For many travelers, Germany hits its high notes along the so-called Romantische Strasse, or Romantic Road, a scenic route that rambles through much of Bavaria. The 350km (220 miles) of specially marked lanes and secondary roads wind from the vineyard-clad hills surrounding Würzburg south through an unfolding panorama of beautiful landscapes interspersed with small medieval cities. To the south, the road rises through foothills covered with verdant pastures, lake-splashed countryside, and groves of evergreens to the dramatic heights of the Alps that divide Germany and western Austria. As if all this scenery weren’t enough, these final stretches of the road lead to Linderhof and Neuschwanstein, two of the fantasy castles built by the legendary King Ludwig II in the second half of the 19th century.
Officially, the scenic route the German government drew up after World War II takes in 28 towns and villages. We take a few liberties and veer off the Romantic Road to also include some fascinating nearby places that are too good to miss—among them Nürnberg, a city that all in one swoop encompasses medieval and Renaissance splendor, the horrors of World War II, and the successes of Germany’s postwar rebuilding. We also detour east to Regensburg, a little city that was untouched by the war and as result comprises one of Europe’s largest swaths of medieval architecture. In the south, we wander off the Romantic Road to take in a section of the Bavarian Alps around Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Although you can easily hit the high points—Würzburg, Rothernburg ob der Tauber, Nürnberg, Regensburg, and Füssen by car, bus, or train within a week—you might want to slow down and take time out to bike or hike through the Tauber Valley, see the beautiful Herrgottskirche in little Creglingen, ascend a mountaintop, or just bend your elbow in a historic tavern or two.
280km (174 miles) NW of Munich, 119km (74 miles) SE of Frankfurt, 109km (68 miles) NW of Nürnberg
For Germans, the south begins at Würzburg, a lovely city at the northern end of the Romantic Road. Unlike the quainter towns that line the Romantic Road to the south, Würzburg is a cosmopolitan place, a university town with 50,000 students who add life to its narrow lanes and bright squares and lend a German version of joie de vivre. Würzburg’s appreciation of the good life becomes clear as soon as you notice the town is swathed in vineyards that climb the surrounding hillsides above its gabled rooftops. You’ll also soon notice that wine merchants here sell Bocksbeutels, the green, narrow-necked wine bottles designed so monks could hide them under their robes.
A good source of information is the Romantische Strasse Touristik Arbeitsgemeinschaft GbR, Segringer Strasse 19, 91550 Dinkelsbühl (
09851/5513487; www.romantischestrasse.de), which officially oversees the Romantic Road and offers brochures and maps for drivers, cyclists, and walkers. A lot of bus tours ply the route, and you’ll be besieged with options in Würzburg, Munich, and other cities and big towns on and near the Romantic Road. Most offer transport, guides, and overnight accommodations on trips that last anywhere from an overnight to a week, with prices from around 250€ to 1,200€. Buses operated by Romantische Strasse Touristik (www.romanticroadcoach.de) are an economical and handy option that allow passengers to hop on and off buses that operate from mid-April to mid-October. Unlike organized bus tours, the scheme doesn’t tie you to a schedule and let’s you pick and choose where you want to stop along the way and for how long. A 6-month pass cost 104€, and Eurail pass holders receive a 20 percent discount. Daily departures are from Frankfurt and Füssen at 8am and from Munich at 10:30am. Do some math before purchasing, though: If you plan on visiting only one or two towns along the Romantic Road, it’s probably cheaper to buy individual bus or train tickets to get there.
On the night of March 16, 1945, Würzburg was leveled by a bombing raid. A plan to leave the city in ruin as a testimony to the horrors of war was scrapped and nearly every major structure has been restored, and the modern city blends in harmoniously with medieval remains and reconstructions. Würzburg isn’t picture book pretty, the way Rothenburg and some other towns you’ll come to on the Romantic Road are, but that doesn’t district from its appeal, and there’s plenty to see in a day.
BY TRAIN The Würzburg Hauptbahnhof lies on several major and regional rail lines, with frequent connections to all major German cities. From Frankfurt, 30 trains arrive per day (trip time: 1 hr., 10 min.); from Munich, 20 trains (2 hr., 10 min.); from Nürnberg, 30 trains (1 hr.); and 12 trains from Stuttgart (2 hr., 15 min.). For rail information and schedules, call 01805/996633 or visit www.bahn.com.
BY BUS For bus service along the Romantic Road, see “Romantic Road Info & Bus Tours,” above.
BY CAR Access is via the A7 Autobahn from north and south or the A3 Autobahn from east and west. The A81 Autobahn has links from the southwest.
It’s easy to cover Würzburg on foot or by tram (streetcar). A single fare is 2.20€, or else you can purchase a ticket, good for 24 hours, at any station for 4.45€. The same fare applies to buses. The no. 9 bus is especially convenient, linking the Marienberg Fortress and the Residenz palace. For information about routes and schedules, call 0931/361352 or visit www.vvm-info.de.
