners put a lot of effort into furnishing it.
Booking.comDay 2: One day in Rothenburg ob der Tauber
We hit the road the next day and headed to sunny, colorful Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Reading about and looking at hundreds of pictures of this beautiful village in the heart of Germany was a dream for both of us.
We parked the car next to one of the old town’s medieval walls and walked around in this village torn straight from a fairytale.
Finding a parking space is easy in Rothenburg, and plenty of signs show where there’s one. The prices are not as high as the ones we paid in France. I think it is worth it for just a few euros for a few hours in the old town.
Judging by how beautiful and touristy the place is, it is easy to understand how challenging it is to take pictures at noon without anybody ruining them, but we somehow managed to take plenty.
This place is a neverending source of beauty; wherever you turn your head, your heart will melt.
We just wandered outside the main square and tourist spots and found plenty of little colorful corners.
What to do in one day in Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Even though the village and the old town are not that large, you wouldn’t want to miss out on seeing it at night.
The Plönlein Square is one of the most iconic places in Rothenburg, or even Germany. You must take a picture with this yellow building between towers, which makes me think about Thea Beauty and the Beast.
Shop till you drop for excellent German souvenirs. Stroll through the unique handcrafted stores hidden in plain sight on the streets of Rothenburg.
From beer glasses, unique Christmas ornaments, wooden nutcrackers, and so much more, you’ll want to bring back home.
Marktplatz is the main square that links Rothenburg’s main streets. The City Hall (Rathaus), the Councillor’s Tavern (Ratstrinkstube), and many other pretty buildings are here.
Don’t leave without eating some authentic German food. We had a hearty hamburger with fries and drank some refreshing Apfelschorle (apple juice with sparkling water). Of course, you can always go for a German beer.
Climb the city walls of Rothenburg ob der Tauber – as soon as we arrived, we had our first encounter with the city walls and one of the picturesque towers. There are plenty more to explore during your stay, which should be a must.
Where to stay in Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Stay the night and go for one of the following options for your overnight extravaganza:
- Hotel Reichs-Küchenmeister. I took a picture of this place without realizing what it was; that’s how pretty this historic building is. It is located on one of the streets, and it takes just one minute to get to the junction, where you’ll have the main square and Christmas Market on your left and the Plönlein on your right.
- Hotel Eisenhut is a superb vintage-style hotel in a perfect location. Its rooms are furnished with antiques and original artwork, and the restaurant has a terrace overlooking the Tauber River Valley.
See their impressive rooms here!
Booking.comDay 3:Würzburg
Only 45 minutes away from Rothenburg and a little over an hour from Frankfurt, Würzburg is worth adding to your stops.
The town is set on a hill, crossed by the River Main. Thus, you can take river cruises and admire it.
It is packed with history since the settlement dates from the 7th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
We loved Wurzburg and would go back at any time. Our first stop was a coffee on a boat, where we admired the view of the Marienberg Fortress. Next, we decided to cross the Old Main Bridge and climb the hill to the fortress. The view from the top was stunning, and we got to admire its interior and panoramic gardens.
From there, we headed to the Würzburg Residence – a must-visit for anyone coming to the city.
Other Romantic Places in Germany
If you have more time in Germany and would like to visit other romantic places, here are a few spots that stole my heart.
Cochem and Burg Eltz are located in the Moselle Valley, one of our favorite regions in the country. We suggest visiting them together on a day trip – that is what we did, and the time was enough to see both locations.
On the other hand, Liechtenstein Castle is less than one hour away from Stuttgart, making it the perfect half-day trip from the city.
Cochem
Cochem is a great destination to discover, mainly because of the following:
- it has a castle overlooking the Mosel River from the top of a hill
- it is in the middle of the vineyards and has plenty of wine shops
- it’s only 40 minutes away from another (and more popular) German castle: Burh Elz
We reached the village pretty late afternoon on our first visit to Cochem. Thus, we had time only for a quick glass of wine in the city, but the view from our Aparthotel was just stunning.
The small village is charming and very quiet. People explore the area on their bikes, admiring nature and the surroundings. The castle between the vineyards has a perfect view over the river. Additionally, colorful houses at the feet of the hill complement the setting.
We had time to climb the hill on a hidden road in the woods and taste some delicious local wine at one of the cellars in the center of the city. We also bought wine, walked around the colorful streets, and went to our next stop.
If I had more time, I would return to Cochem for several days. I would come here to ride a bike and explore the many trails around the old town.
Where to stay in Cochem
Here are just a few accommodation options to convince you it is worth staying longer in Cochem:
- Aparthotel Cochem. We stayed here, and I warmly recommend it. The view from our window over the river and the castle was stunning. And it is within walking distance of the city center.
See when they are available here!
- Villa Sonnenblick. Perfect for a more extended stay, this is where you can sit back and relax between the vineyards. The patio, river views, and seating area are perfect for your zen vacation.
Book your relaxing stay with them here!
- Pension Winnemuller. Right is in the heart of Cochem. If you want to be close to everything in town but still have a nice view over the river, this is where you want to stay. Breakfast is served in the room, and the decor is very traditional.
Burg Eltz
Burg Eltz is maybe the most famous castle in Germany. However, it is not as crowded as other European tourist attractions like Rome, Budapest, or Athens.
We drove from Cochem to Burg Eltz, and the scenery was beautiful. Pure nature, small villages almost uninhabited but perfectly cared for as if torn from a design magazine.
And vineyards as much as the eye can see.
I won’t exaggerate when I say that we have seen a machine trimming the trees on a hill in the middle of nowhere. That’s how organized everything is.
But getting back to Burg Eltz’s castle, I felt like Belle from “The Beauty and the Beast” stepping on the castle’s bridge.
We left the car in the castle’s parking lot and walked to the castle on one of the trails. It took us around 20 minutes to finally see the castle.
Another option for getting to the castle from the parking is their shuttle bus.
After Burg Eltz, our trip through Germany’s Romantic Road was detoured, and we crossed the border to France for a few days, only to return and stop at the following castle (I would dare say my favorite one of them all).
Lichtenstein Castle
Lichtenstein Castle, still owned by a family, is one of the most beautiful castles because of its location on the edge of an abyss.
Standing on the edge of the viewpoint, looking at the castle and the nature surrounding it, made my heart smile.
I couldn’t even start imagining what living in this place would be like. But I sure know I would love to experience it someday. Maybe not here or even in Germany, but staying overnight in a castle should be on everyone’s bucket list!
However, this place is one of Germany’s hidden gems on your next road trip.
One thing to remember is that there is an entrance fee and a parking fee.
Driving Germany’s Romantic Road – tips and learnings
I’m emphasizing “Driving” but you could tour Germany and its romantic road by public transportation (trains and buses). Still, the best way of doing it, in my opinion, was by driving.
We rented a Budget car beforehand on Discover Cars. After several tries, we finally managed to find the place we were supposed to pick it up from because so many addresses were linked to the pick-up location.
Since we arrived 1 hour later than stated on the booking, our car (a Fiat 500) was gone.
Luckily, they offered us another car. This was to our advantage since it was a larger car, perfect for driving on Germany’s Autobahn (which does not have a speed limit on some segments).
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PIN FOR LATER!
Your words, your photos and even you as a traveler had brought relaxing on my inner me. Each has made me awed. Can’t find the right word. But simply, thanks for the inspiration. Go for more!
I’ve clearly done Germany an injustice. I need to go back and do this road trip. It looks beautiful!
What beautiful photographs. Thanks for sharing! Munich and Germany are high on my lists of places I want to go! I would love to one day take this journey!