Fancy a scenic drive? Explore Southwest Germany by car and discover routes that combine history, stunning landscapes and regional culture. One of the best-known options is the Castle Road, which winds from Mannheim toward Prague and passes roughly 90 castles and notable sites. Highlights along the way include Heidelberg Castle and the ornamental Schwetzingen Palace Garden, Burg Guttenberg, the medieval spa town of Bad Wimpfen, Hirschhorn and Mannheim’s baroque palace.
The Castle Road follows the picturesque Neckar Valley near Heidelberg and features the 11th-century Castle Hornberg, now operating as a hotel with expansive grounds, vineyard views and panoramic valley scenery. Stop in Bad Wimpfen for coffee and walk its narrow, medieval streets lined with independent shops selling regional and artisan goods.
In Mannheim, where Carl Benz built his pioneering automobile in 1886 and his wife Bertha demonstrated its potential with the first long-distance outing, you can follow the Bertha Benz Memorial Route. This historic course retraces her original journey from Mannheim to Pforzheim. Along the route, consider visiting the former MWM Motorenwerke Mannheim, the Automuseum Benz in pretty Ladenburg and traditional stops such as the Zum Ochsen pub, a favored haunt of Carl Benz in his day.
If wine interests you, choose a driving itinerary through the wine regions of Baden and Württemberg. The Baden Wine Road stretches about 100 miles through varied landscapes and gentle hills and is dotted with cozy wine taverns where you can pause for local specialties. The Württemberg wine road extends roughly 318 miles from Weikersheim to Heilbronn; along that route you can visit the Museum of Viniculture in Stuttgart, meet growers, and enjoy tastings. Parts of the Württemberg route continue into the Neckar River Valley and the attractive town of Metzingen, giving drivers ample opportunities to combine vineyard visits with sightseeing.
These drives are ideal for travelers who enjoy a relaxed pace, beautiful countryside and cultural stops. Whether you’re drawn to historic castles, automotive heritage or regional wines, Southwest Germany offers well-marked routes, charming towns and plenty of opportunities to pause for photos, meals and tastings. Plan for comfortable driving days, check opening hours for museums and wineries, and allow time to wander the backstreets of small towns for the best discoveries.