Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [281]
TRAIN
Direct trains run from Munich to Füssen (€22.20, two hours) at the southern end of the Romantic Road every two hours, more often if you change in Buchloe. Rothenburg is linked by train to Würzburg (€11.30, one hour), Munich (from €34.40, three hours), Augsburg (€27.50, 2½ hours) and Nuremberg (€17.30, 1¼ to two hours), with at least one change needed in Steinach to reach any destination.
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Getting Around
BUS
It is possible to do this route using train connections and local buses, but the going is complicated, tedious and slow, especially at weekends. The ideal way to travel is by car, though many foreign travellers prefer to take Deutsche Touring’s Europabus, which can get incredibly crowded in summer. From April to October the special coach runs daily in each direction between Frankfurt and Füssen (for Neuschwanstein); the entire journey takes around 11 hours. There’s no charge for breaking the journey and continuing the next day.
Reservations & Fares
Tickets are available for short segments of the trip, and reservations are only necessary during peak-season weekends. Reservations can be made through travel agents, Deutsche Touring ( 069-790 3501; www.touring.de), EurAide ( 089-593 889; www.euraide.de) in Munich, and Deutsche Bahn’s Reisezentrum offices in the train stations.
The most popular halts – along with the one-way and return fares from Frankfurt – are listed below.
The following are fares from Munich.
Coaches can accommodate bicycles (per 100km €3), but you must give three working days’ notice. Students, children, pensioners and rail-pass holders qualify for discounts of between 10% and 50%.
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WÜRZBURG
0931 / pop 134,500
‘If I could choose my place of birth I would consider Würzburg’, wrote author Hermann Hesse, and it’s not difficult to see why. This scenic town straddles the Main River and is renowned for its art, architecture and delicate wines. A large student population guarantees a laid-back vibe, and plenty of hip nightlife pulsates though its cobbled streets.
Würzburg was a Franconia duchy when, in 686, three Irish missionaries tried to persuade Duke Gosbert to convert, and ditch his wife. Gosbert was mulling it over when his wife had the three bumped off. When the murders were discovered decades later, the martyrs became saints and Würzburg was made a pilgrimage city, and, in 742, a bishopric.
For centuries the resident prince-bishops wielded enormous power and wealth, and the city grew in opulence under their rule. Their crowning glory is the Residenz, one of the finest baroque structures in Germany and a Unesco World Heritage Site.
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Orientation
Würzburg’s centre is compact and, perhaps by more than accident, shaped like a bishop’s mitre. The Hauptbahnhof and bus station are at the northern end of the Altstadt. The main shopping street, Kaiserstrasse, runs south from here into the town centre. The Main River forms the western boundary of the Altstadt; the fortress is located on the west bank, with other key sights to the east.
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Information
BOOKSHOP
Hugendubel ( 354 040; Kürschnerhof 4-6) Megastore with a decent range of English-language paperbacks.
DISCOUNT CARDS
Welcome Card (per 7 days €3) Available from tourist offices; gives reduced admission prices to main sights and tours.
EMERGENCY
Ambulance ( 192 22)
Ärztliche Bereitschaftpraxis (Medical Emergency Practice; 322 833; Domerschulstrasse 1)
INTERNET ACCESS
Log Inn ( 205 6923; Häfnergasse 5; per hr €2.90; 9am-11pm Mon-Sat, 10am-11pm Sun)
LAUNDRY
SB Waschsalon ( 416 773; Frankfurter Strasse 13a; per load from €3.80) Browse the internet while you wait.
MONEY
Deutsche Bank (Juliuspromenade 66)
POST
Post office (Marktplatz 20-24 & Paradeplatz 4)
TOURIST INFORMATION
Tourist office Marktplatz ( 372 398; www.wuerzburg.de; Falkenhaus; 10am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm