GERMANY’S
CASTLE ROAD - BURGENSTRASSE
Magnificent Scenery and History across Rivers of Time
Its
not an actual single road, but a series of small winding backroads
through central Germany from
west to east, starting near Mannheim
and ending in Prague, in the Czech Republic, the German
Burgenstrass “Castle Road” traverses some of the most beautiful
landscapes
along several rivers. Starting at Mannheim’s Electoral
Palace one of the largest Baroque Palace complexes in the world, the
route heads to Schwetzingen where the 18th-19th Century palace of the
Palatine Electors is called the “Palatine
Versailles” and the grand Rococo theater hosts the annual International
Schwetzingen Festival.
Neckar River Valley
One
of the most beautiful sections of the Castle Road is along the Neckar
River. From Heidelberg, with its great
famous castle overlooking the old city and the oldest
university,
the
road
follows
the Neckar River lined with 9 castles and palaces. Neckarsteinach
is a small village surrounded by four castles alone. Burg
Hirschhorn, a
knight’s
castle from the 12th Century has a hotel and restaurant with a terrace
view
of the small medieval city below called the “Pearl of the Neckar
Valley” (see Schloss
Hirschhorn Castle Hotel). Two more
castle hotels with restaurants are located along this section
of the
road.
Schloss
Neuberg
in Obrigheim and Hornberg Castle (see Burg
Hornberg Castle Hotel). Gundelsheim is
the home
of Horneck Castle, a 16th Century palace that was the residence of the
Grand Master of the Teutonic Order of Knights. The Falcon Center
and medieval banquets can be found at Guttenberg
Castle, an intact Staufer castle owned by the same family for 550 years
(see Castle
Guttenberg).
Bad
Wimphen is an ideal
Medieval Old Town (see Bad Wimpfen Medieval City)with the largest fortified imperial palace north of
the Alps with its red and blue towers like spire crowns over the sloped
twisting narrow street lanes. The waters from where
the town gets its name are still a modern medicinal bath with a health
resort and mineral pool. Heilbronn is a former imperial city on the Neckar
River with both Gothic and Renaisssance sights. It’s town hall
with astronomical clock to the Wartberg Fortress with its view of this
rich wine growing region, where boat cruises on the Neckar and wine tasting
tours can be arranged.
From
Heilbronn the Castle Road passes through Schwabish Hall, a colorful
city of half-timbered houses
on the Kocher River with a beautiful restored
old town center with the massive Groscomburg palace complex standing
on the hill above, a former Benedictine monastery complex built over
successive years inside defensive walls and towers housing Romanesque
art treasures. Langenburg Castle and Kirchberg Schloss are both on the
Jagst River. Rothenberg ob der Tauber is often mentioned as the jewel
city of the Castle Road where it intersects the Romantic Road (Touring
Romantic Road).
A walled city of ageless charm caught in a timelock.
Castle Road Franconia to Prague
From
Rothenberg the road travels through Franconia (see Schloss
Sommersdorf)
to the great walled city of Nuremberg with its imposing
thick
stone walls and tower gates
that once protected the Holy Roman Emperors of Germany. Nuremberg is
host to one of the best Christmas Markets in Germany (see Christmas
Markets)
along with the a branch of the German National Musem, Transport Museum
and
Toy
Museum
(See Toy
Museum). Heading north for a while the road passes Rabenstein
Castle through Bamberg a World Cultural Heritage Site
with its 14th-16th Century 
Altenberg Castle, residence of the Bamberg
Princes,
then on to the Coberg Fortress called the “Franconian
Crown” and one of the best preserved and largest castles in Germany
and the Ehrenburg Palace, a 19th Century empire queeen’s palace.
Bayreuth, famed for its Opera Festival is the last stop on the Burgenstrasse
in Germany before it crosses into the Czech Republic with several Czech
Castles and palaces, ending at the great Prague Castle (see Prague
Castle)
standing over the (Vlatava) Moldau River.
The Castle Road is not likely a journey one takes in one pass, but a signpost for travels and visits along different sections or individual towns and sights. There are many celebrations and events that take place in the locations along the road’s winding path. Fireworks illumination of the river and four castles in Neckatsteinach. The Swabian Fountain Festival in Schwabisch Hall, Rococo Festival of grand dances and manners in Ansbach medieval markets and wine festivals at harvest time.
The German Castle Road can be traveled by car or on coach tours. Deustche Touring offers a bus tours, both organized and just transportation. Tickets can be booked online or purchased directly on boarding the bus or at any ticket office of the Deutsche Bahn German Federal Railroad. Most all of the towns along the Castle Road have train stations with the rails running next to the road in many sections. During summer there are regular river cruise services on the Neckar River, Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, Regnitz River and the Vlatava in the Czech Republic. © Bargain Travel Europe
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See Also:
NECKAR
RIVER CRUISES -HEIDELBERG
CASTLE ART MUSEUM BAVARIAA
SIGMARINGEN
CASTLE
MAINZ
MUSEUMS
