Castles of Germany 14 day Architecture Road Trip Itinerary

If you’re looking for a 14 day road trip across Germany look no further, we’ve got the itinerary all sorted.

This is the route you will be going on:

Stop 1: Neuschwanstein Castle

Picture taken by @vpruntsev on instagram.

Why it’s a must see:

Each year roughly 1.5 million people visit "The castle of the fairy-tale king”, it was known the be the home of a very shy king named King Ludwig II who died in 1886. The castle was only opened up to the public after the Kings death, shocking those who saw the inside. They quickly understood why it took more than 20 years to build.

Historians and architects have said this castle is:

“The authentic style of the old German knights castles”
“The location is one of the most beautiful to be found”

How to get there:

This castle is situated in Hohenschwangau. You will need to take the A7 motorway (direction Ulm-Kempten-Füssen) until the end. Upon reaching Füssen, follow the road B17 to Schwangau, then you will see signs to Hohenschwangau. You can see a map of how to get to the castle after arriving in Hohenschwangau below.

Please note: Entrance tickets for Neuschwanstein Castle can only be bought at the Ticket Centre Hohenschwangau!

Length of stay:

1 night 2 days.

Stop 2: Rothenburg on der Tauber

Picture taken by @voyageblonde on instagram.

Why it’s a must see:

Is the second stop along these architects delight is Rothenburg on der Tauber, it is coined to be one of the most attractive towns in Germany. It’s timber stone combined houses hug the cobblestone lanes below. It’s no surprise it’s where a key part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 was filmed.

How to get there:

From the last destination this will cost you roughly €40 in fuel and take 2 1/2 hours. If you do decide to drive it’s just 5km (3 miles) off the Autobahn A7. If your coming from other major cities, driving times from Frankfurt are around 1h45 and from Munich 2h20. This makes it a great option for day trips, however the true beauty requires you to stay overnight so you can dodge the heavy day trip crowds.

Length of stay:

2 nights 3 days, it’s busy in the day but quiet at night, so its a good one to spend a another night at.

Stop 3: Braunfels Castle

Picture taken by @pierrebeauer on instagram.

Why it’s a must see:

Braunfels Castle is a wonderfully charming medieval castle which pylons above the Lahn valley. It was used as a stronghold that acted as defence from the Counts of Nassau. Inside you can find a beautiful collection in the Knight’s Hall which showcase arms, body armour, fine art, statues and medieval furniture.

How to get there:

Fuel costs from the last destination would cost €40, and the quickest way takes 2 hours 1/4. There are multiple ways to arrive here from the previous destination, the easiest is probably driving through Frankfurt and then following the B456 to Schloss Braunfels.

Length of stay:

2 nights 3 days, this mystical town will leave you feeling relaxed and inquisitive all at the same time. Rendering you wanting to see more spectacular castles.

Stop 4: Cochem Castle

Picture taken by @der_heimatfotograf on instagram.

Why it’s a must see:

Cochem is a remarkably beautiful German city which curls up against the Moselle River. It’s situated in the Rhineland Palatinate state of Germany.** It is generally known that Cochem Castle was built somewhere around the year 1000 by the palatinate count Ezzo.

How to get there

If you were to drive from the last destination it would cost you 15 euros and take 1 hour and 15 mins. Travel via the A48 west, following signs for Limburg then Koblenz and finally Cochem Castle.

Length of stay

2 night, 3 days.

Stop 5: Bonn

Picture taken by @andredistel on instagram.

Why it’s a must see

Bonn has not got the huge castles seen elsewhere on this route, but what it does have is an admirable art collection. It’s also the birthplace of Beethoven, and that’s why the best time of year to enjoy this destination is September and October when Bonn holds a series of classical music festivals.

How to get there

If you were to drive from the last destination this would take you 1 hour and cost 10 euros in fuel. Simply follow the A61 north for 1 hour.

Length of stay

2 nights 3 days, enough time to see the whole city.

Stop 6: Hamburg

Picture taken by @eskimo on instagram.

Why it’s a must see

There are many reasons why Hamburg was ranked most liveable city in Germany in 2018.

There is a significant historical relevance to Hamburg too, the core of the city was almost burnt entirely down in 1842 and nearly destroyed again during bombings of WWII. The city still boasts its restored architecture from this era with emerald glazed copper roofs. The river Elbe swishes through the centre accompanied by an abundance of parks and old trees. We can truly see why this is rated by so many as being a top place to live in the world, and thus a must visit.

How to get there

This is one of the slightly longer stops so we recommend taking the train, it will cost you 10 Euros and take around 4 and a half hours. If you want to cut the time, you can take a flight for 40 Euros, this will take 1 hour. (We accounted for the flight cost in the overall price).

Length of stay

2 nights, 3 days. Enough to walk around this beautiful city and take a few good breaths of fresh ar.

Stop 7: Wernigerode

Picture taken by @der_heimatfotograf on instagram.

Why it’s a must see

Wernigerode is a beautiful town which towers in gothic architecture, fuelled by mining copper and silver from the surrounding the mountainous highlands known as the “Hartz”. You can walk through the Hartz too, particularly the Brocken, which is the tallest and most famous mountain. If you’d like to capture it’s stunning views we recommend you take the steam train which seems frozen in time as it chutes its way up the mountain.

How to get there

From the last destination it will cost 2 and ½ hours and cost roughly 40 euros in fuel. Train services will half the cost but nearly double the time. Taking advantage of Germanys Autobahn to travel when possible is an absolute must!

Length of stay

2 nights, 3 days. This is another location which can get a little busy during the day so it’s best to spend an extra night here to take in all the evening beauty.

Stop 8: Dresden (last stop)

Picture taken by @s.rose_fotografie on instagram.

Why it’s a must see

Growing along the the shores of the quaint Elbe River, Dresden is one with nature, filled with frozen in time trees, beautiful wildlife and rocks which look like they’ve been there since the beginning of time. The city has a deep artistic and educational background; the famous Wilhelm Richard Wagner first introduced a collection of symphonies here in the 1800s. In addition to this, the museums Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister and Grünes Gewölbe host a collection of fine art for you to ponder upon whilst you’re here.

How to get there

From the last destination it will take you 2 and ½ hours and cost roughly 40 euros in fuel. These last few stops make perfect road trip destinations, we highly recommend you hire a car for this awesome adventure. Read on below to get an estimate on the costs.

Length of stay

2 more nights and 3 days will take this to the full 14 day limit, a perfect spread.

How much will it cost?

The travel costs between all the destinations will cost you €225, in fuel costs. €495.74 for 2 weeks of car rental with insurance. That makes €725 in travel costs. The average price of a hotel per night in Germany is €48, that adds up to €672 after 14 days. Excluding ticket entry to attractions you might want to see and food costs you’re looking at €1352 to travel across the entire of Germany and see these heart stopping locations!