Southern Germany Tour: Rhine River, Bavaria, Black Forest

You will pass Mainz, an ancient Roman city with a magnificent medieval cathedral. The most famous stretch of the Rhine with terraced vineyards, castle ruins and picture-book villages begins at Bingen, where the Rhine enters a deep valley.

You will follow the Rhine Valley to Koblenz, where the Moselle River flows into the Rhine. Shortly before reaching Cologne you will pass Bonn, the former capital of the Federal Republic of Germany and the birthplace of Beethoven. Important sites include the 11th century cathedral and Beethoven-Haus, which contains the largest Beethoven collection in the world, including the last piano owned by the composer.

East of Cologne you will pass through a hilly, forested region known as the Bergisches Land, then proceed southwards along the western edge of a low mountain chain called the Westerwald, a region famous for its pottery.

After passing through the hilly forests of the Spessart region, one of Germany's largest natural parks, you will reach the medieval city of Würzburg. The most famous of the city's many sites is the Old Bridge dating back to 1473. From here you can take the "Romantic Road" (Romantische Straße), an old trade route that connects many of Bavaria's most picturesque villages, or continue on the main motorway.

The eastern route will take you past Nuremberg before turning south to Munich. The former "Free City" crowned by the Imperial Castle is worth a visit.Romantic Road: From Rothenburg take the Romantic Road (Romantische Straße) south to Dinkelsbühl and Nördlingen, then continue to Munich via Donauwörth and Augsburg. Rothenburg, Dinkelsbühl and Nördlingen are the only three towns in Germany with fully intact medieval city walls.

Much of this journey follows a scenic stretch of road that connects some of the most enchanting villages, churches and landscapes in southern Germany. A few places worth noting along the way are the towns of Hohenfurch, Schongau, Peiting, Rottenbuch and Wildsteig and the Pilgrimage Church of Wies, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The first part of the route will follow the panoramic German Alpine Road, one of the most scenic stretches in Germany. In Lindenberg you may want to stop to sample the famous Lindenberg Cheese. You will then take the so-called Green Road along the entire length of stunning Lake Constance. The Black Forest region begins about 50 km west of Lake Constance just past Geisingen. The route crosses the width of the Black Forest from east to west. Beautiful Lake Titisee (named after the Roman Emperor Titus) is worth a stop.

From Freiburg the route will head north along the entire west edge of the Black Forest National Park. One of the oldest German spas is located towards the north end of the Black Forest: Baden-Baden. Remnants of Roman baths show that the natural springs of Baden-Baden have been valued by the privileged classes for over 2,000 years.

This leg will take you around the edge of the Odenwald forest through the heavily populated Rhine-Main Valley.