The Bergstrasse (Mountain Road) runs from Darmstadt in the north to Heidelberg in the south. The road is located within the Bergstrasse Odenwald UNESCO Global Geopark and is a bit over 40 miles long. It is dotted with many medieval towns, castles, hiking trails and half-timbered houses.
(Sidewalk art)
(St. Laurentius Church, Weinheim)
There are approximately 20 such towns on the Bergstrasse. My wife and I drove the length of the road but did not tour Darmstadt or Heidelberg since those two cities required at least one day each. I took us two days for the drive, though we did not opt for any hiking trails.
(Sankt Georg Church, Bensheim)
The Bergstrasse is not very well known except for the endpoints of Darmstadt and Heidelberg. However, it is a relaxing, uncrowded road full of history and medieval structures. The Bergstrasse road primarily follows Route 3 which parallels Autobahn 5.
A few castle photos include Strahlenburg in Schriesheim, Starkenburg in Heppenheim, and a view of Weinheim from one of the two castles above the town …Windeck and Wachenburg. These castles have outdoor patio dining with gorgeous views of the cities below.
(Starkenburg Castle)
The foggy castle view is the Auerbach Castle in Bensheim which serves up one of the best Apple Strudel dishes I have ever consumed. If you have little time on the Bergstrasse, I would recommend Bensheim with its half-timbered buildings, castles, and churches. One of the more beautiful churches is Sankt Georg in Bensheim with photos of the exterior and interior shown above.
(Auerbach Castle, Bensheim)
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