Surrender your hopeless heart to the Romantic Road

Published on by 100cobbledroads

Fall in love with Germany’s countryside…

The first time I heard of the Romantic Road was from an elderly neighbour, whose dreamy expression convinced me that if the road had that name, it couldn’t be anything but extraordinary. A year later, we were cruising along 500km of mind-numbing greenness from Würzburg on the northern end down to Füssen and Schwangau, towards its chimerical climax, Neuschwanstein Castle, at the southern end, at the foot of the Alps, to check it out for ourselves. On this medieval trade route of the yesteryears, now one of the most spectacular drives in the world…we were neck-deep in all possible earthly glory. The Romantic Road was weaving us through miles of the most stunning Bavarian countryside, where delightful towns and picturesque villages dotting the surreal landscape, and we were just staring. Speechless. 

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The vistas are not unusual, but lose yourself unconditionally to the lush environs and every microsecond becomes a dream. You cruise past manicured meadows dotted with grazing cows sporting delightful bells round their necks. You glide through little villages with steep roofed houses clustered at the foot of gentle hill mounds. You ply through tunnels in the Alpine foothills, and bridges over valleys of evergreens. The tall conical green trees seem to close in on a narrow winding road, and suddenly the vast open green carpets stretch out endlessly on either side. The crisp outline of the grey road sharply divides the two greens, edged by old-fashioned rustic wooden fences. The sun washes the hills behind the graceful ebb and flow of the deep green landscape. Clouds floats softly on the mountain tops and little shallow rivulets tinkles over pebbles.

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Along the many hiking, walking, and biking trails, one sees people exploring the area more closely, becoming one with nature. For the longest times, the roads are empty, until a tractor comes chugging along. And then, out of nowhere, an Audi, or a Porsche tears past at over 200 km/hr. Are you moving at all? You pass completely walled towns with arched gateways and towers. Inside the walls, you steal glimpses of gothic churches, beautiful historic buildings and ornate wooden chalet-style houses with flower boxes overflowing with red geraniums.  

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Yes, its probably a dream. Pinch yourself. Ouch! Still seems like a dream. Specially when you halt at the storybook village of Oberammaragau, home to just 3000 people. This fairytale hamlet is pinned on the map for several reasons…the Passion Plays held every 10 years, the local wood figurine crafts and the traditional frescoes on the walls of its houses (called Lüftlmalerei in German). Gawp at the houses. Try to decipher the tales that their walls narrate. Some are biblical, others are painted to look like mansions. Pick your favorite. I was fascinated with those having the Brothers Grimm fairytales…Marie Mattfeld’s Hansel and Gretel house and Little Red Riding Hood.

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Stop by the Hafner Stub Hotel just to admire the pretty picture it makes with geraniums spilling from its wooden balconies and windows, as does the Heinzeller shop, famed for its wood carvings souvenirs, where vibrant wall frescoes filled every inch of its gorgeous exterior. Revel in the friendly, folksy atmosphere and blend in with the scene. The curious metal fountain in the main square, the little hotel names painted in gothic fonts, the bunches of flowers hanging from lampposts, the miniature tourist train that chugs along, laid back charm of the outdoor cafes, Alpine houses with carved balconies…its all so perfect, its almost unreal.

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As you drive out of the parking lot, let your eyes trail along the little stream flowing through under a wooden fence bridge and the onion dome of the church half hidden by the painted houses at the foothills of the Alps under that brilliant blue sky. And tell me you’re not head-over-heels in love!

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111 thoughts on “Surrender your hopeless heart to the Romantic Road”

  1. Looks like quite a lovely drive! Oberammaragau looks fantastic – I do love the fairy tale feeling of it all 🙂 The murals on the buildings are so very cool – I hope to see them someday!

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  4. What an incredible experience and the pictures to match!! It looks like a fairy tale and it’s so cool you got to go there after hearing about it from that lady. I hope one day we make it there too.

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  5. I too have heard the rumours of the beauty of the Romantic Road and it seems from your story they must be true. Beautifully written piece and some great pictures in here. I definitely want to go now.

