Bavaria & the Romantic Road

Beer halls, Alpine castles, walled towns

7 days through Munich, Füssen, Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

Bavaria & the Romantic Road is a 7-day curated route with 3 destinations and 30 places to eat, see, and do. Preview stops and timing, then plan it in TripsCircle.

1
Destination 01
Munich
10 places

Bavarian capital; stay 3 nights for museums, palaces and beer gardens.
- Photo: _bill theo · Google
  Marienplatz and Neues Rathaus
  Main square with a Glockenspiel that chimes at 11am and noon.
  Tip Climb St. Peter's tower for the view.
  SeeAltstadtFree45 min11am
- Photo: Bayreuth2009 · CC BY 3.0
  Munich Residenz
  Former royal palace with 130 rooms, the Antiquarium and the Treasury.
  SeeAltstadt$$2.5 hrMorning
- Photo: Photo: Andreas Praefcke · CC BY 3.0
  Alte Pinakothek
  Old Masters gallery with Dürer, Rubens and Rembrandt.
  Tip Sunday entry is reduced.
  SeeMaxvorstadt$$2 hrMorning
- Photo: Original: Richard Bartz, Munich aka Makro Freak Derivative work: Crassic · CC BY-SA 2.5
  Nymphenburg Palace
  Baroque summer palace with large formal gardens and pavilions.
  SeeNymphenburg$$2.5 hrAfternoon
- Photo: Burkhard Mücke · CC BY-SA 4.0
  Deutsches Museum
  Large science and technology museum on an island in the Isar.
  SeeIsarvorstadt$$3 hrRainy day
- Photo: Carsten Steger · CC BY-SA 4.0
  Englischer Garten
  Huge city park with river surfers at the Eisbach wave and the Chinese Tower beer garden.
  OutdoorsSchwabingFree2 hrAfternoon
- Photo: Maximilian Dörrbecker (Chumwa) · CC BY-SA 2.0
  Viktualienmarkt
  Open-air food market with sausage stands and a beer garden.
  EatAltstadt$60 minLunch
- Photo: Weisses Bräuhaus im Tal · Google
  Schneider Bräuhaus
  Wheat beer hall serving Bavarian classics like Weisswurst.
  Tip Order Weisswurst before noon.
  EatAltstadt$$1.5 hrLunch
- Photo: Alexander Sand Halvorsen · Google
  Hofbräuhaus
  Historic beer hall with brass bands and long tables.
  DrinkAltstadt$$1.5 hrEvening
- Photo: Takeaway · CC BY-SA 3.0
  Augustiner-Keller
  Chestnut-shaded beer garden serving Augustiner from wooden barrels.
  DrinkMaxvorstadt$$2 hrSummer evening
2
Destination 02
Füssen
10 places

Alpine town near the royal castles; 2 nights.
- Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
  Neuschwanstein Castle
  King Ludwig II's fairy-tale castle on a crag above the Pöllat gorge.
  Tip Book timed tours ahead; tickets are collected in Hohenschwangau.
  SeeSchwangau$$3 hrMorning
- Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
  Hohenschwangau Castle
  Yellow castle where Ludwig II grew up.
  SeeSchwangau$$60 minAfternoon
- Photo: Patrick Tan 11 · Google
  Marienbrücke
  Footbridge over the gorge with the classic view of Neuschwanstein.
  Tip Can close in winter or for repairs.
  SeeSchwangauFree30 minMorning
- Photo: Carsten Steger · CC BY-SA 4.0
  Alpsee
  Clear mountain lake below the castles with a lakeside loop path.
  OutdoorsSchwangauFree1.5 hrAfternoon
- Photo: Tegelbergbahn · Google
  Tegelberg Cable Car
  Cable car to 1,720m for views and Alpine hiking.
  DoSchwangau$$2 hrClear day
- Photo: Jonathan Letzter · Google
  Hohes Schloss Füssen
  Late Gothic castle with painted walls and a gallery.
  SeeAltstadt$60 minMorning
- Photo: Kirill Alekseev · Google
  Wieskirche
  UNESCO-listed Rococo pilgrimage church in meadows.
  SeeSteingadenFree45 minMorning
- Photo: Gasthof Krone · Google
  Gasthof Krone
  Medieval-themed tavern with Bavarian dishes and a courtyard.
  EatAltstadt$$1.5 hrDinner
- Photo: Restaurant Madame Plüsch · Google
  Madame Plüsch
  Old-town restaurant serving Allgäu specialties like Käsespätzle.
  EatAltstadt$$1.5 hrDinner
- Photo: MA A · Google
  Gasthof Weizenbrauerei Woaze
  Brewpub serving house-brewed wheat beer.
  DrinkAltstadt$$75 minEvening
3
Destination 03
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
10 places

Walled medieval town; 2 nights.
- Photo: Mister No · Google
  Town Walls
  Covered walkway along the medieval walls.
  DoAltstadtFree60 minMorning
- Photo: Dan Omura · Google
  Plönlein
  Fork in the street framed by towers and timber houses.
  SeeAltstadtFree20 minEarly morning
- Photo: Lisa Flynn · Google
  Night Watchman Tour
  Evening walking tour with medieval stories and humor.
  DoMarktplatz$60 minEvening
- Photo: Mittelalterliches Kriminalmuseum · Google
  Medieval Crime Museum
  Museum of law and punishment in the Middle Ages.
  SeeAltstadt$75 minAfternoon
- Photo: Seimen Burum · Google
  St. Jakob's Church
  Gothic church holding Riemenschneider's Holy Blood Altar.
  SeeAltstadt$45 minMorning
- Photo: Nemanja ßibinkic · Google
  Burggarten
  Castle garden on a spur above the Tauber valley.
  OutdoorsAltstadtFree45 minSunset
- Photo: Mylius · CC BY-SA 3.0
  Dinkelsbühl
  Walled town south on the Romantic Road, less busy.
  SeeDinkelsbühlFree2.5 hrMorning
- Photo: Robert Messer-Peti · Google
  Reichsküchenmeister
  Hotel restaurant near St. Jakob serving Franconian roasts and dumplings.
  EatAltstadt$$1.5 hrLunch
- Photo: Hotel-Gasthof Goldener Greifen · Google
  Gasthof Goldener Greifen
  Franconian cooking in a 14th-century inn.
  EatAltstadt$$1.5 hrDinner
- Photo: sunghyun woo · Google
  Zur Höll
  Wine tavern in one of the town's oldest buildings with Franconian wines.
  Tip Evening only; book.
  DrinkAltstadt$$1.5 hrEvening

The moments that shape this trip.

01Marienplatz
02Englischer Garten
03Neuschwanstein Castle
04Marienbrücke
05Plönlein
06Rothenburg town walls

Planning Bavaria & the Romantic Road.

Spend three days in Munich between Marienplatz, the Residenz and beer gardens like the Augustiner-Keller. Drive south to Füssen at the foot of the Alps for Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau and a swim in the Alpsee. Then follow the Romantic Road north through Wieskirche and Dinkelsbühl to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Walk its intact walls, stand at the Plönlein and join the evening Night Watchman tour.

Good for First-time visitors to Germany who want city culture, Alpine scenery and medieval towns.

When to go

May to October is best for beer gardens and Alpine walks; Oktoberfest fills Munich from late September. December brings Christmas markets to all three stops.

Getting around

Trains link Munich to Füssen in about 2 hours, but a hire car makes the Romantic Road far easier. The Romantic Road coach runs in summer if you prefer not to drive.

Tips for your crew

Neuschwanstein tours are timed and sell out; book on the official ticket site well ahead.
Many Bavarian restaurants close one weekday; check before driving to a village for dinner.
Stay overnight in Rothenburg to see it after day-trippers leave.

Bavaria & the Romantic Road

7 days through Munich, Füssen, Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

Munich

Marienplatz and Neues Rathaus

Munich Residenz

Alte Pinakothek

Nymphenburg Palace

Deutsches Museum

Englischer Garten

Viktualienmarkt

Schneider Bräuhaus

Hofbräuhaus

Augustiner-Keller

Füssen

Neuschwanstein Castle

Hohenschwangau Castle

Marienbrücke

Alpsee

Tegelberg Cable Car

Hohes Schloss Füssen

Wieskirche

Gasthof Krone

Madame Plüsch

Gasthof Weizenbrauerei Woaze

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Town Walls

Plönlein

Night Watchman Tour

Medieval Crime Museum

St. Jakob's Church

Burggarten

Dinkelsbühl

Reichsküchenmeister

Gasthof Goldener Greifen

Zur Höll

The moments that shape this trip.

Planning Bavaria & the Romantic Road.

When to go

Getting around

Tips for your crew

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