We had a few musts on our road trip through central Europe. We must start in Munich, we must drive round the Nurburging, and we must visit Lake Como. Those were the things we knew. Everything in between was what we didn’t know and that is exactly what made planning this trip so exciting. And I’m so glad we chose to go slightly off the beaten path to Wurzburg on our way north from Munich. Here’s why you should too!

Where in the World is Wurzburg?

Wurzburg is about 3 hours north of Munich and an hour southeast of Frankfurt. And while it is a gorgeous baroque city on the picturesque Main River, it is not a tourist hub, which means no crowds (yay!).

Before we even get to the culture, the scenery is worth the drive all on its own. In every direction there is either a castle, a river, a vineyard or a quaint neighborhood, just a feast for the eyes.

Where to Stay

Whether you are staying for one night or for a week, we recommend the Schlosshotel Steinburg Wuerzburg. Located on top of a vineyard covered hill overlooking the Main River, the terrace at the Steinburg is the place to linger on a summer evening.

Interestingly, the hotel is broken up into two different buildings, the main building (castle rooms) and the Refugium (modern rooms). We chose to stay in the Refugium and were absolutely delighted by the ultra modern décor and layout, complete with bay window overlooking the river and open concept bathroom.

The details were everything. Due to the open concept bathroom layout, the bath had the same world class view as the bed. They certainly made sure that those large windows did not go to waste.

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Also, this is a very road trip friendly hotel. There is ample parking available right outside the building and there are plenty of windy roads nearby perfect for the ultimate driving machine.

Where to Eat

If you are like us and only have one night to enjoy the Franconian cuisine, head to Bürgerspital Weinstuben right in the old town. We enjoyed the traditional fare paired with some local wine.

And because of the convenient location, you can walk it all off in the old town; the restaurant is actually right down the street from the Wurzburg Residenz.

Why Visit

For us, we needed a stop between Munich and Nurburg. The obvious option was Frankfurt. But on second thought, why would we take up a whole day on a road trip to stop in one of the largest airport cities in the world? We will have ample opportunity to visit Frankfurt, and it is not a city that you need a car to get to. That is one of the travel tenants I really try to stick to—when travelling by car, visit places that you actually need a car to get to.

If you are travelling from Munich like us, Wurzburg is a great over night stop because you will pass through Nuremburg, which has so many historical spots to visit as well. We had a little time to walk through the Old Town and enjoy the perfectly cobbled streets.

And also, because of its location on the Main river, there are several “off the beaten path” castles to visit as well. We chose to stop by the Rheinstein Castle in Trechtingshausen and the Cochem Castle the next morning on our way to Nurburg.

Wurzburg is a hidden gem in plain view: easily accessible, affordable and interesting, taking the road less travelled always makes a difference.