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  7. This is such a romantic drive and the landscapes are something to die for. The beautiful pictures brought make wonderful memories of Switzerland. The villages are so picturesque as if they have come alive from a fairytale at the wave of a magic wand.

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  9. I would actually love to cycle that road! It’s funny for me to see this, because I have been in Berlin for 6 months but never saw anything else of Germany yet. A bit of a contrast, to say the least… 😉

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  10. We drove through these roads leading to Neuschwanstein Castle in 2011. I remember having stopped to take pictures, I do have some of the sceneries there but non eof these colorful facades. Yes Romantic Road, the name fits.

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  13. A friend and I drove this road some years ago. Besides Munich, for a bit, there are no large cities i Germany I would hang in–I would go for the smaller places and drives like this instead. Driving is slow, but easy, and we had a blast. Even though it’s hardly undiscovered, it’s not too crowded and fun to explore.

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  15. Germany is such a fantastic destination! The Romantic road with its castles and beauty will take your breath away and it’s so easy to do. Great article. I hope it encourages more people to drive it.

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  16. The Romantic Road has such a lovely name. Who wouldn’t want to take a journey along the Romantic Road? Especially with such beautiful scenery along the way.

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  18. Beautiful scenery almost everywhere, I don’t know why but this road bring me to a famous cartoon Heidi, Girld of the Alps; anyway your pictures are real uhauhahau 😀 I also love this kind of architecture, pretty popular in Germany; nice post, congrats 😀

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  20. Amazing! On my recent visit to Munich, I went to see the Neuschwanstein Palace. I agree that this area of Bavaria, Germany seems unreal. Something is so romantic, magical and charming! The perfect name indeed for the route.

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  23. We are heading to Germany next week, but unfortunately we won’t be making this drive. I wish we were though because it looks fantastic with some amazing scenery! I love the flowers at the Hafner Stub Hotel–so pretty!

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  24. I’ve been to this area a couple of times when I was living in Germany and without a doubt it is spectacular. The leaves when they change colour in Autumn is my favourite time of the year in Germany. Have also hikes up to Neuschwanstein castle so got some amazing views of the entire region from the top.

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  26. The plac and the green hills reminds of the scene from The Sound of Music. Having these wide spaces rish in green grass, i doubt if kids will still choose the iPad to play with or play soccer with the boys.

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  27. This looks like right out of a fairytale. And the romantic road is aptly named. Which season did you do this trip? Those houses with fairytale depictions are so cool. I loved the Red riding hood one.

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  31. I had no idea that there is such a place called the Romantic road, with so beautiful scenery. I love the houses from the Oberammaragau village, it does look like taken from a Grimm brothers story. I love the cute balconies decorated with those beautiful flowers. Such a pretty place!

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  34. I am sold! Looks like the best 500 kms you had on the road, right? These pictures speak for themselves. I love long winding roads and vast green farms in the countryside so I can tell that I will surely like the romantic road and fall in love with it 🙂

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  37. Consider my heart surrendered! The villages and fields of green are so beautiful. I can imagine just sitting among the lush greenery reading a book in the sun, eating pastries and going for a walk around the town once I was done. Thanks for sharing!

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  38. I have heard so much about the beauty of this place. From this post and the beautiful pictures i see, I would definitely love to visit sometime soon.

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  40. Very nice post, I loved the photos! German villages are great, I like them even more than the big cities! Those little wooden houses are just gorgeous! I didn’t get to visit all these places, but I did spend a few hours in Füssen and found it fascinating, so many good memories!

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  41. It really does sound wonderfully idyllic and you have a fabulous way of evoking a real sense of the place. The Hafner Stub Hotel seems particularly delightful while the countryside looks incredible, particularly in that evening light. A beautiful part of the world even more beautifully described. As always, a great post.

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  46. There’s nothing like a pleasant drive filled with greenery and, for a town of only 3000, Oberammaragau sure does swing a colorful punch with all the beautifully decorated buildings!

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