Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
One Week
Romantic Road
The Romantic Road begins its 350km way through Bavaria's western reaches at
Würzburg
where you should take at least two days to tour the impressive Baroque Resid-
enz and sample the wines produced within view of the city centre. From here carve your
way south to magical
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
where you can lose yourself in the
tangle of medi-eval lanes and celebrate Christmas every day. Perhaps with a stop-off at
Feuchtwangen, your next destination is quaint little
Dinkelsbühl
, a medieval gem ringed
by a complete set of town walls. More medieval defences ring
Nördlingen
, a less touristy
but equally attractive stopover. Then set aside some time to check out the storybook castle
guarding the half-timbered village of
Harburg
, and to stroll through twee
Donauwörth
before hitting the energetic city of
Augsburg
. Countless churches grace the Romantic
Road but, to Augsburg's south, the one packing the mightiest punch is the luminous
Wieskirche. Contemplate King Ludwig II's flights of fancy at his whimsical castle,
Schloss Neuschwanstein
, where Germany's most popular tourist route comes to a fit-
tingly fairytale climax.
One Week
Nuremberg & Franconia
With the exception of the Naturpark Altmühltal, this itinerary is best tackled as a series of
excursions from
Nuremberg
, using Bavaria's excellent railways. The lively capital of
Franconia has bags to see and do - including the Nuremberg trials courtroom, the Ger-
manisches Nationalmuseum and the Deutsche Bahn Railway Museum - and an embar-
rassment of eateries to choose from when you return from exploring the region. A close
second in Franconia's pecking order is Unesco-listed
Bamberg
, a confusion of ancient
bridges, winding cobbled streets and riverside cottages, the air perfumed by numerous
breweries producing the town's unique smoked beer. An hour's train ride brings you to
Bayreuth
, famous for its annual Wagner Festival but a pleasant place to stroll any time of
year. Around 100km north of Nuremberg,
Coburg
is memorable for its fortress, its British
Royal family connections and the longest sausages you'll ever eat served in the smallest
bread buns. Round off your time in Franconia with a hike, bike or canoe trip (requiring
more time) through the glorious
Altmühltal Nature Park
.
