Romantische Strasse

The Romantic Road is the route of dreams; it seems like a mini-trip through time. It combines town and village culture with incomparably beautiful natural surroundings.

This route, stretching from the River Main, south of Frankfurt, right down to the southern alps of Germany, is not man-made, but an original phenomenon: a former trading route, built by the Romans, along the length of which a vast array of rich cities and splendid fortified towns, sprang up during the Medieval times.

But the attraction of this special route lies not in the above, but rather in the beauty of the landscape on either side of the road, linking the little gemlike villages in between.

Cobblestone narrow curving streets, meandering green waves of vineyards, tolling bell towers on village squares and cosy quiet public gardens all lay the table for an experience every traveller will remember in times to come.

On our recent visit to Central Europe, we travelled to Miltenberg am Main as our first stop upon arrival after the night’s flight from South Africa. Off the beaten track of many a tourist, this typical German village still fulfills the role as trading post for its rural environment: little shops selling everything from fresh confectionery to designer clothing to the community; and home to Hotel Zum Riesen, the oldest inn in Germany, dating back to the 11^th century, where Cilly and her husband still welcome the guests to their 3-bedroomed guesthouse.

The route takes you through the towns of Würzburg, watched over by its landmark, the Marienburg fortress, Tauberbischofsheim, where the glockenspiel of the Gothic Town Hall fills the market square and busy streets. This region is  renowned for its Franconian wines, made of Silvaner, Riesling and MüllerThurgau white cultuvars.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a fasinating town at the intersection of the two most important tourist routes in Germany, the Castle and Romantic Roads. Completely ringed by ramparts, this is one of the best preserved medieval towns, towering with its silhouette over the Tauber River far below.

A leisurely stroll through the towns cobbled streets and winding alleys, lined with picturesque half-timbered houses and red-tiled roofs, will take you back in time and memory lane. At the historic RomantikHotel Markusturm, where we stayed, we enjoyed the famous wine soup and deer pastry, made popular by its friendly hosts, Lilo and Stephan.
 
 
 

Feuchtwangen boasts one of the biggest and most traditional festivals in Bavaria, the Cloister Festival. Located in the heart of the Ries district, Nördlingen im Ries, still has an almost complete medieval townscape: its the only town in Germany with walls and battlements that can be walked all the way round. If you are fit, one can climb the 90 meter high Gothic Church of St Georges bell tower called Daniel and savour the beauty of the landscape below.

Founded by the Romans many centuries ago, Augsburg is one of Germany’s oldest Cities. Today, the historical heart of the city centre, with its grand Maximilianstrasse and the Renaissance and Baroque facades of the palaces and patrician houses, presents a mirror image of this splendid epoch.

In the region of Wildsteig and Halbech, surrounded by the Ammer and Allgäu mountains and lakes, the community mountain farmers are to be found in the heart of nature. This is therefore also an ideal hiking area and gateway to the Ammer Mountain Nature-conservation area. The hiking paths cover a total of 130 km, the cross country skiing tracks measure 30 km, and a natural toboggan run, a heated outdoor swimming pool, four lakes and golf and tennis courts all contribute to a sporting fanatic’s dream-world!

The Ammergau mountain range is the sparsely inhabited corner of the Alps where Ludwig II - the fairytale king of Bavaria - grew up and built the castles of Linderhof and Neuschwanstein between 1870 and 1885.

A story is told that an American tourist once asked a tour guide if Ludwig built his picturesque castle after he visited Disneyland!
 

A glass of chilled white wine in the woods of Allgäu

The fairy tale caste of Neuschwanstein in Schwangau

Late afternoon, when we arrived at our destination in Schwangau, snowflakes were hovering like dragonflies across the pine tree landscape - a real fairytale scene! When all the day tourists had left, we drove up the curving route to the castle to have the serene misty landscape all to ourselves, and enjoyed a bottle of icy-cold MüllerThurgau wine with our friends, Christo and Ryna.

A fantastic climax to a most enjoyable three days spent in this traditional wine and beer-producing region of Germany. The entire region between Würzburg and Füssen is dedicated to agriculture and , as a result, the meat, (sausages and venison) variety of vegetables and cheeses are delivered fresh from the producer to the dining table.

Centuries of architecture and design, together with a variety of different landscapes comprising vineyards and snow-capped mountains in the  distance, merge to form the ultimate masterpiece like a childhood puzzle picture.

- Johann Beukes