Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [285]
MUCK ( 465 1144; Sanderstrasse 29) This fun place has loads of board games to while away the hours. One of the earliest openers in town, and serving a mean breakfast from 7am, the cafe morphs into something of an informal party after nightfall.
Standard ( 465 1144; Oberthürstrasse 11a) Beneath a corrugated-iron ceiling and stainless-steel fans are newspaper racks, art and soulful jazz, with focaccias and pasta on the menu. Downstairs there’s a second, dimly lit bar where bands and DJs perform a couple of times a week.
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Getting There & Away
There are frequent train connections to Frankfurt (€27, one hour), Bamberg (€17.60, one hour) and Nuremberg (from €17.80, one hour). Travelling to Rothenburg ob der Tauber (€11.30, 1¼ hours) requires a change in Steinach.
The Romantic Road Europabus stops at the main bus station next to the Hauptbahnhof.
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Getting Around
Würzburg is manageable on foot, but you can also take buses and trams for €1.10 (for short journeys) or €2.10 (for regular journeys); the cheaper ticket will do for trips in town. Day passes are €4.30; passes bought on a Saturday can also be used on Sunday. The most useful service is bus 9 which shuttles between the Residenz and the Festung Marienberg. For a taxi call 194 10.
For bicycle hire head to Ludwig Köner ( 523 40; Bronnbachergasse 3; bikes per day €10).
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ASCHAFFENBURG
06021 / pop 69,000
With its cobbled lanes and half-timbered houses, this semi-charming town has just enough for a worthwhile trip from Würzburg or Frankfurt. In style terms it’s more Hessian than Bavarian, but King Ludwig II was so chuffed with the mild climate he dubbed Aschaffenburg the ‘Bavarian Nice’.
The tourist office ( 395 800; www.info-aschaffenburg.de; Schlossplatz 1; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat) will put you on the right path for Aschaffenburg’s most spectacular draw, the magnificent Renaissance Schloss Johannis-burg. Once the summer residence of the Mainz archbishops, today it’s home to the Schlossmuseum ( 386 570; Schlossplatz 4; adult/concession €4/3, combined ticket with Pompejanum €6/5; 9am-6pm Tue-Sun Apr-Sep, 10am-4pm Tue-Sun Nov-Mar). The modest interior has the usual oil paintings and period furniture, but the unlikely highlight is a collection of architectural cork models depicting landmarks from ancient Rome.
Behind the beautiful palace garden stands the Pompejanum ( 386 570; adult/child €4/free; 9am-6pm Tue-Sun Apr-Sep). Built for folly fan King Ludwig I, this replica of a Pompeii villa comes complete with frescoes, mosaics and Roman antiquities.
From there, follow Schlossgasse into the Altstadt. On Stiftsplatz you’ll come upon the Stiftskirche. This church has its origins in the 10th century, but is now an oddly skewed but impressive mix of Romanesque, Gothic and baroque styles. The attached Stiftsmuseum ( 330 463; adult/concession €2.50/1.50; 11am-5pm Tue-Sun) is home to some intriguing relics and paintings.
Three kilometres west of town lies the Park Schönbusch, a shady 18th-century expanse scattered with ornamental ponds and follies, and the Schlösschen ( 386 570; Kleine Schönbuschallee 1; tours adult/concession €3/2; 9am-6pm Tue-Sun Apr-Sep), a country retreat of the archbishops. Take bus 3 from the train station.
Filling Franconian fare can be sourced at the tiny Schlossgass’ 16 ( 123 13; Schlossgasse 28; mains €5-16) wine tavern, and Schlappeseppel ( 156 46; Schlossgasse 14; mains €5-13), a long-serving pub pulling pints of local ale.
Trains to and from Würzburg (€21.50, 40 minutes) and Frankfurt (€14, 30 minutes) operate at least hourly. The A3 runs right past town.
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ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER
09861 / pop 11,200
A well-polished gem from the Middle Ages, Rothenburg ob der Tauber (meaning ‘above the Tauber River’) is the main tourist stop along the Romantic Road. With its web of cobbled lanes, higgledy-piggledy