The Tourist Information Office is in Marktplatz at Falkenhaus am Markt ( 0931/372398). It’s open April to December Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday 10am to 2pm (May–Oct also open Sun 10am–2pm); hours January to March are Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm, Saturday 10am to 1pm. The office is next to the public library, where you can avail yourself of the restroom facilities and free Wi-Fi.
SPECIAL EVENTS The highlight of the cultural year is the annual Mozart Festival, www.mozartfest-wuerzburg.de, staged over the entire month of June. The venue for most of the Mozart concerts is the glorious baroque palace, the Residenz (see below).
Greifensteiner Hof These bright, good sized rooms put you right in the heart of the Altstadt behind the Marktplatz. Each room is decorated a little differently, all with a bit of designer flair and some nice touches, such as comfy lounge chairs and fresh flowers on the bedside tables. The restaurant downstairs, the Fränkische Stuben, serves Franconian specialties and spills out to a nice terrace in good weather. A cellar wine bar stocks local vintages.
Dettelbachergasse 2. 
0931/35170. www.greifensteiner-hof.de. 49 units. 120€–190€ double. Rates include buffet breakfast. Parking 8.50€. Tram: 1, 2, 3, or 5. Amenities: Restaurant, bar; free in-room Wi-Fi.
Premier Hotel Rebstock 
Behind a rococo facade dating from at least 1408 is a surprisingly contemporary interior that breaks out of any cookie-cutter notion of the hotel’s Best Western affiliation. Some noteworthy design touches appear in the skylit rotunda downstairs and in guest quarters of all sorts of sizes and styles upstairs. Most accommodations, some of the best in town and priced accordingly, lean toward crisp, clean lines and a businesslike look, though some veer off into odd shapes and more traditional and more posh decor. The buffet breakfast is extra.
Neubaustrasse 7. 800/528-1234 in the U.S., or 0931/30930. Fax 0931/3093100. www.rebstock.com. 70 units. 170€–280€ double. Parking 10€. Tram: 1, 3, 4, or 5. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; room service; Wi-Fi (free; in lobby, charge in rooms).
St. Josef 
For an inexpensive yet pleasant place to lay your head in the Altstadt, you can’t do better than these clean, no-nonsense rooms done up in crisp, modern style. The Residenz, Marktplatz, and other sights are an easy walk away, and a member of the Casagrande family is usually around to tell you what to see and how to get there.
Semmelstrasse 28–30. 0931/308680. Fax 0931/3086860. www.hotel-st-josef.de. 33 units. 89€–95€ double. Rates include buffet breakfast. Parking 8.50€. Tram: 1, 2, 3, or 5. Amenities: Restaurant; free in-room Wi-Fi.
Local specialties include Zwiebelkuchen, similar to a quiche Lorraine, and Frankische Mostsuppe, a light wine soup. White Franconian wine seems to go well with just about anything that shows up on a Würzburg table.
Alte Mainmühle FRANCONIAN It’s a challenge to cross the Alte Mainbrücke (Old Main Bridge) without stepping into this timbered, two-story tavern perched romantically off one side of the bridge over the rushing current. A seat on the summertime terrace comes with nice views of river traffic, the town, and the fortress, but for sheer coziness it’s hard to beat the woody, fire-warmed interior. The menu ranges through a full compliment of grilled meats, fish, sausage and dumplings, and other local specialties that are more accomplished than you’d expect to find yourself enjoying sitting midstream in a river.
Alte Mainbrücke. 16777. Main courses 8€–23€. Tues–Sat 10am–midnight. Tram: 1, 3, 4, or 5.
Backöfele FRANCONIAN/GERMAN Even the locals don’t really know whether to call this place a beer hall, a wine cellar, or a restaurant, but everyone loves the cozy, stone-floored ambiance and the well-prepared traditional food served in huge quantities. A Würzburg favorite, pikeperch with noodles and a salad, is usually on the list of specials. Reservations recommended.
Ursulinergasse 2. 0931/59059. www.backoefele.de. Main courses 7€–29€. Mon–Sat noon–11pm; Sun noon–10pm. Tram: 1 or 4.
Ratskeller Würzburg FRANCONIAN/INTERNATIONAL This 500-year-old tavern with wood floors and frescoed walls tucked into the cellars of the Rathaus might seem like just another ho-hum rathskeller in the German tradition of a city hall cellar restaurant for its citizens, but there’s a difference here. Some of the nooks and crannies are dark, paneled, and traditional, other corners of the sprawling space are chicly urbane; the menu includes a lot of tasty Franconian fare at reasonable prices—homemade sausage mixed with fried potatoes and eggs, or roast beef with noodles and fried onions—but also fans out to pastas and other international selections. Beverages stay close to home: Würzburger beer and lots of Franconian white wines. Get reservations for weekend meals.
Langgasse 1 (near the Alte Mainbrücke). 0931/13021. www.wuerzburger-ratskeller.de. Main courses 8€–26€. Daily 11:30am–10:30pm. Tram: 1, 2, 3, or 5.
Weinhaus Zum Stachel FRANCONIAN/INTERNATIONAL No other wine house in Würzburg is as old as this one, dating from 1413. And the well-burnished tables groan under generous portions of hearty classics like rump steak with onions and freshwater fish prepared according to old family recipes. In summer, you can dine in a vine-draped outdoor courtyard, sipping wines from the restaurant’s own vineyards. Reservations required.
Gressengasse 1. 0931/52770. www.weinhaus-stachel.de. Main courses 12€–23€; 3-course meal 38€, 6-course meal 66€. Tues–Sat 11am–midnight. Tram: 1, 3, 4, or 5.
Wein und Fischhaus Schiffbäuerin SEAFOOD One of the best dining spots in the region is this combined wine house/fish restaurant, across Alte Mainbrücke on the Marienberg fortress side in an old half-timbered building. Once the residence of shipbuilders, the house now specializes in freshwater fish such as pike, carp, char, tench, trout, wels, and eel. Reservations recommended, no credit cards accepted.
Katzengasse 7. 0931/42487. www.schiffbaeuerin.de. Main courses 16€–24€. Tues–Sat 11:30am–2:30pm and 6–11:30pm; Sun 11:30am–3pm. Closed Tues in Jun, Jul, and Aug. Tram: 2 or 4.
You can easily get around Würzburg on foot, though you may want to board the nunber 9 bus for the uphill climb to the Marienberg Fortress. The town center is the Marktplatz (marketplace), where vendors sell produce and dispense sausages in the shadow of lovely red-and-white Marienkapelle (St. Mary’s Chapel), built in the 14th and 15th centuries and dedicated to the city’s patron saint. A few blocks to the south is another gathering spot, Rückermainstrasse, where an 18th-century fountain enhances the appearance of the distinctively tall and slender Rathaus (Town Hall). Just to the west, the Alte Mainbrücke (Old Main Bridge), completed in 1543, crosses the Main River with a flourish, adorned as it is with twelve enormous Baroque saints sculpted out of sandstone. From the end of the bridge a well-marked footpath climbs through the vineyards to the Marienberg Fortress. The Residenz is a short walk east from the Marktplatz.
Tilman Riemenschneider (1460–1531) lived and worked in Würzburg for 48 years, serving as both a councilor and mayor while gaining considerable fame for his sculptures and carvings. He married four times, oversaw a household of nine children and stepchildren, and owned several houses as well as vineyards. During the Peasants’ Revolt of 1525, this master woodcarver sided with the rebels and incurred the wrath of the prince-bishops. As a result of his political views, Riemenschneider was imprisoned and tortured, and his hands were broken, ending his artistic career. He died shortly after being released from prison, leaving behind his incredibly expressive wood sculptures that adorn churches and museums in Würzburg and elsewhere along the Romantic Road.
Dom St. Kilian CHURCH Wuzrburg’s prince-bishops worshipped and were laid to rest in this huge 10th-century church. Many of their funerary monuments line the elegantly simple nave and others reside for eternity in the Schönborn Chapel, designed by Balthasar Neumann, architect of the Residenz (see below); what you see today comes from a massive restoration effort that raised the church from ruin in the aftermath of World War II. The finest monuments are by Würzburg sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider. You will encounter him again in the Mainfränkisches Museum in the Marienberg Fortress (see below), and one of the best things about stepping in and out of Würzburg churches is seeing his work. Here his ensemble of the Magi line three pillars on the near left side of the nave. Everyone—the three magi, the Virgin Mary, even the infant Jesus—look happy, not in that remote ecclesiastical way but humanly so. Riemenschneider’s great genius was capturing human empathy in wood, stone, or whatever medium he worked in. The Dom’s Irish-sounding name is a tribute to St. Kilian, an Irish missionary to Franconia in the 7th century.
Domstrasse (at the end of Schönbornstrasse). 0931/3211830. Free admission. Easter–Oct Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 1–6pm; Nov to the day before Easter Mon–Sat 10am–noon and 2–4:30pm, Sun 12:30–1:30pm and 2:30–6pm.
Festung Marienberg (Marienberg Fortress) HISTORIC SITE It’s a 30-minute trek along a well-marked footpath through hillside vineyards up to this mighty fortress, affording views of the city and surrounding vineyards (bus no. 9 also climbs the hill). From 1253 to 1720 the hilltop fortress/palace, surrounded by massive bastions, was home to the prince-bishops who, beginning in 743, ruled this part of Franconia on behalf of the Holy Roman Empire. Lore, mixed with some fact, has it that Würzburg attained this important status when three martyred Irish Christian missionaries were declared saints and the city became an important pilgrimage stop and religious center; allegedly, the three met their end not in the maws of lions but at the hands of any angry wife who became resentful when they tried to convert her noble husband to Christianity and a life of poverty and celibacy. As becomes clear in the Fürstenbaumuseum, the tapestry-and-painting-filled residential wing of the massive complex, the prince-bishops enjoyed a lavish lifestyle that was far from modest; in adjacent galleries, town models show medieval Würzburg, along with a horrifying glimpse of the town after bombings in 1945. Another wing houses the Mainfränkisches Museum (Main-Franconian Museum), where the prized possessions are 81 wood-carved sculptures by Tilman Riemenschneider (1460–1531), the so-called master of Würzburg and one of the greatest northern sculptors of the Middle Ages. Also within the walls of the massive complex is the 8th-century Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church), one of the oldest churches in Germany.
Festung Marienberg. 0931/205940. www.mainfraenkisches-museum.de. Admission to Mainfränkisches Museum 4€ adults, 2€ students, free for children 13 and under. Apr–Oct Tues–Sun 10am–5pm; Nov–Mar Tues–Sun 10am–4pm. Fürstenbaumuseum 4.50€ adults, 3.50€ students, free for children 17 and under. Apr–Oct Tues–Sun 9am–6pm. Tours of the fortress (in English and German) 3.50€ adults, 2.50€ students. Apr–Oct Tues–Sun 10am–4pm. Bus: 9.
Residenz (Palace) ARCHITECTURAL SITE Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn had a passion for elegance and splendor that the staid, musty salons of the Marienberg Fortress could not satisfy. So in 1720 he commissioned what over the next 50 years was to become one of Germany’s grandest and most elaborate baroque palaces. Architect Balthasar Neumann (1687–1753), whose talents included a rare combination of technical skill and an eye for beauty and harmony, oversaw the design of the 350-room palace, and his masterpiece shows a unity of purpose and design unusual in structures of such size. Von Sconborn’s successor, Prince-Bishop Carl Phillip von Greiffenclau, had the foresight to hire the Venetian painter Tiepolo to fresco the Treppenhaus (staircase), where Apollo ascends toward the upper hall, surrounded by the four corners of the world, the seasons, and signs of the zodiac, rendering a climb to the upper hall into a rather majestic event. A keen-eyed observer might note that Tiepolo worked some portraits into the Europa section, where he depicts his princely patron, as well as his son Giovanni, who accompanied him from Venice. Tiepolo also painted the frescoes in the chapel and the Imperial Hall, where he depicts, among other themes, the 1156 marriage of emperor Frederick Barbossa to Beatrice of Burgundy in Würzburg.
During the summer, a Mozart festival is held in the upper halls. For information, visit mozartfest.de.
Residenzplatz 2, Tor B. 0931/355170. www.residenz-wuerzburg.de. Admission 7.50€ adults; 6.50€ students, children, and seniors. Apr–Oct daily 9am–6pm; Nov–Mar daily 10am–4pm. Guided tours in English (included in admission) 11am and 3pm. Bus: 9.
The reason to come to this sleepy riverside town is to get an eyeful of half-timbered buildings and medieval ambiance, minus the bus-tour hordes that descend upon some of the other Romantic Road towns. Enclosed within walls and gate towers and tucked beneath a steep wooded hill crowned by a castle, Miltenberg satisfies even the most voracious appetite for quaint townscapes.
Würzburg remained faithful to the Roman Catholic Church throughout the Reformation, partly through the efforts of Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn, a 17th-century prince-bishop (you’ll see an elaborate tapestry tracing his family line in the Fürstenbaumuseum in the Marienberg Fortress). Von Mespelbrunn staunchly defended Würzburg against protestant incursions by banishing Lutheran preachers and demanding that public officials be Catholic. Würzburg still has a large Catholic population and is known as “the town of Madonnas” because of the more than 100 statues of its patron saint that adorn the house fronts. The best known is the baroque “Patrona Franconiae,” the so-called Weeping Madonna, standing among other Franconian saints along the buttresses of the 15th-century Alte Mainbrücke.
GETTING THERE By car from Würzburg, take the A3 west and then B469 into Miltenberg. There’s at least one train connection per hour from Würzburg, and the trip takes 90 minutes.
The town center is the utterly charming Marktplatz, where half-timbered houses climb hilly lanes above a fountain and flowerbeds. Atop this assemblage rises Schloss Miltenberg; you might have to settle for an exterior view of this white-walled, steep-roofed stronghold, as it’s often shuttered; if the gates are open, cross the courtyard and climb the watchtower for a sweeping view over the town into the surrounding forest. It’s open only May to October Tuesday to Friday 2 to 5:30pm, Saturday and Sunday 1 to 5:30pm. Admission is 3€ adults and 2€ for children 11 and under.
If you don’t want a full meal, stop by the wonderfully atmospheric 500-year-old Weinhaus, Marktplatz 185 ( 09371/5500), for a beer or a taste of the local vintages.
Gasthaus zum Riesen GERMAN A lot of locals and travelers in the know make the trip to Miltenberg just to dine in one of the region’s old-time favorites, where out of the kitchen come liver dumpling soup, platters piled high with pork filets and sausages, and rump steak in dark-beer sauce. These hearty meals are accompanied by a huge choice of German beers and served in atmospheric and historic surroundings from 1190 that allegedly once hosted Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.
Hauptstrasse 99. 09371/989948. www.riesen-miltenberg.de. Main courses 8€–19€. Mon–Wed 11am–midnight; Thurs–Sat 11am–1am.
51km (32 miles) SE of Würzburg
One of Europe’s best-preserved medieval gems just doesn’t quit serving up a heady dose of romantic, fairytale Germany, with tall timbered houses that lean over cobbled lanes enclosed within ramparts and towers. Not surprisingly, almost everyone who comes to southern Germany follows the well-beaten path to Rothenburg to take in the scene, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t join their ranks. Or, come off-season, between September and May, or simply linger in the evening after the day trippers leave and life in this enchanting place resumes it normal pace.
When trying to reach this gem of a town, some travelers have suddenly discovered themselves at a Rothenburg somewhere else in Germany. To avoid the confusion, make sure to ask for a ticket to “Rothenburg ob der Tauber.”
BY TRAIN Rothenburg ob der Tauber is connected with hourly trains to the junction of Steinach, which has frequent connections to Würzburg (total trip time: 1 hr.) The trip to Munich take 3 hours, 2½ hours to Frankfurt. For information, call 01805/996633 or visit www.bahn.com.
BY BUS For bus service along the Romantic Road, see “Bus Tours of the Romantic Road,” at the beginning of this chapter. Regular long-distance buses service Rothenburg from Frankfurt, Würzburg, Augsburg, and Munich, as well as Füssen. For information and reservations, call the Frankfurt terminal number ( 069/7903261 in Frankfurt). Regional bus service is provided by OVF Omnibusverkehr Franken GmbH, Nelson-Mandela-Platz 18, D-90159 Nürnberg ( 0911/430570; www.ovf.de).
BY CAR Access by car is the A7 from Würzburg.
Rothenburg Tourismus Service, on the Marktplatz ( 09861/404800; www.rothenburg.de), is open November to April, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, and Saturday 10am to 1pm; May to October, Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 5pm.
Altraenkische Six rooms in a 650-year-old house on a quiet back street pack in about as much charm and comfort for your money as you are going to find in Rothenburg, with their heavy beams, polished armoires, oil paintings, and spruce bathrooms with deep tubs. A generous breakfast next to a blue ceramic stove nicely starts off a stay. For other meals step into the weinstub (wine tavern) downstairs, where Franconian specialties are served next to an open fire in winter and on a romantic terrace in the summer. If you’re feeling homesick, stick around on a Wednesday evening when the local English club meets at the hotel.
Kloisterhof 7. 09861/6404. www.altfraenkische.de. 6 units. 75€–82€ double. Rates include buffet breakfast. Amenities: Restaurant, free in-room Wi-Fi.
Gasthof Goldener Greifen A medieval mayor of Rothenburg is your host, in spirit at least, in these no-frills but comfortable accommodations in his former home. Some of the rooms are small and pretty basic, and priced accordingly, while others are a bit grander and geared to families (some sleep five) and longer stays. All have attractive and sensible furnishings, and many are enlivened with wooden ceilings and other character-supplying features. Most atmospheric is the 650-year-old common room and the breakfast room, fitted out of the mayor’s office (with a toasty closet designed to keep his parchments dry). The in-house restaurant specializes in Franconian fare with tasty dishes like marinated beef, and moist roast goose leg soaked in an unforgettable gravy, and a side of red kraut and potato dumplings. Try it with the bold Taubertäler red wine from Lauda-Königshofen.
Obere Schmiedgasse 5 (off Marktplatz). 09861/228. www.gasthof-greifen-rothenburg.de. 14 units. 65€–98€ double. Rates include buffet breakfast. Free parking. Closed Dec 22–Jan 3. Amenities: Room service, free in-room Wi-Fi.
Hotel Reichs-Küchenmeister Just enough sense of cozy tradition makes these bright rooms extremely comfortable (with roomy armchairs, lots of blonde wood, and firm beds topped with fluffy duvets) without being stuffy or over-furnished. They’re all different, vary considerably in size, and occupy a centuries-old merchant’s house and a slightly less desirable (and less expensive) house across the street. A sauna, steam room, and whirlpool are welcome tonics after a day pounding the cobblestones, and a garage, soundproof windows, and a pleasant beer garden attached to the in-house restaurant are among the many other swell touches here.
Kirchplatz 8 (near St. Jakobskirche). 09861/9700. www.reichskuechenmeister.com. 45 units. 150€–240€ double. Rates include buffet breakfast. Parking 5€ in the lot; 8€ in the garage. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; bikes; Jacuzzi; sauna, free in-room Wi-Fi.
Stop at one of the many kiosks in town selling the local pastry called Schneeballen (snowballs), a round pastry coated in sugar and cinnamon. This memorable sweet is also on most dessert and snack menus in town.
Burgerkeller FRANCONIAN A frescoed 16th-century cellar with vaulted ceilings that spills over to outside tables in good weather guarantees no-nonsense local cooking, along the lines of Maultaschensuppe (stuffed pasta in broth) and Nürnberg sausages on sauerkraut. The staff is genuinely eager to make sure that you accompany your meal with a good local wine.
Herngasse 24. 09861/2126. Main courses 6€–12€. Thurs–Tues 11:30am–2pm and 6–9pm.
Die Blaue Sau 
FRANCONIAN/INTERNATIONAL Foodies would find it a crime worthy of detention in the stocks in Rothenburg’s Kriminalmuseum to pass through town without stopping this grill house for a meat-heavy take on Franconian cuisine. A casual-chic dining room, stone-walled wine cellar, and a lovely terrace are the settings for no-nonsense preparations of rib-eye, prime rib, and pork, though fresh fish and seafood also make an appearance. A 400-entry wine list is regarded as one of the best in Germany. Reservations required.
Vorm Würzburger Tor 7–9 (in Villa Mittermeirer hotel). 09861/94540. www.villamittermeier.de. Main courses 14€–32€. Tues–Sat noon–2pm and 7–9:30pm.
Ratsstube FRANCONIAN Dark wood, vaulted ceilings, and lots of copper provide a true tavern atmospheric in this character-filled old place, and its center of town location across the square from the Rathaus keep the kitchen busy throughout the day. Sauerbraten, game, and other local favorites fill the menu board, with some Italian interlopers. Reservations recommended.
Marktplatz 6. 09861/5511. www.ratsstuberothenburg.de. Main courses 10€–15€. Mon–Sat 9am–10pm; Sun 9am–6pm.
Exploring Rothenburg ob der Tauber
For an excellent view over the town, take a walk on the ramparts between the massive 16th-century Spitaltor tower (at the end of the Spitalgasse) to the Klingentor tower. A circuit takes about a half-hour. At the Rödertor (Röder Gate), you can climb the tower to a small exhibition describing an air raid in 1945 that leveled a large part of the eastern end of town. Entry to the ramparts is 1.50€ for adults, 1€ for children, but opening times vary and depend on the weather.
Rothenburg’s famous 17th-century drinking binge, in which the Bürgermeister (mayor) downed a tankard of beer to save the town, is re-enacted in a play, “Die Meistertrunk” (“The Master Draught”), first performed in 1881. These days it’s part of a festival that takes place every September/October. Hundreds of citizens dress up in period costumes and, of course, drink beer.
Kriminalmuseum (Criminal Museum) HISTORIC SITE It paid to stay on the right side of the law in the Middle Ages, as these four floors devoted to medieval style law and order prove. Chastity belts, shame masks, torture devices, a beer barrel-shaped stockade for drunks, a cage for bakers whose bread was too small or too light—sadists with a historical bent will be in seventh heaven. The 1395 hospital that houses the museum was redone in 1718, giving Rothenberg its only Baroque facade.
Burggasse 3–5. 09861/5359. www.kriminalmuseum.rothenburg.de. Admission 4€ adults, 2.80€ students, 2.40€ children 6–17. Jan–Feb and Nov daily 2–4pm; Mar and Dec 1–4pm; Apr daily 11am–5pm; May–Oct daily 10am–6pm.
Rathaus (Town Hall) LANDMARK Part Gothic, from 1240, and part Renaissance, from 1572, Rothenburg’s town hall is decorated with intricate friezes, an oriel extending the building’s full height, and a large stone portico opening onto the square. Give these details a look, then climb to the top of the 50m (160-ft.) tower of the Gothic hall for a view over the town and the Tauber Valley. You’ll be standing where sentries once kept an eye out for fires, ringing the bell every quarter-hour to prove that they were awake and on the job.
Marktplatz. 09861/40492. Admission: Rathaus free; tower 1.50€ adults, 1€ children. Rathaus Mon–Fri 8am–6pm. Tower Apr–Oct daily 9:30am–12:30pm and 1–5pm; Dec daily noon–3pm; Nov and Jan–Mar Sat–Sun and holidays noon–3pm.
Reichsstadtmuseum (Imperial City Museum) HISTORIC SITE In 1631, during the Thirty Years’ War, the Protestant city of Rothenburg was captured by General Tilly, commander of the armies of the Catholic League. He promised to spare the town from destruction if one of the town burghers could drink down a huge tankard full of wine in one draft. Bürgermeister Nusch accepted the challenge and succeeded, thus saving Rothenburg. The tankard—with a capacity of 3.5 liters, more than 6 pints—is part of the historical collection of Rothenburg, housed in this 13th-century Dominican nunnery. The convent cloisters are especially well preserved, and the hall, kitchen, and apothecary show life as it was in a medieval convent. As does the barrel out front, where the nuns left bread for the poor and women left unwanted babies. The 12-panel, 1494 “Rothenburg Passion,” by local painter Martinus Schwartz, depicts scenes from the suffering of Christ, and paintings by Englishman Arthur Wasse (1854–1930) present views of Rothenberg as picture perfect and romantic as today’s postcards; Wasse studied art in Munich and became so enamored of Rothenburg that he spent most of the rest of his life here.
Klosterhof 5. 09861/939043. www.reichsstadtmuseum.rothenburg.de. Admission 4€ adults, 3€ students and children 6–18, 8€ family ticket. Apr–Oct daily 10am–5pm; Nov–Mar daily 1–4pm.
St. Jakobskirche (Church of St. James) CHURCH Rothenburg lies on the pilgrim trail to Santiago de Compostella in Spain, site of the remains of St. James. This 14th-century church, infused with mellow light from its original stained glass, has long been a stop on the route, with a relic that does justice to the role. The Reliquary of the Holy Blood (1270) is contained in a rock-crystal capsule and said to contain three drops of the blood of Jesus Christ. Würzburg sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider (ca. 1460–1531) crafted the Altar of the Holy Blood to house the shrine. The center panel depicts the Last Supper, in which you’ll notice Riemenschneider adds a twist to the story. Judas, not Christ, sits at the center of the table, suggesting that God is willing to shed his grace even on sinners.
Klostergasse 15. 09861/700620. Admission 2€ adults, .50€ children. Apr–Oct Mon–Sat 9am–5:30pm, Sun 11am–5:30pm; Dec daily 10am–5pm; Nov and Jan–Mar daily 10am–noon and 2–4pm.
If you want to escape the tourist hordes, rent a bike at Rad und Tat, Bensenstrasse 17 ( 09861/87984; www.radtat.de), for about 12€ per day. Get a map from the tourist office and follow the bike path along the Tauber River; for more information, check out cycling routes at www.germany.travel.
Rothenburg is a good place to load up on Bavarian memorabilia. Friese-Kabalo Kunstgewerbe OHG, Grüner Markt 7 ( 09861/7166), specializes in cuckoo clocks and also carries Hummel figurines, pewter beer steins, music boxes, and dolls. Käthe Wohlfahrt’s Weihnachtswerkstatt (Christmas Workshop), Herrngasse 1 ( 098614090), is a national institution with shops in towns around Germany and stalls at Christmas markets. Shelves are filled with everything from clothing and accessories to cuckoo clocks, but the real attractions are toys and Christmas ornaments. If you collect teddy bears, you’ll love Teddyland, Herrngasse 10 ( 09861/8904; www.teddyland.de), which stocks more than 5,000 of them, the largest teddy bear population in Germany. Bear images are printed on everything from T-shirts to bags and watches.
Side Trip from Rothenburg ob der Tauber
18km (11 miles) NW of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, 40km (25 miles) S of Würzburg
Creglingen traces its history back 4,000 years and enjoyed some Middle Ages heydays when it became an important pilgrimage site. That said, the hamlet is today one of the quieter backwaters along the Romantic Road. You’ll come here for only one reason, aside from seeing a tiny but pretty hamlet that evokes the Germany of long ago. That’s to see the enormous and remarkable altarpiece by Tilman Riemenschneider, the master carver of Würzburg (see above), in the Herrgottskirche (Chapel of Our Lord).
GETTING THERE By car, Cregligen is 18km (11 miles) northwest of Rothenburg on L2251. Unless you’re traveling by car, the only way to get from Rothenburg to Creglingen is by local buses. They’re operated by Omnibusverkehr Franken ( 0931/3528940; www.ovf.de), and from 5 to 10 a day run in either direction.
The Herrgottskirche (Chapel of Our Lord), on the road to Münster, dates from 1389 and was built where a farmer plowing his fields claimed to have found a sacred host, and the discovery was accompanied by the appearance of Jesus with a phalanx of angels. Creglingen became a place of pilgrimage, and between 1505 and 1510, Tilman Riemenschneider was commissioned to create this extraordinarily beautiful altar with figures representing the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin framed by scenes from her life. The expressive figures catch the light in such a way that they seem animated, and the sculpture changes in appearance throughout the day with the shifting sun. The chapel can be visited daily April to October 9:15am to 6pm, and November to March Tuesday to Sunday 1 to 4pm. Admission is 2€.
If you have time to kill before the bus heads back to Rothenburg, and are into esoterica, you might want to walk across the road to the Fingerhutmuseum (Thimble Museum), Kohlesmühle 6 ( 07933/370; www.fingerhutmuseum.de), with the largest collection of thimbles in Europe. Some of them are bone rings dating from prehistoric times; others are made of brass that was smelted in Creglingen during the Middle Ages. It’s open April to October Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 12:30pm and 2 to 5pm; hours for November, December, and March are Tuesday to Sunday 1 to 4pm. Admission is 2€.
109km (68 miles) SE of Würzburg
Few cities in the world conjure such disparate images of beauty and horror. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Nürnberg enjoyed a cultural flowering that made it into the center of the German Renaissance, a northern Florence. The great Albrecht Dürer is one of many artists who produced masterpieces in the city’s studios. Koberger set up his printing press here, and Regiomontanus built an astronomical observatory. Workshops turned out gingerbread, handmade toys, and the world’s first pocket watches, the Nürnberg eggs.
