Lovely town of Rothenburg. Photo via Creative Commons: Berthold Werner

Bavarian beer, of course! Photo via Flickr:digitalmagicphotography

Tauber River Valley Romantic Road

Germany Bike Tours

Bike from Würzburg to Donauwörth

Germany’s famous Romantische Strasse covers some of Europe’s most beautiful and interesting trails where old-world charm and tradition run deep and well-preserved medieval towns line the route. Würzburg is the perfect starting point for this tour, known for its great Baroque architecture. Scenically situated along the Main River, Würzburg has one of the country’s greatest palaces and is the center of the Franconian wine region. Its 15th century Alte Mainbrücke (Germany’s 2nd oldest stone bridge) contains many religious statues of note.

Further on, the tour runs along a forest path through the Steinbach Valley and along the Aalbach River. Worth seeing in Dertingen is the beautiful Gothic fortress-church. In the romantic river town of Wertheim, the Tauber and Main Rivers meet. Wertheim is well-known for its castle, wine, and medieval town center. Bad Mergentheim is known for its lively Renaissance market place as well as the medieval castle Deutschordenschloss with the accompanying Baroque Castle Church whoso Rococo interior includes elaborate frescos.

One of the great highlights of this bicyle tour in Germany will be the picturesque town of Rothenburg, which is said to epitomize the Romanesque style. Discover the old town and Saint Jakob’s Church with its famous wooden altar made by Riemenschneider. This world famous medieval town (considered one of Europe’s best-preserved) is surrounded by amazingly intact 13th century city walls with numerous gates and towers, including the Markus Tower. Tour the town with the traditional night watchman, and don’t forget the great Franconian wines and beers!

Next is a ride through the idyllic Wörnitz Valley to the enchanting town of Dinkelsbühl, which is much like a fairytale land with its quaint cobblestone streets dotted with 16th century houses. The medieval city walls and towers date back to the 10th century. Nördlingen has Germany’s only fully conserved town wall to walk on, and you can enjoy a magnificent view from the 90m high bell tower of Saint George’s Church. The town is known mainly for the meteorite that landed here some 15 million years ago that left a crater (known as the Ries) at least half a mile in diameter. At last, the tour ends in Donauwörth, which lies at the mouth of the Wörnitz as it joins the Danube River. It has splendid imperial streets with impressive old buildings and a lovely town square.

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Where You’ll Stay

Good 2 star to 3 star hotels and inns. All rooms have private facilities

What’s Included

  • Hotel accommodations for 4 or 7 nights
  • Breakfasts
  • Luggage transportation
  • Route descriptions & maps
  • 7 speed bike with back pedal break or 21/24 speed bicycle with free wheel equipped with pannier
  • Guided tour with the night watchman in Rothenberg
  • Service hotline

What’s Not Included

  • Remaining meals
  • Bus transfers
  • Bicycle protection
  • Trip insurance

Tauber River Valley Romantic Road Map

TourBike
TypeSelf Guided
SkillEasy–Moderate
Length5–8 days
From€415 Rates
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Tour Dates

Arrival possible daily from April 9 to October 3, 2016

Skill Level

Easy to moderate self-guided hotel tour. Cycling distances range from 19 to 30 miles, with an average of 28 miles a day over 6 days. Routes are well marked, and consist of flat terrain with hills scattered throughout.

Day-To-Day Itinerary

Tauber River Valley Romantic Road Map

Day 1: Arrival in Würzburg
Day 2: Würzburg - Wertheim, 26 mi. (43 km)
Day 3: Wertheim – Bad Mergentheim, 29 mi. (49 km)
Day 4: Bad Mergentheim - Rothenburg, 33 mi. (53 km)
Day 5: Rothenburg – Dinkelsbühl,  36 mi. (60 km)
Day 6: Dinkelsbühl – Nördlingen, 23 mi. (37 km)
Day 7: Nördlingen – Donauwörth, 23 or 39 mi. (39 or 63 km)
Day 8: Departure from Donauwörth.

DAY 1: Würzburg
The starting point of your journey is the residence town of Würzburg. With its splendid buildings, including the residence and fortress Marienburg, the town became world-famous. There lived great artists such as: Balthasar Neumann, Tilman Riemenschneider and Tiepolo. Enjoy the charm of this town that lies among vineyards at the Main-riverside, and experience the romantic wine rooms. Your overnight stay is in Würzburg.

