Bavaria: The Romantic Road (Romantische Straße)

Würzburg is the capital of the Lower Franconia region (Unterfranken) Würzburg is an ancient episcopal seat and a vibrant university town with a baroque, distinctly southern feel. It is in an idyllic setting surrounded by vineyards and is defined by its architectural splendors that reflect a range of epochs. Würzburg’s main places of interest are the magnificent prince bishops’ Residenz Palace, an impressive example of Mediterranean baroque architecture, and the mighty Marienberg Citadel. READ MORE -> The population of Würzburg is 125 thousand people, it is the fifth-largest city in Bavaria, after Munich, Nuremberg, Augsburg and Regensburg. Historically, Würzburg was also the capital of the diocese of the same name, which made this city stand out from the rest and led to the creation of numerous architectural monuments in the city. A little bit of history. Around 1000 BC the Celts built their first temporary fortress on this hill. As a result of the Great Migration of Nations in the 6th century, tribes of the Franks came to these lands, after whom the entire large region is now called Franconia. The Franks built on a high hill above the Main their first fortress and the oldest church in the city - the Church of the Virgin Mary (Marienkirche). Now it is located on the territory of the Marienberger fortress. The first written mention of the city is found in 704. Thus, in 2004, mass festivities took place in Würzburg to celebrate the 1300th anniversary of the city. The correct title for the Bishop of Würzburg is Prince-Bishop. After the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa married his second wife in 1156, the Reichstag took place in Würzburg (the congress of German princes, at which all important state decisions were made), at which Frederick Barbarossa gave the bishop of Würzburg the rights of a duke. Since then, the bishop carries the title of the prince-bishop, as well as the title of 'Duke of Thraconia'.

Guided tours of frescos & paintings in a vast & lavish, 18th-century palace, plus formal gardens. -Google. The 18th-century baroque palace with a Tiepolo fresco. Unlike the Munich Residence, which evolved over some five hundred years and thus incorporates the styles of quite different periods, the Würzburg Residence was built in its entirety, with short interruptions, almost within a single generation. The architects drew their inspiration from an area extending from Vienna to Paris and from Genoa and Venice to Amsterdam. The building embodies the attainments of the Western architecture of its day, French château architecture, Viennese baroque and the religious and secular architecture of northern Italy and is a synthesis of the arts of astonishing universality. READ MORE -> Emperor Napoleon called it 'the largest priestly house in Europe'. The construction of a new palace for the princes-archbishops of Würzburg began in this city in 1720 and lasted for almost a quarter of a century. The Würzburg residence is considered the main left to descendants by the leading German architect of the Baroque era, Balthasar Neumann. Other top European architects, sculptors, and artists also participated in the work on this palace. The Venetian artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, known for his unsurpassed frescoes, painted the enormous ceiling above the grand staircase and the walls of the Imperial Hall.

Well-preserved medieval old town. It is a town that fairy tales are based on. You have seen the city in 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'. With its splendid location and charming medieval atmosphere hardly any other town is able to captivate its visitors in quite the same way as Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria. A walk through this small town is an unforgettable encounter with bygone centuries. The imposing building of the Town Hall, stately towers, massive fortifications, churches and patrician houses are witnesses to a mighty imperial past. An imperial castle dating back to 1142 represents the beginning of the town. Elevated to a Free Imperial City in 1274, Rothenburg became one of the most important city states of the Middle Ages. In 1631, during the Thirty Years War, Rothenburg was taken by imperial troops. Ex-Mayor Nusch saved the town by drinking nearly 13 cups of wine in a single gulp, the so-called 'Master draught'. Losing its importance in the following centuries, Rothenburg’s medieval center remained untouched. In the Romantic era, the town was discovered by painters and poets and became a symbol of the Middle Ages in Germany. READ MORE ->

The medieval wall still has its covered sentry’s walk, although in Nördlingen’s case it goes all the way around, with 3km completely intact. The town is surprisingly built entirely inside of a massive crater, that was created some 14 million years ago when a meteorite struck the Earth! Nördlingen is one of the few surviving medieval fortified settlements, still surrounded by fortress walls with towers. Nördlingen is one of the smallest towns. This place will really appeal to those who love a quiet romantic atmosphere and medieval charm and narrow cobblestone streets.

