Are you on the lookout for some adventure on your next vacation? Well! a road trip to Germany can be a great idea. Germany’s Autobahn (automobile road) system provides easy accessibility to all the main cities in Germany, making it a perfect destination for road trips. Germany has many scenic routes with landscapes ranging from medieval castles and fortresses perched between forests to the breathtaking countryside with dreamy hamlets. Embark on a fascinating journey behind the wheel as you cross from sandy coasts to vineyards. Everything here is a treat for your eyes. Let us look at some scenic routes for your Germany road trips.
1) The Castle Route (Burgen Strasse)
The Castle Road, Germany’s oldest holiday route, extends for 750 miles between Mannheim’s Baroque palace and Prague Castle in the Czech Republic, taking you along seventy palaces, royal residences, and fortresses. Bavaria’s most majestic castles are between Bayreuth and Rothenburg ob der Tauber. The Castle Road passes through beautiful plateaus, picturesque villages, medieval towns, mountains, and valleys and some of the most beautiful cities in Germany. This route also offers natural beauty steeped in culture and history consisting of monuments dating back to the Roman Era. Enhance your travel experience in Castle Route by signing up for a ghost tour, visiting a magical Christmas market, attending a music festival, taking part in medieval feasts, or having an overnight stay in a castle.
2) The Black Forest Route (Scharzwald Hoch Strasse)
The Black Forest High Road is a sublime driving route that stretches for around 50 to 60 kilometers from Freudenstadt to Baden-Baden. This route will take you over the hills of the low mountains in southwestern Baden-Wurttemberg. The route is named the Black Forest route, as the road rises along with two mountain ranges, Schliffkopf and Kniebis. This famous Germany road trip has always been attracting hikers from all around Europe. Bounded by interesting towns such as Freiburg and Baden-Baden, the Black Forest Road has many cafes and also encounters vintage trail signboards from the 19th century. Black Forest Cherry Schnapps with Black Forest cake will tantalize your taste buds.
3) The Fairy Tale Route (Marchen Strasse)
Germany has a colorful history of fairy tales, from the Brothers Grimm to Little Red Riding Hood or Snow White. The Fairy Tale Route stretching 600 km will take you through an epic dreamlike journey. It starts from Hanau in Central Germany up to Bremen by the North Sea. Experience the magic as you visit Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in Sababurg, Rapunzel’s Castle at Trendelenburg, or get lost in the forests of Schwalm region, an inspiration for Little Red Riding Hood. En route, you can visit Hamelin and try the rat-shaped cookies that celebrate the Tale of the Pied Piper, The Four Musicians in Bremen, and Snow White’s hometown in Bad Wildungen. Here, you’ll find unspoiled landscapes and also get to visit the Schwalm Museum.
4) The Romantic Route (Romantische Strasse)
The Romantic Route, also known as the Middle Rhine Valley, is one of the best road trips in Germany, stretching 400 km across Bavaria and Wurttemberg regions from Cologne to Wiesbaden. Starting at Wurzburg through Rottenburg ob der Tauber to Augsburg, then heading towards Neuschwanstein Castle to Fussen, the highlights along this route include the Wieskirche Church, Harburg Castle, Neuschwanstein Castle, and Hohenschwangau Castle. The Romantic Route was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2002 for its unique historical, cultural, and geological features, with folklorish castles, romantic vineyards, and charming old towns that retain the historic feel.
5) The Wine Route (Wein Strasse)
Germany is home to some of Europe’s best vineyards. The 85-km long Wine Route will take you to some of those fantastic wine barrels and wineries. The road runs from Schweigen Rechtenbach, a town on the French-German border to the Palatinate wine region Bochenheim. Savor excellent views of the panoramic landscapes of sprawling vineyards as you embark on a cable car in Koblenz or see the biggest wine barrel in Bad Durkheim. This region offers multiple activities for all ages, including attending festivals, eating delicious Rhineland Palatinate cuisine, tasting wine, trekking on wine trails by foot or bicycle, visiting cathedrals, and exploring forests. Germany is the second largest region of wine production, and several local towns have become tremendously wealthy as a result of the high-quality wines they produce.
6) The Alpine Route (Alpen Strasse)
This scenic route starts in Lindau, on the shores of Lake Constance, and continues 450 km from the Bavarian Alps and Schonau at Koningsee, a lake near the German Austrian border near Salzburg. En route, enjoy impressive views of fir and snow-covered peaks, lush Alpine meadows, astonishing passes, majestic forests, romantic valleys, historic castles, crystalline lakes, and incredible ski resorts. The popular points of interest in this route are Fussen, Bad Hindelang, Garmisch Partenkirchen (a ski resort in Bavaria), Oberammergau, Tegernsee (a luxury spa town frequented by celebrities), Bad Tolz, Lake Konigsee, and Walchensee (one of the deepest and largest of all alpine lakes in the country). You can take a detour to the picturesque Mainau islands. Take a look at this guide to visiting Insel Mainau The Flower Island of Lake Constance to know more about this beautiful destination.
7) The Volcano Route (Vulkan Strasse)
The Volcano route takes you from Bonn (East German capital) via 280 km of Europe’s volcanic terrain. The volcanic trail starts from River Rhine up to the Eifel mountains. You will pass through 350 dormant volcanoes and landscapes carved from lava, including the Andernach Geyser and Lacher See Caldera Lake. Don’t miss the High Cathedral and the Emperor’s Palace at Trier. En route to the impressive lakes, geysers, craters, and geological wonders, there are small towns where you can stop for an afternoon beer.
8) The Limes Route (Limes Strasse)
The Limes Route is all about ancient fortifications. Stretching about 700 km, the German Limes Route is a very scenic drive, with nine hundred guard posts and 120 sites from Rheinbrohl on River Rhine to Passau on the River Danube. Driving along the Limes Route, travelers can immerse themselves in traces of the Roman past amongst forts, legion lamps, Roman baths, border rampant, outstanding museums, and watchtowers. At Pohl, a tower was rebuilt, providing insights into the everyday life of troops on the frontier. Visitors can enter barrack rooms, try on armor, and taste Roman-style food in the cafe.
Conclusion
The best time to enjoy a road trip in Germany is between July and September when the temperature ranges between 20to30degrees Celsius. If you are in the mood for road-tripping, head to this country. Meanwhile, do explore and learn about the famous places you should visit during your first road trip to Germany.