Romantic Road: From Munich to the Rhine Valley

A beautiful detour leads past two Prealpine lakes, Kochelsee and Walchensee, on the way to Garmisch Partenkirchen, where you can take a cable car to Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze (2,961 m).

From Füssen you will take the Romantic Road to the north. Numerous castles, monastries and quaint villages are tucked into the rolling hills and forests. The first part of the route is known as the "Land of Churches". The rococo pilgrimage church of Wies (a World Heritage Site) and the baroque church in Rottenbuch should not be missed. Other places worth visiting include Wildsteig, Schongau, Hohenwurch and Landsberg am Lech. [Side note: Landsberg is where Adolf Hitler was imprisoned in 1924 and wrote "Mein Kampf".]

This section of the Romantic Road includes the only three towns in Germany with intact medieval city walls: Nördlingen, Dinkelsbühl and Rothenburg. Other historical villages of note include Feuchtwangen and Schillingsfürst.

Before heading west for the Rhine Valley, you should take some time to explore the Franconian section of the Romantic Road: The town of Creglingen is a true Medieval gem that is less well known than Rothenburg and less touristy. The Romantic Road ends at Würzburg by the River Main. From there you will travel northwest through the Spessart, a dense forest where the Grimm brothers collected some of their most famous fairy tales (Cinderella, Hans and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty) from local residents.Take the Romantic Road from Rothenburg to Würzburg via Creglingen, then take A3 to Frankfurt, A66 to Wiesbaden, A42 to Rüdesheim and Kaub, cross the River Rhine on the car ferry and continue to St. Goar on B9.

The first part of the route follows the lower section of the most famous stretch of the Rhine Valley between Koblenz and Bingen featuring terraced vineyards, castle ruins and picture-book villages. You will pass Mainz, an ancient Roman city with a magnificent medieval cathedral.