Romantic Highway through Rothenburg, Augsburg, Bavaria & Baden Wurttemberg

(Local Name: Romantische Strasse) The Romantische Strasse is the oldest German tourist route. Extending from Würzburg in the north to Füssen in the south, a distance of some 350km/220mi, it provides a link between Eastern Franconia and the Bavarian Alps.

From Würzburg the route runs west and then turns south on B 27, cuts twice across the motorway and reaches Tauberbischofsheim in the beautiful Tauber valley. It then follows the valley, by way of Bad Mergentheim and Weikersheim to Creglingen and the old free imperial city of Rothenburg.

From Rothenburg the route continues south, passing the Baroque princely capital of Schillingsfürst (8km/5mi east, beyond the motorway), to Feuchtwangen and then descends to Dinkelsbühl in the Wörnitz valley. Beyond this are Wallerstein (Porcelain Museum in Neues Schloss) and Nördlingen. It then goes southeast via Harburg and down the Wörnitz valley to Donauwörth in the Danube valley.

The route then ascends the wide Lech valley to Augsburg, Landsberg and Schongau.

Just before reaching Steingaden, the Romantische Strasse joins the Deutsche Alpenstrasse and the two continue on to Füssen), near which (at Schwangau) are the celebrated royal castles of Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein.