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16 March 2022 / 9 Comments

4 German themed roads we dream of

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German theme roads offer ready-made routes through picturesque landscapes, often with sights lined up in a row. Wine route, asparagus route or castle route... In fact, there are no less than 150 themed roads in Germany to choose from. We present four that we are curious about right now.

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Themed roads in Germany

Germany is a big country, and even if you know there's a lot to see, it can be a bit difficult to know where to start or how best to get around. The theme roads (holiday roads) are a good way, especially for us with a motorhome. We have followed some in part, but have become more and more keen to use these roads as a way to discover Germany.

We suggest four themed roads in Germany that we're curious about right now. The German Tourist Board, with whom we collaborate, has contributed their best tips and helped us identify events that are happening along these roads this year.

Park and ride sites along the German theme roads

In Germany, motorhome pitches are easy to find and there are plenty of them. Use one or more apps or listings to find the sites. Here are some suggestions for apps and lists:

  • The "CamperContact" app
  • The "Park4night" app
  • Apps "Promobil parking space radar".
  • The "Bordatlas" catalogue
Vineyards along the Saxon Wine Route © DZT / Werner Karol

Southern Germany: Alpvägen

In southern Germany you will find the Alpstrasse, or "Alpenstrasse" (also "Queralpenstrasse") as the road is called in German.

Tyska temavägar: Alpvägen
Lake Constance © DZT

The Alpine route starts in Lindau

The road, which is over 48 kilometres long, starts in Lindau on Lake Constance, continues eastwards and ends in Schönau am Königsee.

Mountains, lakes, castles and passion plays

The Alpine Road may be Germany's oldest holiday route, dating back to the 1920s. Along the route you can experience magnificent views of dramatic mountain peaks and tranquil lakes. Some of the highlights include the popular Lake Constance and winter sports resorts such as Reit im Winkl and Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Tyska temavägar: Alpvägen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen © GNTB / Oscar Dorminguez

Along the Alpvägen you will also find Oberammergau, a twin town to Mora in Sweden. Here, every 10 years, the so-called "passion play" - a tradition that has been going on since 1633!

You will also find along the way castles such as Hohenschwangau , Neuschwanstein and Linderhof. Bavaria's castles are renowned for their beauty, perhaps most famously Neuschwanstein, which was even used as a model for the Disney logo.

Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria

Events along Alpvägen 2022

  • The Passion Play in Oberammergau: The 42nd edition of the Games will take place between 14 May and 2 October 2022. Read more here.
  • Constance Wine Festival: Experience a true wine festival in one of Germany's most beautiful locations on 27-30 July 2022. Read more here.
  • Seefest of the town of Tegernsee: Experience a wonderful festival with brass bands and culinary delicacies on 27 July 2022.
  • Oktoberfest: Oktoberfest in Munich isn't exactly on the route, but it's so special that it has to be recommended! 17 Sept-3 Oct. Read more here.

Top tips from the German Tourist Board

  1. For the best experience of nature: Hike along parts of the Alpvägen!
  2. Take the cable car from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Germany's highest mountain. Zugspitze!
  3. End the trip with a magical boat ride on the lake. Lake Königssee!

Tyska temavägar: Alpvägen
Hopfensee © Romatische Strasse Touristik-Arbeitsgemeinschaft GbR.

West Germany: The Romantic Rhine Route

The Romantic Rhine Route (Route der Rheinromantik) is known for its romantic character and along the way you will find picturesque villages, rolling vineyards and over 60 castles and palaces. A bit like a fairy tale!

Tyska temavägar: Route der Rheinromantik
Romanticism on the Rhine © Mahlow Media, Winningen

Romantic Rhine Route starts in Cologne

The route is 36 miles long and starts in Cologne and then continues in a south-easterly direction towards Mainz/Wiesbaden.

World heritage sites, castles and fortresses

You can see the 132 metre high Lorelei cliff, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Oberes Mittelrheintal". The cliff has been written about by many German writers and poets, most notably Heinrich Heine. In the stories, countless sailors have drowned here after being enchanted by the beautiful songs of the fairy Lorelei.

If you like castles and fortresses, there is an abundance to choose from. For example, you can see the famous and beautiful castles of Reichenstein and Sooneck, both of which are around 800-900 years old and located in the 'Upper Middle Rhine Valley' area. The castle of Pfalzgrafensten, located on a rocky island in the Rhine, is also well worth seeing. Further highlights along the way include the cities of Cologne, Koblenz and Mainz/Wiesbaden.

Tyska temavägar: Route der Rheinromantik
Sooneck Castle © Mahlow Media, Winningen

Events along the Romantic Rhine Route 2022

  • The Rhine in flamesThis festival of light installations and fireworks is organised on 2/7 in Bingen, 13/8 in Koblenz, 10/9 in Oberwesel and 17/9 in St. Goar. Read more here.
  • Summer night party in Bad Breisig: On 20 July 2022, the "Sommernachtsfest am Rheinufer" will take place with beer, wine, music and fireworks.
  • Rüdesheim Wine Festival: Another great summer and wine festival where you can experience authentic Germany, 18-22 August. Read more here.

