Romantic Road - Germany

Jun 15

Medieval Magic of Dinkelsbühl - Schwaigern, West Germany to Dinkelsbühl, West Germany

Our day began with one of Oma's legendary breakfasts—the kind that fortifies both body and spirit for adventure. True to her nurturing nature, she pressed leftover meats and rolls into our hands, declaring with characteristic German practicality that we wouldn't need to stop at any butcher or baker along the way. By 10:00 a.m., we were rolling through the German countryside, our route a perfect blend of efficient autobahn travel and scenic country roads that gradually revealed the pastoral beauty of Bavaria.

As we approached Dinkelsbühl, the landscape began to whisper promises of medieval magic. First mentioned as 'burgus Tinkelspuhel' in official documents in 1188, this former Imperial Town lies in the valley of the river Wörnitz, with its town wall almost completely preserved and its towers and gates surrounding one of the best preserved medieval towns in Germany. The sight of those ancient walls rising from the Wörnitz Valley was nothing short of breathtaking—a complete medieval townscape that art historians celebrate as having maintained its 400-year-old character virtually unchanged.

Our initial walking tour revealed Dinkelsbühl's remarkable secret: unlike many tourist destinations that feel artificially preserved, this town pulses with authentic medieval life. Standing at the junction of two very important trade routes—the north-south Germany-Italy route and the route from the Rhine towns through to Eastern Europe, the town became an Imperial free city and started work on the fortifications which still surround the historic centre in the 13th century. Every narrow lane and half-timbered house tells the story of merchants and guilds who built their wealth on weaving and cloth manufacturing, their prosperity frozen in stone and timber for future generations to marvel at.

The outdoor café where we paused for lunch provided the perfect vantage point to absorb the town's unhurried rhythm. John's Balkenteller—a succulent pork chop swimming in gravy dotted with green peppers—represented hearty Franconian cooking at its finest, while Ann's roast beef with horseradish gravy delivered the kind of robust flavors that have sustained travelers along these ancient trade routes for centuries. As we savored our meal, the Gothic spires of St. George's Minster dominated the skyline, one of southern Germany's most impressive hall churches, its late-Gothic architecture a testament to the town's medieval prosperity.

Our afternoon wanderings took us deeper into Dinkelsbühl's maze of perfectly preserved streets. The complete medieval town wall with 16 towers, bastions, and four gates, surrounded by old trees, ponds, and orchards, creates an almost mystical atmosphere that photographers and artists have been trying to capture since Munich and Berlin artists discovered this "idyllic little town" in 1888. The town's remarkable survival through both world wars without damage has left us with what historians consider "one of the best preserved late medieval townscapes in Germany."

At 3:00 p.m., we checked into our campground just a few kilometers away, settling in for what we hoped would be a peaceful evening. However, our day held one more adventure. As evening shadows lengthened, we returned to town for a guided tour conducted entirely in German—thankfully, John's translation skills ensured we didn't miss the fascinating stories of guilds, religious conflicts, and medieval daily life that echo through these ancient streets.

The highlight came when we encountered Dinkelsbühl's famous nightwatchman making his traditional rounds—a living connection to centuries of civic duty and community protection. As we followed his lamp-lit path through the cobblestone streets, history felt tangible, immediate, alive.

Rain began falling as we sought shelter in a traditional gasthaus, where local beer and warm conversations with fellow travelers extended our evening until 11:10 p.m. Our return to the campsite presented an unexpected final chapter: locked gates that forced us to spend the night sleeping in our vehicle in the parking lot, an adventure that somehow felt perfectly in keeping with the medieval spirit of unexpected journeys and roadside accommodations.

Jun 16

From Medieval Perfection to Tourist Mecca - Dinkelsbühl, West Germany to Schwaigern, West Germany

Dawn brought both relief and renewed energy as we gained access to the campsite facilities and prepared for our continued journey north along the renowned Romantische Straße. A final morning walk through Dinkelsbühl's awakening streets, accompanied by fresh pastries from a local baker, provided one last intimate moment with this perfectly preserved medieval gem before we pointed our car toward Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

The drive north revealed why tourism officials chose to brand this particular route as the "Romantic Road." This "theme route" devised by promotion-minded travel agents in the 1950s describes the 460 kilometres (290 miles) of surface roads between Würzburg and Füssen in southern Germany, linking a number of picturesque towns and castles. Though modern in conception, the route follows ancient pathways that connected medieval trade centers, creating a journey through both landscape and history.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber announced itself long before we saw its walls. The tourist buses, the proliferation of road signs, and the unmistakable energy of mass tourism signaled our approach to Germany's most famous medieval destination. Rothenburg is well known for its well-preserved medieval old town, a destination for tourists from around the world, and is today one of only four towns in Germany that still have completely intact city walls. In the Middle Ages, when Berlin and Munich were just wide spots in the road, Rothenburg was Germany's second-largest city, with a population of 6,000.

Our first impression confirmed both the town's extraordinary beauty and its transformation into what some critics describe as a "medieval theme park." Unlike Dinkelsbühl's authentic quiet charm, Rothenburg pulsed with tourist energy—busloads of visitors, shops clearly designed for souvenir hunters, and yes, even a McDonald's that seemed to mock the medieval authenticity surrounding it. Yet beneath this commercial veneer lies genuine historical significance and architectural wonder that has captivated travelers for generations.

The town's famous marketplace and the photogenic Plönlein corner provided camera-worthy moments at every turn, but it was the human element that made Rothenburg memorable: a madrigal musician whose voice echoed off ancient stone walls, local artists working their crafts in workshops that might have housed their predecessors centuries ago, and shopkeepers who, despite serving thousands of tourists, maintained genuine pride in their town's heritage.

The name "Rothenburg ob der Tauber" is German for "Red castle above the Tauber", describing the town's location on a plateau overlooking the Tauber River. Walking these elevated streets, we could appreciate both the strategic military advantages that made this location desirable to medieval rulers and the dramatic vistas that continue to enchant modern visitors.

Our lunch stop in the small gasthaus in Rotansee provided a welcome respite from tourist crowds and returned us to the authentic flavors of Franconian cuisine. John's roladen—tender beef rolls stuffed with pickles and onions—and Ann's sauerbraten with its sweet-and-sour gravy represented German cooking at its most traditional and satisfying. This brief interlude reminded us that beyond the tourist attractions lay the real Germany, where food traditions continue unchanged and hospitality remains genuinely warm.

The afternoon drive back to Schwaigern concluded our Romantic Road adventure on a reflective note. After resting briefly, our evening barbecue at Kurt's house provided the perfect opportunity to process our experiences and share stories of medieval towns, ancient trade routes, and the delicate balance between preservation and tourism that defines modern Germany's relationship with its extraordinary past.