Romantic Road: Rothenburg ob der Tauber - Füssen

Arrive early to discover Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which towers so charmingly high above the Tauber Valley. Let yourself be captured by the magic of this medieval town. The city wall still consists of many preserved gatehouses, towers and a covered walkway above the wall and picturesquely encompasses the entire old town center. The market place with the gigantic town hall with Renaissance facade presents the former civic pride. Half-timbered romanticism surrounds you everywhere in Rothenburg. Look forward to the evening, because you can take part in the night watchman's tour (incl.) through the then quiet town.

It is certainly with a little melancholy that you leave Rothenburg ob der Tauber, but other worthwhile destinations beckon. Marvel at the castle complex of Schillingsfürst, which is well worth seeing and rises on a mountain spur. The baroque castle of the princes of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst was destroyed and rebuilt several times since the 12th century. Today the museum rooms and the park present the glory days of the small princely residence. After a possible sightseeing tour, cycle through the Wörnitz valley to Dinkelsbühl with its colorful houses. Marvel at the historic old town, which is still completely surrounded by a city wall. You will spend the night in Dinkelsbühl, which is one of the most beautiful old towns in Germany.

Today you will roll through the Nördlinger Ries in a relaxed way. Marvel at this geologically highly interesting area, as it was formed by an impact of a meteorite about 14.5 million years ago. The Nördlinger Ries is an impact crater and today the best preserved crater in Europe. Your bike path leads through the shallow crater basin, which has a diameter of 25 km and whose crater rim rises up to 150 m high. Look forward to Nördlingen with its historic old town. Marvel at the covered battlements of the medieval city wall. It is the only completely preserved and walkable city wall in Germany. Also visit the imposing Gothic St. George's Church in the center of town and climb to the top of the tower. From up here you have a fantastic bl...ick over the city.

The Wörnitz is your companion today and brings you to wonderful places. Marvel at Harburg, idyllically situated at the foot of an impressive medieval castle complex. In its untouched state, it is one of the best-preserved castle complexes in Bavaria. Slowly, your destination for the day is approaching the Bavarian-Swabian Danube pearl of Donauwörth, idyllically situated at the mouth of the Wörnitz into the Danube. Look forward to a stroll through the Old Free Imperial City and enjoy strolling along the magnificent Reichsstraße. Discover the historic town hall from 1853, the Tanzhaus (1400) and the Fuggerhaus (1537). The Liebfrauenmünster, a three-nave Gothic brick hall church also awaits your visit. Worth seeing is the largest bell in Swabia and above the high altar the Gothic Christ from 1513.

The Romantic Road cycle path takes you today on varied routes to Augsburg, one of the oldest cities in Germany. Stroll through the old town, which is well worth seeing and has many different stylistic eras. Discover medieval guild houses, the Cathedral of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary (11th century), the Basilica of St. Ulrich and Afra with its onion tower, the Renaissance Town Hall and the Fugger Houses. They are part of the oldest existing social settlement in the world. In 1521 Jakob Fugger "the rich" donated this settlement of terraced houses. Even today, needy Catholic citizens of Augsburg live in the 140 apartments for a minimal rent. If you wish, you can visit the Schaezlerpalais with its famous art collections and museums or the Augsburger Puppenkiste. In the museum you can admire the most famous puppets of the Augsburger Puppenkiste like Kater Mikesch, Urmel, Jim Knopf, Lukas der Lokomotivführer ...

Today you cycle along the Romantic Road first to Königsbrunn. In the center of the town, the Mercateum awaits you, a monument and museum at the same time. The Mercateum displays the largest globe in the world based on historical cartography. Surrounded by a water basin, the globe stands on a platform. Inside the globe, stairs connect five floors with numerous exhibits on long-distance trade. After a worthwhile break, continue cycling to Landsberg am Lech. Look forward to the small town, because not for nothing Landsberg am Lech has the nickname "Upper Bavarian Rothenburg". The colorful and imposing old town scenery rises impressively above the Lech weir. In the afternoon, stroll leisurely through the small town and marvel at the main square of Lech in its unusual triangular shape. In its center is the Marienbrunnen, built around 1700. The square is flanked by the Old Town Hall with a magnificent rococo facade, the former Ursuline convent and the Schmalzturm, a town tower dating back to the 13th century.

Today you will roll through the flat Lechfeld countryside and dive into the Pfaffenwinkel. Slowly but surely the landscape changes and the plain gives way to a hilly idyllic pre-Alpine country. Surrounded by nature, you will cycle through the gentle hilly landscape to Schongau. Already in the Middle Ages Schongau was an important trading center, which brought prosperity and wealth. The still largely preserved city wall with battlements and 5 towers surrounds the small old town.

Look forward to the highlights of your bike tour, the world famous royal castles Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenschwangau Castle from the 12th century. Until the 16th century Hohenschwangau was owned by the knights of Schwangau, after that the owners changed frequently. In the process, the castle was severely damaged several times. King Maximilian II had the castle rebuilt in 1833 - 1837 into a neo-Gothic style castle. Numerous murals with themes from the medieval saga world can be admired today in the interiors of the museum. Admired all over the world is also the nearby Neuschwanstein Castle.

Especially from the Marienbrücke you have a unique view of the fairy-tale castle worth seeing (both castles can only be visited on guided tours). The romantic soul of Bavaria, the small town of Füssen, will also delight you. Enjoy once again medieval alleys, historic buildings and the old city wall. Numerous stores and squares invite you to an extensive stroll. In the evening, let your varied bike tour come to an end in one of the numerous cozy restaurants.

Your romantic time in the bicycle saddle has already come to an end. We will gladly book additional nights for you in Füssen, so that you can admire the worth seeing royal castles in their full splendor. If you want to return to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, you can book a return transfer by minibus (price on request).