Top tips from the German Tourist Board

  1. Make a boat trip!
  2. Take a wine tour! (Here you will find an example)
Tyska temavägar: Route der Rheinromantik
Cologne © Getty Images / jotily

Eastern Germany: Saxon Wine Route

Opened in 1992, the Saxon Wine Route runs through one of Germany's smallest wine regions. But while the area may be small, there is plenty to see and experience. Everything here is about wine!

Along the way you can visit restaurants and traditional "Weinstuben", or spend the night with a winemaker. In addition, several wine festivals are usually organised. Don't miss beautiful castles like Wackerbarth in Radebeul, Moritzburg in Dresden and the baroque castle in Diesbar-Sesslitz.

Slottet Wackerbarth
Slottet Wackerbarth © Deutsches Weininstitut GmbH

Saxon wine route starts in Pirna

The Saxon Wine Route is about 6 miles long, running from Pirna, southeast of Dresden, to Diesbar-Seusslitz, northwest of Dresden.

Wine can be combined with nature experiences

You can also vary your wine tasting with nature experiences. There are hiking trails with beautiful viewpoints. Almost parallel to the Saxon Wine Route is the "Elbdradweg" cycle path, which runs from Prague to Hamburg. Further highlights include the cities of Meissen and Dresden with Moritzburg Castle.

Meissen
Meissen © GNTB / Werner Karol

Events along the Saxon Wine Route 2022

  • Open house at vineyards: The wineries in Saxony's wine region will open their doors on 27-28 August to give you an insight into the production process. Read more here.
  • Wine festival in Meissen: Don't miss Saxony's biggest wine festival, which takes place on 23-25 September. Read more here.
  • Federweissfest at Wackerbarth Castle: Try the alcoholic fermented grape drink "Federweisser" on 10-11 September. Wackerbarth Castle also offers food and music.

Top tips from the German Tourist Board

  1. In Saxony, the mountains and hills are not so high. Feel free to cycle the route!
  2. Feel free to stay in Dresden for sightseeing!
Slottet Moritzburg
Moritzburg Castle © Dresden Marketing GmbH / ddpix.de

Northern/central Germany: Korsvirkesvägen

The German themed road that we are currently most excited about is the Korsvirkesvägenor "Deutsche Fachwerkstrasse" as it is called in German.

Half-timbered street © GNTB / Marcel Waldmann

Lumber road starts in Stade

The road is around 300 kilometres long and runs from Blackede in northern Germany to Lake Constance in the south of the country. The map below shows the northern and central parts of the road.

Nature, history and food culture

If you follow the entire route, you will travel through the federal states of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Thuringia, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. You'll pass through over a hundred towns and cities, and along the way you'll experience everything from stunning landscapes and nature parks to historical sites and food culture.

Some of the highlights on the northern and central part of the route include the towns of Nienburg, Celle, Bad Essen, Königslutter, Quedlinburg and Einbeck. A special attraction worth mentioning is the German Ivory Museum in Erbach.

Half-timbered street © Adobe Stock / Thorsten Frisch

Events along Korsvirkesvägen 2022

  • Einbeck Oldtimer Days: Germany has a long tradition of cars and this event, held on 15-17 July, is for those who love older vehicles.
  • FachwerkKulturSommer 2022: On 18-19 June, there will be a party in Einbeck. The festival is a celebration of the art of crochet, with workshops and other activities, especially for younger visitors.
  • Nienburg Asparagus Festival: On 11 June, Nienburg celebrates the 'white gold' and you can also watch the 'asparagus race'. Read more here.

Top tips from the German Tourist Board

  1. Join us for a guided tour of the half-timbered houses in Einbeck!
  2. Do not stop in northern Germany but continue along the Korsvirkesvägen towards Lake Constance - here the journey is the goal!
Half-timbered street © GNTB / Günter Standl

Have you driven any of Germany's themed roads that you can recommend?

All our top tips about Germany. Click on the image!

You might also like:

InformationTyska Turistbyrån
The half-timbered road in Germany - a cosy holiday route
InformationTyska Turistbyrån
Holiday routes in northern Germany - 6 great themed roads Herrenhausen trädgårdarHerrenhausen gardens in Hannover - amazing splendour Tysklands längsta hängbroGermany's longest suspension bridge - Titan RT in the Harz Mountains Göra i DessauThings to do in Dessau - 14 tips for the Bauhaus city Att göra i WürzburgThings to do in Würzburg - 12 sights and experiences

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16 March 2022 6:00
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9 Comments

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  1. Bibbi Ekstrand says:

    Thanks for the great information as usual on your site! Great!

    16 March 2022 - 13:59

    Reply

  2. JoY says:

    Thank you for that information of different paths, nice ones.

    16 March 2022 - 18:49

    Reply

  3. BP says:

    Having lived in Munich for 6 years, I recognise all the sights along the Alpine Road. However, I can't remember it being called that in the 1970s. Guess it was "invented" later.
    Fantastic pictures also from the half-timbered houses. How incredibly beautiful these houses are.

    16 March 2022 - 19:30

    Reply

  4. Lena - gott för själen says:

    Oh how nice it seems to be to follow those themed roads. We have talked about roadtripping south, maybe next year. Perfect to get some inspiration here, even though Andreas knows quite a lot about Germany.

    Hug Lena

    27 July 2022 - 21:00

    Reply

  5. Niklas says:

    300 kilometres sounds long. Are you sure it's not 300 kilometres?

    21 August 2022 - 11:48

    Reply

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