Germany's most famous scenic route runs 350 km from Würzburg on the Main River south to Füssen in the Allgäu, at the foot of the Alps. Along the way it threads through a string of medieval towns, baroque churches, and rolling countryside that feels like an illustration from a Brothers Grimm fairy tale.
The big names are Rothenburg ob der Tauber, with its perfectly preserved city walls, and Augsburg, one of Germany's oldest cities. At the southern end, Neuschwanstein near Schwangau draws enormous crowds. But the smaller stops are just as rewarding — Nördlingen inside its meteor crater, Dinkelsbühl's colourful half-timbered centre, the Wieskirche near Steingaden, and the quiet wine villages of the Tauber valley.
You can drive the route in a day, but that misses the point. Allow at least three or four days to stop, walk around, and eat well. A Europabus runs the full route daily between April and October if you prefer not to drive. Cycling is another popular option — the route is well signposted and mostly flat in the north, hillier as it approaches the Alps.