On the Romantic Road, in the heart of Bavarian Swabia, Harburg lies at the foot of an impressive medieval castle complex. With its historic old town on the idyllic banks of the Wörnitz, the fascinating landscape of the Ries Geopark in front of the gates, and its warm hosts, the city offers countless leisure, cultural and pleasure experiences. Harburg is a pleasant daytime stop on the way south down the Romantic Road. READ MORE -> The cozy town is located in the picturesque valley of the Wörnitz River. Despite to the fact that city has an ancient history. It has never been destroyed in any war. That is why it managed to preserve its special appearance with many narrow streets and old stone bridges, of which there are many, because the city stands on a large river. The main attraction is the medieval castle located within the city, founded in the 13th century. Unlike most German castles, which were destroyed in numerous wars and later rebuilt, Harburg Castle was never destroyed. The castle is privately owned by the descendants of the Wallerstein family.

A historic town on the strategically-important junction of the Danube and Wörnitz rivers. Though archeology shows evidence of a settlement as early as the 6th century, Donauwörth's growth began with the construction of a fortress called Mangoldstein (Castle Mangold) in the 10th century. In 977, a bridge was built across the Danube River which greatly increased both trade and the population. As the centuries passed, Donauwörth on the Danube also became the last port of trade for ships coming from Vienna and eastern Europe. READ MORE ->

The third oldest German city after Neuss and Trier, Augsburg was founded by the Romans in 15BC. The city had always been at the nexus of European trade, but its glory days arrived in Early Modern Age when the Fugger and Welser banking families amassed inconceivable wealth. That gave Augsburg the first Renaissance buildings north of the Alps, at the sublime City Hall and the lavish residence of the Fugger family. Augsburg’s churches and galleries are brimming with Renaissance art, while the central Maximilianstraße has long rows of historic facades and three Mannerist fountains built for the city’s 1,600th birthday. With wealth came culture, and Hans Holbein the Elder and Leopold Mozart are just two Augsburg citizens who helped change the course of art and music. READ MORE ->

Storied public housing complex in operation since the 16th century, with an on-site museum. -Google. The world’s oldest social housing project was started in 1516 by Jakob Fugger, the powerful merchant banker. Within a decade 52 houses had been constructed, and the sequence of streets and squares, served by a church, became a kind of town of its own. READ MORE ->

17th-century Renaissance government building with opulent halls adorned with gold & artworks. -Google. Built at enormous expense in the 1610s when Augsburg was at the peak of its powers, the City Hall is a reflection of the wealth and power of the city during the Renaissance. On the outside, that confidence is summed up by an oversized image of the Reichsadler, the Imperial Eagle beneath the pediment on the gable. And inside is the Goldener Saal, the Golden Hall, which is almost overwhelming for its brilliant gilded ceiling, doorways and mural frames that hold allegorical paintings. A bit more intimate and reserved is the Fürstenzimmer, which has intricate coffered ceilings, parquet floors, and oil paintings on its wood-paneled walls. READ MORE ->

Built in the 18th century, this baroque palace features opulent rooms, art, courtyards & gardens. -Google. German Baroque Gallery, as well as the collection of the Karl and Magdalene Haberstock Foundation, the Graphic Collection, the Rococo Hall of 1767 and the State Gallery of Old Masters. The focus of the German Baroque Gallery is on the works of the Baroque painters working in Augsburg, u. a. Johann Georg Bergmüller, Johann Evangelist Holzer or Matthäus Günther. Together with paintings u. a. by Paulo Veronese, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Antonius van Dyck, Jacob Ruisdael and Lukas Cranach the Elder Ä. The city of Augsburg received in 1983 the entire estate of the Augsburg-born art dealer Karl Haberstock (1878-1956) and his wife Magdalene († 1983). READ MORE ->

Romanesque/Gothic cathedral with square towers and renowned, 12th-century stained-glass windows. -Google. The oldest elements at Augsburg’s majestic cathedral are Romanesque and date to the 1000s, but the overriding style is Late Gothic from the 14th century. This is what confronts you at the southern portal, which is rich in sculpture carved around 1356. The central column and tympanum has scenes from the Life of Mary, while the jambs and archivolts tell the stories of the apostles. The northern portal from 1343 is just as decorative and depicts episodes from the Life of Jesus. This is just for starters, at a church blessed with a wealth of art. On the nave pillars are paintings by Hans Holbein the Elder, while medieval stained glass abounds, the oldest of which are high in the southern clerestory and were crafted at the end of the 11th century. READ MORE ->

