Approximately bordered by the rivers Iller and Lech, the southwestern part of Bavaria presents a landscape of rolling farmland dotted with quiet villages and picturesque medieval towns. The region is called Bavarian Swabia (Bayerisch-Schwaben) and used to form part of the medieval Duchy of Swabia, the rest of which became the separate state of Württemberg. Its capital is Augsburg , one of the greatest metropolises of sixteenth-century Europe and still an elegant city full of fine Renaissance architecture, largely unspoilt by later building.

 

North of here is the stretch of the Romantic Road immediately following on from the initial Franconian section; its main draws are Nördlingen , a well-preserved medieval walled town in a truly extraordinary natural setting, and fortified Harburg . South of Augsburg is the Allgäu region. The hilly pre-Alpine section includes the pretty town of Kaufbeuren and the health resort of Ottobeuren , whose Benedictine abbey should stun even the most jaded visitor of Baroque churches. Beyond here, everything is played against the dramatic backdrop of snow-capped mountains and sparkling lakes: highlights are the pair of fantasy castles near Füssen ; Oberstdorf , a top-class resort set amid challenging peaks; and the island town of Lindau on the Bodensee.

An added pleasure of travelling through this region is the distinctive and excellent food : delicate handmade pasta and rich sauces quite different from the Italian kind, followed by sweets with irreverent names like Nonnenfürzle (Nun's Fart) and Versoffene Jungfern (Drunken Virgins).