The art and architecture that elevated Nürnberg into one of Germany’s great treasure-filled beauties turned out to be the city’s Achilles heel. So enamored was Adolf Hitler with the Nürnberg’s huge swaths of half-timbered houses, steeped and gabled rooftops, and cobbled lanes and squares that he chose to stage his massive Nazi rallies in what he considered to be the most German of German cities. Think of the “Heil Hitler-ing” masses and goose-stepping soldiers in Leni Riefenstahl in “Triumph des Willens” (“Triumph of the Will”); the film also happens to capture footage of the Führer’s plane flying low over Nürnberg’s maze of medieval lanes and stone towers. Attached to the city, too, are the infamous Nürnberg laws, the 1935 legislation that stripped Jews and other non-Aryans of their German citizenship and basic rights and set the stage for the Holocaust. As the ideological center of the Third Reich, the city was a choice target for Allied bombers, and on January 2, 1945, 525 British Lancasters rained fire and destruction on Nürnberg, leaving most of the historic center and surroundings a smoldering ruin and killing 60,000 Nürnbergers.
Nürnberg has regained its vitality, prosperity, and much of its handsome pre-war appearance. What’s new blends in with the reconstructed old. In the Altstadt, surrounded by medieval ramparts, Gothic churches and sway-backed medieval houses rise above lively squares and line the banks of the Pegnitz River. The Hauptmarkt is the stage for Germany’s largest and most famous Christmas market (said to have originated when Martin Luther began giving his children Christmas presents). Amid these prosperous surroundings is a reminder of the city’s day of reckoning for its World War II past: the Justice Palace, where the War Crimes Tribunal sat in 1946 and tried 21 leading Nazi war criminals for conspiracy and crimes against world peace, the rules of warfare, and humanity.
BY PLANE Nürnberg Flughafen is 6km (4 miles) north of the city center. The small airport is served by 14 airlines, with flights to dozens of other European cities. For information and schedules, call 0911/93700 or visit www.airport-nuernberg.de.
BY TRAIN The Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof lies on several major German rail lines. Travel time to Frankfurt is 2 hours; to Würzburg, 1 hour; to Berlin, 5 hours; and to Munich, 1 hour. For information and schedules, call 01805/996633 or visit www.bahn.com. The station is right at the edge of the Altstadt, and a walk down Konigstrasse leads to just about anywhere you might want to go in the old city.
BY BUS Regional service to neighboring towns within Franconia is offered by OVF Omnibusverkehr Franken GmbH, Nelson Mandela Platz 18 in Nürnberg ( 0911/430570; www.ovf.de). For information on these or any other bus line coming into Nürnberg (or anywhere else in Franconia), contact one of the city’s largest travel agents, TUI Reise Center, Lorenzerstrasse 19 ( 0911/2270000).
BY CAR From Munich, take the A9 Autobahn north; from Frankfurt and Würzburg, head southeast along the A3 Autobahn; from Berlin, take the A9 Autobahn south.
Nürnberg has a subway system (U-Bahn) and all lines stop at the Hauptbahnhof (main railway station) and, meaning you can get just about anywhere in the city from there. Most buses and trams also stop at the Hauptbahnhof; bus no. 36 handily cuts through the heart of the old town. One-way fares within the city cost 2.60€. A Day Ticket Solo, valid for the entire transportation network from midnight to midnight, costs 5.10€. You can purchase tickets from machines next to major stops. For more information, call 0911/2834646 or visit www.vag.de.
Walking along Konigstrasse and its extensions into the marketplace and Rathaus square—essentially, across the length of the old town from the Hauptbahnhof the Kaiserburg (the city’s medieval castle)—will take you only about 30 minutes and will lead you through the city’s medieval core and past most of its historic monuments. For a taxi, call 0911/19410. The base fare and first kilometer cost 2.70€ each, while each additional kilometer adds on 1.35€.
Contact Tourist Information, Hauptmarkt 18 ( 0911/23360; tourismus.nuernberg.de), Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm. From May to October, it is also open Sunday 10am to 4pm.
Burghotel The pool and sauna in the cellar alone make this historic-center choice a standout, and the location near the castle just off the Hauptmarkt is especially handy for seeing the sights. Best are the large, so-called “comfort” rooms on the upper floors, furnished in pleasant contemporary style and with views over the old town; smaller “standard” rooms on lower floors are a bit dated but comfortable if rather unremarkable (built-in wooden table and chair sets in some add a bit of traditional coziness), and they’re priced accordingly; you’ll forgo the views but can enjoy those from the rooftop terrace.
Lammesgasse 3. 0911/238896. www.burghotel-nuernberg.de. 55 units. 87€–217€ double. Rates include buffet breakfast. Parking nearby 6€. Tram: 6 or 9. Bus: 36 or 46. Amenities: Restaurant; pool; sauna; exercise room; Wi-Fi (fee).