Landmark 70m-tall tower with a carillon, an onion dome & 261 steps to a panoramic viewing gallery. -Google. The 70-meter-tall Perlachturm is a tower of the church of St. Peter am Perlach. The existing Renaissance structure was built in the 1610s by Elias Holl, who also designed the neighboring Town Hall. READ MORE ->

Nestled in the south of Germany on the banks of the Lech River is the wonderful town of Friedberg (Bayern). Within the state of Bavaria but locally recognized as being part of Swabia, it is a region of noticeable individualism and great regional pride. Growing from humble beginnings in the 13th century as a toll bridge over the fast-flowing river, it soon found itself in a much-wanted location. The main streets in Friedberg are lined with majestic 17th and 18th-century houses showing the historical wealth of the area. READ MORE ->

The city gate. was built in 1425 as a gate to the east. It got its name because it points towards Bavaria and Landsberg used to be a border town between Bavaria and Swabia. It is the largest and most beautiful gate in the late Gothic style in southern Germany.

Schongau (Upper Bavaria) is on the Lech, 710 m above sea level, on a hill which was surrounded in the old days of Lech, near the old Roman road to Augsburg, the 'Via Claudia Augusta' (47 AD) . Schongau has an old wall around the center, which is in very good shape. Ancient evidence of sights: the Roman basilica in Old City (the old Schongau), the ballroom, the Mint, the Maxtor and the well-preserved city walls with towers and battlements.. Schongau is because of the famous churches, monasteries and shrines in his immediate environment at the heart of the 'Pfaff angle. It may be mentioned a few places: meadows, stone Gaden Rottenbuch. Favored by its location in the middle of a varied natural and cultural landscape of the city is a starting point for excursions to the nearby Allgäuer and Werdenfelser mountains. The Royal Castles of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof are available in half-day trips as well as beautiful mountain lakes and admirable beauty of the Lechtal, shape the next bogs and alpine moraines the face of our environment. READ MORE ->

The UNESCO World Heritage Site. 18th-century oval church with well-preserved frescoes, stuccowork & a trompe l'oeil ceiling. -Google. The famous 'Pilgrimage Church of the Scourged Saviour' in Steingaden is one of the most famous rococo churches in the world. There is a figure of the flagellated Christ in the centre of this church. On 14 June 1738, a peasant named Maria Lory saw tears in the eyes of the statue of Christ at the whipping post. This miracle prompted a pilgrimage to the Scourged Saviour in Wies near Steingaden, and as the numbers of visitors grew, Dominikus Zimmermann built a remarkable place of worship between 1745 and 1754. READ MORE ->

New Gothic style castle, summer residence of King Ludwig II, with ornately furnished state rooms. -Google. The ruined castle Schwanstein was rebuilt in the Gothic Revival style by Crown Prince Maximilian of Bavaria. Here King Ludwig II not only spent his youth, but this castle also served him as a summer residence until his death in 1886

Despite its medieval look, it was built in the 19th century, and it served no defensive purposes. King Ludwig II's Neuschwanstein Castle (neuschwanstein.de) is perhaps best known as the inspiration for Disney's Cinderella's Castle. Ludwig ascended to Bavaria's throne in 1864, the year he turned 18, but after Prussia conquered Bavaria in 1866, Ludwig's kingship became a strictly token office carrying no substantial authority. Ludwig drew inspiration for Neuschwanstein from Hohenschwangau Castle, his childhood home. The name Ludwig chose for his castle was New Hohenschwangau, and he selected a site upon the Jugend, a mountain ridge overlooking the Pollat Gorge, for its construction. Bavarian authorities renamed the castle Neuschwanstein after Ludwig's death. READ MORE ->

Fussen is known for its violin-making industry, boasting a 700-year-old history . Beautiful mountain peaks and freshwater lakes, offering easy access to the famed Neuschwanstein castle that inspired Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle. Located at the southern end of the 'Romantic Road' – is one of the most impressive Bavarian holiday regions. READ MORE ->