Thursday 25th July 2019
We hadn’t realised before we reached Augsburg the other day, that we were on the Romantic Road or Romantisch Straße, as it is signposted in Germany.
After a little research on the wonder web we had learned more about this scenic/theme/tourist route. Unbeknown to us we had actually been quite close when we were visiting Oberammergau & Linderhof Palace last year as well as when we passed the hilltop castle of Harburg on Wednesday!
The route had been developed post war to encourage tourism back to the Bavarian countryside and along its 350 kilometres are some beautifully preserved picturesque medieval towns, fairy tale castles, spectacular scenery and oodles of German history and culture to explore and enjoy.
The town of Dinkelsbühl was about an hours’ drive from our base and we decided to follow all the signs for the Romantic Road to our destination. Despite one road block and an alternative road we had to follow, we enjoyed the drive through the gorgeous countryside and many small villages. The old part of the town of Feuchtwangen looked particularly lovely but we were unable to find a parking spot and had to continue on our journey.
On arriving at Dinkelsbühl we parked north of the town, only a 5 minute walk from Rothenburger Tor leading directly onto Dr Martin Luther Straße and Weinmarkt.
Very much akin to a quintessential English rural village.
We wandered around the west wall and in and out of the many cobbled streets hunting for shade, as the temperatures were approaching 38°, as it was across much of Europe today!
Much of the town has retained its medieval appearance and it’s like stepping back in time, despite many of the buildings being adapted for life in the 21st century.
There are enchanting coloured semi-timbered houses, as well as an impressive Gothic Minster, towers and gates and in the popular area of Weinmarkt, the Deutsches Haus, and an impressive house which was built in the 1400s.
Despite its popularity we didn’t find the old town busy or overwhelming and although there was the normal array of shops catering for visitors, everything was in moderation and didn’t spoil what was a delightful preserved picture-perfect Bavarian town.
On the way back to camp Ray saw a road sign and couldn’t resist a small diversion to visit the town itself.
It wasn’t at all as scary as it sounded.
If ever there was the German equivalent of a wild west ‘one horse town’, then this is it! 🙂