199
The Ries Crater
Around 15 million years ago, a
meteorite 1,093 yards (1 km) in dia-
meter slammed into what is now
northern Bavaria at a speed of about
43,496 mph (70,000 kph). The impact
had the force of 250 Hiroshima ato-
mic bombs and left behind a crater
16 miles (25 km) in diameter, nown
as the Ries. When viewed from a
suitable vantage point – such as the
top of the Daniel in Nördlingen – the
rim of the crater is still clearly visible.EAT AND DRINKFEUCHTWANGEN
Greifenstube moderate–expensive
This restaurant offers regional cooking
with creative touches such as duck
liver parfait in a Baumkuchen (layered
cake) crust or fillet of young pork
wrapped in savoy cabbage. There is a
limited choice of vegetarian dishes.
Marktplatz 8, 91555; 09852 68 00;
http://www.hotel-greifen.de; closed MonDINKELSBÜHL
Deutsches Haus moderate
Regional produce is to the fore at the
15th-century Deutsches Haus, where
the rustic dining room is an
atmospheric setting for dishes such as
herb-crusted medallions of veal with
asparagus ragout or marinated salmon
trout on saffron foam.
Weinmarkt 3, 91550; 09851 60 58;
http://www.deutsches-haus-dkb.de
Goldene Rose moderate
This 500-year-old inn once hosted
Queen Victoria and now has a
choice of dining options. At its
gourmet restaurant, Ollmann’s, there
is an international gloss to the six-
course degustation menu, while
its more rustic dining room serves
dishes such as medallions of veal
on morel cream sauce with browned
Swabian noodles.
Marktplatz 4, 91550; 09851 577 50;
http://www.hotel-goldene-rose.comNÖRDLINGEN
Restaurant Joachim Kaiser im
Meyers Keller expensive
Located on the southern outskirts
of Nördlingen, this Michelin-starred
restaurant offers a choice of menus: a
cosmopolitan degustation menu or a
regional menu, which emphasises the
culinary tradition of the Ries region.
Marienhöhe 8, 86720; 09081 44 93;
http://www.meyerskeller.deFar Left Portcullis over the gateway, Schloss
Harburg Left Row of traditional buildings
along Reichstrasse, Donauwörth Below
Pretty houses in the town of NördlingenDRIVE 18: The Northern Romantic Road
DAY TRIP OPTIONS
This beautiful region can be
explored in a series of day trips.Medieval Würzburg
In Würzburg 1 , tour the Residenz
before heading to the delightful
towns of Tauberbischofsheim 2
and Bad Mergentheim 3 to visit
the local wineries.Take the B27 as far as the A3, beyond
which the Romantische Strasse
con ti nues to Tauberbischofsheim.
Take the B27, then the A81 and the
B290 to Bad Mergentheim.Charming towns
Explore the perfectly preserved town
of Rothenburg ob der Tauber 6
before stopping to tour the Schlossat Schillingfürst 7. Head to
Dinkelsbühl 9 and stroll around
its medieval fortifications. Stop at
Nördlingen 0 to see the Ries crater.Take Rothenburger Strasse to
Schillingsfurst, take the B25 and
continue on it to Dinkelsbühl. Con tinue
on the same road, which becomes the
B29 to Nördlingen.Eat and Drink: inexpensive, under €20; moderate, €20–€40; expensive, over €40q Harburg
Bavaria; 86655
Diminutive Harburg nestles on the
banks of the Wörnitz river, which can
be crossed on a restored 18th-cen tury
stone bridge that is worth a stroll for
the views of the Schloss Harburg (mid-
Mar–Oct: closed Mon) of the princes
of Oettingen-Wallerstein. One of the
best pre served medieval castles in
Germany, it sprawls along the hilltop,
dominating the town below. The 18th-
cen tury synagogue in Egelstrasse is a
remin der that a quarter of Harburg’s
population was once Jewish.
ª Continue south along the B25 to
Donauwörth. The Am Münster under-
ground parking lot is well marked.
w Donauwörth
Bavaria; 86609
Donauwörth underwent careful
restoration after terrible destruction
in 1945. Its main street, Reichsstrasse,
is lined with patrician houses that
hint at the town’s former importance
as a Free City of the Holy Roman
Empire. The abbey church of Heilig
Kreuz is a florid example of southern
German Baroque, while the wooden-
galleried Invalidenkaserne was
originally built as barracks. From
Reichsstrasse, a bridge leads through
the Rieder Tor across a branch of the
Wörnitz river onto the island of Ried.
From here, visit ors can get fine views
of the town’s medieval fortifications.Museum (closed Mon) to learn
more about the meteo rite strike
that created the Ries.
ª Continue along the B25 to Harburg.