The Romantic Road: Doing It Properly

The Romantische Straße runs 400 kilometres from Würzburg to Füssen through medieval towns and Bavaria’s most dramatic scenery. Most visitors rush it, ticking off Rothenburg and Neuschwanstein in a day. Take a week instead: Dinkelsbühl is Rothenburg without the crowds; Nördlingen has a walkable town wall; Landsberg am Lech has unexpected history. Consider the Wieskirche — a rococo pilgrimage church that UNESCO describes as a masterpiece — instead of ending at Neuschwanstein.