Marienbrucke Viewpoint (Neuschwanstein)
Germanyhistory

Romantic Road

Half-timbered villages, walled medieval towns, and Bavarian beer all the way to Neuschwanstein

Distance
207 mi
333 km
Driving
4 hr 36 min
excl. stops
Suggested
5 days
balanced split
Stops
6
curated

Distance and driving time are measured along the mapped route through the 6 stops listed below. Officially signed versions of famous routes often quote a longer figure, since they include promoted detours this line doesn't take.

Marienbrucke Viewpoint (Neuschwanstein) · Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Opens the planner with every stop loaded. Free, no card needed.

Day by day

Distances are measured along the actual road geometry, not straight-line. Drive times exclude stops, traffic and ferry waits.

What the drive is like

It's split between the B25, the B17 and the A7, with no single road carrying more than 32% of it.

There's real climbing in this one: the road gets up to roughly 948 m near Neuschwanstein, with something like 1,210 m of ascent over the whole drive.

The bigger places on the way are Marktbreit, Feuchtwangen, Harburg and Gersthofen, handy for fuel and food between the stops.

The Fern Pass is 22 km off the route if you have time for a detour.

  • B2532%
  • B1728%
  • A722%

How high it goes

~948 m near NeuschwansteinWürzburgNeuschwanstein · 331 km
Height above sea level along the driving route, measured at about 50 points. Total climb roughly 1,210 m.

Passes and famous roads

From the 500-plus roads drivers collect in the Plan Your Road Trips app.

Mountain pass · 22 km off the route

Fern Pass

Summit
1,212 m summit

Before you go

Best time to drive it

May to October

Open all year. Spring and early autumn are quieter in Rothenburg and at Neuschwanstein; December brings the Christmas markets.

Indicative costs

  • Fuel (40 mpg petrol)€42
  • TollsFree

Fuel prices move constantly: treat these as a range, not a quote.

Driving rules

Emission zones, mandatory equipment and licence requirements change country by country, and in 2026 several of them changed mid-year.

Driving in Germany

Every stop on the Romantic Road

  1. Würzburg

    Start

  2. Rothenburg ob der Tauber

    +66 km from the last stop

  3. Dinkelsbühl

    +46 km from the last stop

  4. Augsburg

    +105 km from the last stop

  5. Wieskirche

    +87 km from the last stop

  6. Neuschwanstein

    +27 km from the last stop

Worth a detour

Curated places within 25 km of the road.

Show 6 more

  • Romantic Road (Romantische Straße)

    historic highway

    A 460-kilometer route through Bavaria from Würzburg to Füssen passing medieval towns, castles, and Neuschwanstein.

  • Neuschwanstein Castle

    landmark

    Fairy-tale 19th-century Romanesque Revival castle built for King Ludwig II in the Bavarian Alps.

  • Garmisch-Partenkirchen

    scenic viewpoint

    A renowned winter sports and mountaineering hub at the foot of the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak.

  • Zugspitze

    scenic viewpoint

    At 2,962 metres, the highest peak in Germany offers panoramic views across four countries from its summit platform.

  • Hohenschwangau Castle

    castle

    The yellow neo-Gothic castle where Ludwig II grew up, facing Neuschwanstein across the Alpine lakes of the Allgäu.

  • Andechs Monastery

    landmark

    A hilltop Benedictine monastery above the Ammersee famous for its potent monk-brewed beer and pilgrimage church.

Common questions about the Romantic Road

How long does the Romantic Road take?

The driving itself is about 4 hr 36 min across 207 miles (333 km). Most people spread it over 5 days: the day-by-day breakdown on this page splits it into balanced stretches rather than equal ones, so no single day is all driving.

How many miles is the Romantic Road?

207 miles, or 333 km, measured along the actual road rather than straight-line between towns.

When is the best time to drive the Romantic Road?

May to October. Open all year. Spring and early autumn are quieter in Rothenburg and at Neuschwanstein; December brings the Christmas markets.

What does the Romantic Road cost in fuel?

Roughly €42 in fuel for a petrol car averaging 40 mpg. Motorways on this route are toll-free. Indicative only: fuel prices move.

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