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Bamberg, Rothenberg odT, or Plan C?

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My wife and I are planning a 2-week trip, Frankfurt to Vienna, for May 2026. We have two nights to fill between Frankfurt and Munich and I’m not sure which path would be best for us to take. The catch is that I’m a paraplegic wheelchair user and cobblestones and hills are my nemeses.

I grew up outside Schweinfurt (Army brat) and was originally considering visiting Hammelburg and continuing on to Bamberg for two nights. Then I thought about doing the Romantic Road and staying two nights in Rothenberg instead.

I’d like to know whether either town (or ANY town in the region) might offer a flatter or less bumpy experience than the other. I know this is an impossible wish and that I’m in for a limited vacation until we reach the city. Regardless, I need to stay somewhere and need to find some basis for making a decision.

If someone out there could weigh in on the relative geography and road conditions of each location I’d be truly grateful!

Posted by
997 posts

The mobility issues will be challenging in almost any old town center, as you obviously realize. I presume that you will be driving to accommodate your travel. Bamberg is quite hilly. Rothenberg ob Der Tauber is also not very flat. The flattest cool small places I know are Erlangen just north of Nuremberg with a very reasonable downtown with excellent restaurants and beer halls (Ok I used to live there) and Nordlingen which is in a very very flat valley in the center of the Ries Meteorite Crater. The local church is build of meteorite debris welded together with lots of mini-diamonds. Again very historic, not overly touristy, and I always found it comfortable when I visited. Good luck.

Posted by
1541 posts

A recent bout of cancer seems to have put me permanently behind a walker. I done some thinking about mobility issues.

Bamberg, Würzburg and Rothenburg are all favorites but quite hilly.

Regensburg is our other favorite and it is quite flat. Lots of restaurants and sights. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Posted by
2200 posts

The center of Munich is flat, but I can't remember how it's paved. (Which is stupid as many times as I've walked it.) Regensberg is quite flat. The area around Chiemsee is level. Augsberg is pretty flat, but I do remember the cobblestones. Actually Salzburg is flat outside of the Fortress and the ridge across the river. Mannheim is flat. Speyer is flat, but has cobbles. Hope this helps.

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