and palaces and towns filled with picturesque half-timbered houses, through the beautiful rolling hills of the Bavarian countryside. The well-marked 285-mile route is between Fuessen in the south, near Munich, and Wurzburg at its northern end, close to Frankfurt.

Twin villages Schwangau and Fussen are crowded year-round with visitors the world-famous Neueschwanstein Castle, inspiration for Disney’s also-famous theme park castles. When King Ludwig II built it in the mid-1800s, it nearly bankrupted Bavaria; now it helps keep the coffers filled. Architectural details and furnishings are truly stunning – it took craftsmen more than four years to carve just his massive bedchamber.

Less crowded is Schloss Lindenberg a few miles away. It’s more of a royal country house, with pools, fountains and statues. Ludwig liked to read in the Hall of Mirrors, with its multiple reflections of his own image. The third castle here is Schloss Herrenchiemsee, in between the other two in size, also with a hall of mirrors and a museum devoted to his uniforms and architectural and political plans.

Founded in 1274, Rothenburg an den Tauber (on the Tauber River) is the other most famous and most visited of the 29 villages along the Romantic Road, and any spot in the old town is no more than a five-minute walk from the intact town walls. It’s three miles around, with many stairways to enter or exit for a shorter experience. Take the popular Night Watchman walking tour for the town’s history, including wars and murders. It’s Christmas year-round here, at the Kathe Wohlfart Christmas store and museum. Crime and punishment is the subject at the gory but fascinating Museum of Crime.

More Than Castles
Nordlingen also has intact medieval walls to walk, also surrounding half-timbered buildings, but without Rothenburg’s crowds. If your client’s legs and lungs can take it, climb 365 steps up the tower of the St. Georg Church for a sweeping view of the surrounding countryside and an inside look at the massive mechanics of the church’s huge bell system. Or let your teenage grandkids do it, as I did recently, and see the sights on their cellphone photos.

Harburg is another sleepy village, just 12 miles away, with one of the best-preserved castles in all of Germany. Owned by the same family since the 1200s, this hilltop gem also features sweeping views along with a wealth of historical furnishings and rooms with hand-painted ceilings and family portraits.

Augsburg is Bavaria’s third largest city, founded in the 15th century. Music fans gravitate to Mozart House, where Walter, father of Wolfgang Amadeus, grew up. It is filled with original musical instruments and compositions from father and son, both musicians and composers. The Rathaus (town hall) dates from the 1600s and features one of the largest and most beautiful spaces in Germany – the walls, frescoes and ceiling of the ballroom-size Goldener Saal (Golden Hall) are enhanced with 23k gold leaf. Wear sunglasses. The city’s grand synagogue survived Kristallnacht in 1938 and is now both a cultural center for concerts and theater performances and a museum of the Jewish history of Augsburg and the region.

Wurzburg sits on the juncture of two ancient trade routes, making it both wealthy and powerful. The skyline is dominated by the hilltop Festung Marienberg, a mountaintop fortress that dates from the 1200s. There are multiple rooms of Medieval weapons, armor and household items, and pre-historic artifacts. If it’s Baroque bling your clients want, they’ll find it in the Wurzburg Residenz, the opulent downtown royal palace that’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The massive garden features carved topiary and shaded walking paths.

Although Ulm is not officially part of the Romantic Road, it’s close to Augsburg and worth a short detour for its ornate Munster, with one of the world’s tallest church towers. The local history museum ranges from pre-historic artifacts to works from such modern artists as Kandinsky and Klee.

It’s an easy drive between Fussen and Wurzburg on a combination of the Autobahn and two-lane country roads. Everything also is served by Germany’s excellent Deutsche Bahn rail system, and each stop has charming small hotels and family-owned guesthouses, some of them also dating from Medieval times – renovated, of course, with modern
conveniences.

Book your clients into Munich and out of Frankfurt – or the other way around – for the full Romantic Road experience. Be sure to plan an itinerary with time to relax in a village square with a local beer or regional wine.

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