There’s no need to wait for St Valentine’s Day to treat your partner to the motoring adventure of a lifetime. Stretching south for 180 miles from the magnificent city of Würzburg (near Frankfurt) to a point near the Austrian border, Germany’s Romantische Strasse (Romantic Road) offers visitors the perfect way to fully appreciate all the charm and splendour of the Bavarian countryside, at any time of the year.
And one of the best car hire firms to get you along the Romantic Road in style and comfort is Auto Europe, a company that has been offering great prices and the best service for global car rentals since 1954. With Auto Europe you can choose anything from a low-cost two-seater (perfect for city sightseeing) to a sumptuous SUV or top-end performance car from all the world’s most prestigious suppliers.
Würzburg: a perfect start
Home to the Residenz (one of Europe’s most admired buildings), and with an abundance of rare architectural delights, Würzburg is certainly the ideal place to begin this unique road-trip. An important cultural centre, the city’s impressive 11th-century cathedral (the Dom St Kilian) is a major tourism hub that also ranks as one of the country’s largest Romanesque churches.
When planning your itinerary, it’s also worth taking note of three of the best times to visit Würzburg, namely during the Mozart Festival (June), Imperial City Days (late August-early September) and the Christmas Market (late November-late December).
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Heading south down the Romantische Strasse soon brings you to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town nestling quaintly along the banks of the River Tauber. With its atmospheric cobblestone alleyways, half-timbered houses and original city walls stretching for over a mile, the town has all the beauty and wonder you’d expect from such an ancient, fortified settlement.
In Rothenburg you’ll find some of the most historic buildings in southern Germany, most notably the Rathaus (Town Hall) and St Jakob’s Kirche (St James’s Church), the latter of which was founded in the 14th century and is full of important relics. The town also boasts several excellent museums, including the famous Medieval Crime Museum which portrays the evolution of the German and European judicial system over time with a vast collection of fascinating artifacts.
Nördlingen
At a point midway along the Romantic Road mark lies Nördlingen, a small town famous for the pilgrimage church of Wieskirche, arguably Germany’s best example of rococo architecture. Besides the town’s original walls (which are still perfectly intact), one of Nördlingen’s biggest attractions is the Bavarian Railway Museum which houses a large assortment of vintage steam locomotives, some more than a hundred years old.
Füssen and the Neuschwanstein Castle
At journey’s end, Füssen (a picture-postcard town located near the Austrian border) is a place that features many key tourist attractions, chief among them its pedestrianized Old Town, the Altstadt. Furthermore, the oldest fresco in Germany (dating back to around 980 AD) can be found deep in the crypt of the town’s stunning St Mang’s Basilica. Füssen also gives visitors the chance to admire King Ludwig’s two magnificent castles at Neuschwanstein and Hohenschangau, both conveniently located a short drive to the east.
Have a good trip!