Travel to Germany : Discover Germany’s Romantic Road

Travel to Germany: Germany's Romantic Road celebrates 60 years

Discover Germany’s Romantic Road

January 25, 2010

The 'Romantic Road', the oldest holiday route in Germany, will be celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2010. The official launch of the Romantic Road's 60th birthday celebrations will be held in Rothenburg ob der Tauber on 7th and 8th May, 2010.

Barely 400 kilometres long, the road between Würzburg in Franconia and Füssen in the Allgäu, has long established itself as a symbol of holidays in Germany. The idea has been taken up all over the world. In 2010, 60th anniversary celebrations run from spring through to autumn, with a whole series of events, nostalgic products and activities, anniversary menus, and souvenir certificates for visitors.

The Würzburg ‘Residenz’ palace

Featuring an artistic, cultural and gastronomic journey, a road of festival plays, a road for the connoisseur, an activity and event trail, it is excitingly poised between tradition and trend. People come by car, by bike, by bus or on foot. They come on excursions, weekend trips, short holidays, or on the track of something special.

They come to experience a series of snapshots of 3,000 years of German and European history in 27 towns between the river Main and the Alps, the dreamlike castles of the fairy-tale king in Schwangau and the baroque splendour of the Würzburg ‘Residenz’ palace.

Vineyards on the river Main, charming river landscapes of the Tauber and the Wörnitz, the Danube and the Lech, the watershed in the Frankenhöhe natural park, the meteor crater of the Ries around Nördlingen, the prealpine end moraines and the Zugspitze mountain, the "Top of Germany" – all these things are there to enchant nature lovers and active sporting hobbyists, as well as those who just come for a quiet break.

For the anniversary, a bus from the 1960s will find its way centre stage – the S14 is a classic that was in service along the Romantic Road decades ago. Its re-appearance on this anniversary will revive memories of "the good old days" of stress-free travel. Trips along the Romantic Road in this nostalgic bus will be on offer at the beginning of the season in June and again at the end in October. It will give those taking part an exceptional experience of the individual towns and villages along the route.

Hiking on the Romantic Road

There will be plenty for lovers of historic trains to enjoy from as early as the end of March. On every 4th Sunday until the end of October, steam locomotives and historic trains will run along the ‘Romantic Rails’ between Nördlingen and Feuchtwangen.

Another highlight of the year will be the ‘Choral Festival of the Romantic Road’. On 4th July 2010, choirs from all 28 towns and villages along the route will present choral music in Feuchtwangen, the home of the Singers' Museum curated by the German Singers' Association, and will end the proceedings by singing together on the market place with choral legend Gotthilf Fischer.

The Grand Finale of the anniversary year will be held on 10th October, 2010 in Bad Mergentheim. In the famous spa on Germany's best-known and best-loved theme route, the region's fine wines will be the focus. Visitors will be able to wind down the 2010 season as they enjoy regional specialities. The Romantic Road is, after all, Germany's number one gastro-trail, leading from the wines of Franconia to the beers of Bavaria.