Romantic Road: Würzburg - Füssen

Arrive early to discover Würzburg, which lies so charmingly between the vineyards. The Würzburg Residence invites you to take a stroll through the beautifully landscaped garden. And in the evening: enjoy your first day of vacation with a glass of wine in one of the nice wine bars.

On your first day of cycling, you roll comfortably through the Steinbachtal to Wertheim. Look forward to this small half-timbered town on the Main. The castle ruins towers over the small, winding streets of the old town, which invite you to stroll. Let yourself be enchanted by the charming half-timbered houses of the winding city.

Look forward to your bike ride through the idyllic Taubertal. Pure nature experience is combined here with 1000 years of history. In a gentle up and down cycle you cycle on one of the most beautiful cycle routes in Germany and a cycle path that has been awarded 5 stars by the ADFC (January 2019). In Bronnbach, marvel at the former Cistercian abbey with monastery church (1151) and the Romanesque-Gothic cloister. The monastery shop and the vinotheque invite you to linger. Take a leisurely break on the way in the historic old town of Tauberbischofsheim and marvel at the numerous Franconian half-timbered buildings, narrow streets, churches and chapels, the Kurmainzischer Schloss and the Türmersturm, the city's landmark.

After a few kilometers, the beautiful moated castle of Weikersheim, a renaissance castle with castle garden and orangery, awaits you. Then you continue to follow the beautiful Taubertal cycle path. Note the Tauber Bridge by Balthasar Neumann in Tauberrettersheim and the Herrgottskirche in Creglingen with the Marien Altar by Tilman Riemenschneider. The highlight of the day is of course the Tauberperle Rothenburg ob der Tauber with its impressive medieval architecture. 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. Look forward to the evening, because you can take part in the night watchman tour (incl.) Through the quiet city.

Your first destination for the day is the Schillingsfürst castle complex, which is well worth seeing and is visible from afar on a mountain spur of the Frankenhöhe. The baroque palace of the princes of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst was owned by the Hohenlohe family as early as 1313, but was then destroyed and rebuilt several times over the years. The museum rooms as well as the parks today point to the heyday of the small princely residence. After a worthwhile break you cycle to Dinkelsbühl with its colorful houses. Even today, the old town is completely surrounded by a city wall and is one of the most beautiful old towns in Germany.

Today you cycle through the Nördlinger Ries, a geologically extremely interesting area, because it was created by the "Ries event", a meteorite impact about 14.5 million years ago. The Nördlinger Ries impact crater is now the best preserved crater in Europe. The flat, largely unforested crater basin with its 25 km diameter and the crater rim up to 150 m high can be easily recognized in the landscape. But Nördlingen with its medieval old town also has a lot to offer. Marvel at the roofed battlement of the medieval city wall, the imposing construction of the Gothic St. George's Church in the center of the city and climb the spire. You will be rewarded with a fantastic panoramic view of the city.

Today's destination is the Bavarian-Swabian Donauperle Donauwörth, which is idyllically located at the confluence of the Danube and Wörlitz on the Romantic Road. Enjoy a stroll through the old free imperial city. The heart of the city is colorful, with a splendid street. Marvel at the town hall, which has presented itself in its current form since 1853, the Tanzhaus (1400) and the Fuggerhaus (1537). You can also visit the Liebfrauenmünster, a three-aisled Gothic brick hall church on the highest point of Reichsstraße. It was built from 1444 to 1467 and features the largest bell in Swabia and a Gothic Christ from 1513 above the high altar.

Today you cycle beautifully and varied along the Romantic Road to Augsburg and thus reach one of the oldest cities in Germany. Here you can still find the most diverse stylistic epochs in the old town. Marvel at the medieval guild houses, the Cathedral of the Visitation (11th century), the St. Ulrich and Afra basilica with its onion dome, the Renaissance town hall with the Golden Hall and the Fugger houses. The Fuggerei in Augsburg is the oldest existing social housing estate in the world. The row house settlement was founded by Jakob Fugger “the rich” in 1521. In the houses, some people are farther living there - around 150 needy Catholic citizens of Augsburg live in the 140 apartments in the 67 houses and pay only a minimal rent. You can also visit the Schaezlerpalais with its famous art collections and museums or the Augsburger Puppenkiste, where the most famous marionettes can be seen in display cases.

Your bike route today takes you to Königsbrunn and the Mercateum in the center of the city. The Mercateum is a monument and a museum at the same time. It is the largest globe in the world based on historical cartography. The globe stands on a platform surrounded by a water basin and can be entered through two doors. Inside, stairs connect five levels in which the museum's exhibits on the subject of long-distance trade are presented. After a definitely interesting break, you will then cycle to Landsberg am Lech with its colorful rows of houses. Look forward to the little town, because Landsberg am Lech is not known as the “Upper Bavarian Rothenburg” for nothing. Marvel at the impressive old town backdrop, the impressive Lechwehr, the numerous churches, towers and gates of the city and the historic town hall with its facade from the 18th century.

With the bike you dive into the Pfaffenwinkel today and with it into the flat Lechfelder Land, which slowly but surely merges into the hilly foothills of the Alps. Enjoy the gentle hilly landscape and the nature of the idyllic Pfaffenwinkel before you reach Schongau, which owes its origins to the Romans. Even in the Middle Ages, Schongau was an important hub and an important trading center. With its largely preserved city wall, the old town rises on a ridge and is idyllically surrounded by the Lech.

Look forward to your last cycling stage and to Schwangau with the world-famous castles Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. What is known today as Hohenschwangau Castle was first mentioned in the 12th century as Schwanstein Castle. The building was owned by the Knights of Schwangau until the 16th century, after which the owners changed frequently, and the castle was severely damaged several times in various wars. From 1833 to 1837, King Maximilian II had the castle converted into a palace in the neo-Gothic style. The interior is still adorned with numerous wall paintings with themes from medieval legends. Neuschwanstein Castle is also nearby. Today it is a magnet for visitors from all over the world. From the Marienbrücke you not only have a unique view of the fairytale castle, which is well worth seeing, but also of the imposing Pöllat Gorge (both castles can only be visited on guided tours). But also the city of Füssen - the romantic soul of Bavaria - inspires with medieval streets, historical buildings and the old city wall. Numerous cozy restaurants and cafes, shops and squares invite you to take a long stroll.

The romantic time in the bicycle saddle passed far too quickly. We would be happy to book additional nights for you in beautiful Füssen so that you can visit the royal palaces in their full splendor. If you want to go back to Würzburg, you can also book a return transfer. Please ask us for the exact price for the return transfer.