DAY 2: Würzburg - Wertheim, approx. 26 mi. (43 km)
Today you'll leave Würzburg on a woody path through the Steinbach Valley, and cycle through small villages and along the picturesque Aalbach. Near Bettingen, you'll finally reach the Main. Definitely worth seeing is the Gothic fortress-church with the Saint Mary's altar at Dertingen. Now there are only a few kilometers left until Wertheim. This small town between Spessert and Odenwald is located picturesquely at the mouth of the Tauber as it runs into the Main. The beautiful castle ruin made of striking red sandstone lies high above the old city. In the evening, enjoy the romantic atmosphere of this Gothic town. Overnight stay is in Wertheim.

DAY 3: Wertheim - Bad Mergentheim, approx. 29 mi. (49 km)
Today you'll leave the Main and bike further on through the Tauber valley. You will have both pure nature and art-historical sights of a thousand year-old history. For instance, Balthasar Neumann became the artist of bridge-building of the Tauber Valley. Through many bends, the river runs in the direction of Gamburg. A little later, you'll arrive at Tauberbischofsheim with it's great castle. This town has an interesting history that you can easily see from its many great buildings and monuments. From now on, you'll be following the Romantic Road Street to Bad Mergentheim, your overnight stay.

DAY 4: Bad Mergentheim - Rothenburg ob der Tauber, approx. 32 mi. (53 km)
First of all, you should plan a visit to the lively and friendly town of Bad Mergentheim. It has a pretty renaissance market place surrounded by incredible buildings. Nearby, you can visit a castle with a museum. Soon after leaving Bad Mergentheim, you can visit the water fortress of Weikersheim with its Rococo-style park. At Creglingen, you should definitely take the time to visit the well-known Saint Mary's altar of Tilmann Riemenschneider. Finally there's the highlight of your journey, Rothenburg. Stroll around through this world famous Gothic town that is surrounded by thick walls with seven doors. During the evening hours, you will enjoy a tour with the "watchman" in Rothenbug.   

DAY 5: Rothenburg ob der Tauber - Dinkelsbühl, approx. 36 mi. (60 km) Overnight stay is in Rothenburg.
​The next destination of your journey is Schillingsfürst with a very nice Baroque Castle. Before you get there, there's a small ascent to cover. Cycling through Zumhaus with its Bicycle Musuem and Feuchtwangen, you will then reach the day's destination, Dinkelsbühl. This town lies in the idyllic Wörnitz Valley. There's a beautiful market place as well as some quaint traditional restaurants to visit. Something special at Dinkelsbühl is the night watchman.

DAY 6: Dinkelsbühl - Nördlingen, approx. 27 mi. (44 km)
Today you will ride through a region of special geographical interest, namely the Nördlinger Ries. Fifteen million years ago, there was a meteorite 1200 meters in diameter that impacted the area, and left a crater of 20 to 25 kilometers in diameter. The destination of this stage is Nördlingen, which has Germany's only fully-conserved town wall to walk on. You can enjoy the view of Saint George's church from a bell tower of 90 meters high. For those who are geologically interested, there's the Crater Museum. Overnight stay is at Nördlingen.

DAY 7: Nördlingen - Donauwörth, approx. 23 or 36 mi. (39 or 60 km)
On today's route, you'll leave behind the Ries region and bike through the beautiful Wörnitz Valley. You'll pass Harburg, whose old fortress lies high above the valley. Then, you'll reach Donauwörth at the mouth of the Wörnitz as it enters the Danube. An essential part of the town is the splendid imperial street with impressing buildings, one beside the next. Another special attraction of this town is the Käthe-Kruse Puppet Museum. Overnight stay is in Donauwörth.

DAY 8: Individual departure.
Departure following breakfast.

5 Day Option from Würzburg

Day 1: Arrival in Würzburg
Day 2: Würzburg - Wertheim, 26 mi. (43 km)
Day 3: Wertheim – Bad Mergentheim, 29 mi. (49 km)
Day 4: Bad Mergentheim - Rothenburg, 29 mi. (49 km)
Day 5: Departure

5 Day Option from Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Day 1: Arrival in Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Day 2: Rothenburg ob der Tauber - Dinkelsbühl, 36 mi. (60 km)
Day 3: Dinkelsbühl - Nördlingen, 27 mi. (44 km)
Day 4: Nördlingen - Donauwörth/Rain, 23/36 mi. (39/60 km)
Day 5: Departure

Please note that all distances are approximate.

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