Europe
Germany
Black Forest B-roads, Eifel loops and the odd derestricted mile.
Why drive here
Driving in Germany
Germany is far more than derestricted autobahn. The Black Forest alone justifies a week, with the B500 Schwarzwaldhochstrasse running the length of a forested ridge and the Hoellental and Kandel roads dropping off it in tight, technical sequences that locals treat as a religion on Sunday mornings.
The Eifel gives you the roads around the Nurburgring, which are quietly as good as the circuit itself, while the Mosel offers a completely different tempo: a river road looping through impossibly steep vineyards past half timbered wine villages. Bavaria closes the argument with the Deutsche Alpenstrasse and the Rossfeld Panoramastrasse, the highest through road in the country.
The practical appeal is real too. Fuel stops are civilised, surfaces are consistently excellent, and a fast motorway transfer between regions costs you almost nothing in time, which means a long weekend can genuinely take in two very different driving landscapes.
Regions
Where to drive in Germany
Editors' picks
Top 5 roads in Germany
Black Forest, Germany
Schwarzwaldhochstrasse
Germany's original scenic highway rolls along a forested ridge with panoramic Alpine views.
Baden-Baden to Freudenstadt · 60 km · B500
Driving
9
Scenery
9.3
View full route
Eifel, Germany
Nurburgring Nordschleife
The Green Hell loops through Eifel forest with 73 legendary corners open to the public.
Nurburg to Nurburg · 21 km
Driving
10
Scenery
8.5
Bavarian Alps, Germany
Deutsche Alpenstrasse West
The western German Alpine Road weaves past castles beneath jagged limestone peaks.
Lindau to Fussen · 90 km · B308
Driving
9.1
Scenery
9.6
Bavarian Alps, Germany
Rossfeld Panoramastrasse
Germany's highest through road climbs to the border with views over the Watzmann massif.
Berchtesgaden to Obersalzberg · 16 km
Driving
8.9
Scenery
9.6
Mosel, Germany
Mosel Wine Road
The river road twists beneath vineyard slopes past the hairpin loop at Bremm's Calmont.
Trier to Cochem · 95 km · B53
Driving
8.4
Scenery
9.4
Quick facts
Planning your trip
When to go
May to October for the Bavarian alpine roads, though the Black Forest and Mosel are rewarding from April right through to a crisp, golden November.
What to drive
A fast GT is the natural choice here, quick enough for the autobahn transfers and composed enough for the Black Forest ridges.
Sample itinerary
Black Forest to the Bavarian Alps
5 days
Pick up the B500 at Baden Baden, work south through the Hoellental, then run east along the Deutsche Alpenstrasse to Berchtesgaden and the Rossfeld loop.
The library
Every great road we have mapped in Germany
7 roads, scored for driving quality and scenery, with seasonal notes where they matter. Any of these can be threaded into a journey in the planner.
Bavarian Alps, Germany
Deutsche Alpenstrasse Ost
Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Berchtesgaden · 150 km · B305
Sweeping alpine curves link lake resorts on the way to the Austrian border.
Higher passes can close briefly after snow
Driving
9
Scenery
9.7
Black Forest, Germany
Hoellental Gorge Road
Freiburg to Titisee · 30 km · B31
The Hoellental route squeezes through granite walls beside a rushing mountain stream.
Driving
8.6
Scenery
9
Mosel, Germany
Cochem to Koblenz Mosel Road
Cochem to Koblenz · 50 km · B49
Riverside curves trace the Mosel's serpentine loops beneath castle ruins and steep vineyards.
Driving
8.3
Scenery
9.3
Black Forest, Germany
Kandelhoehenstrasse
Waldkirch to Kandel summit · 13 km · L186
Tight forested hairpins climb to a summit famed among motorcyclists for its sweeping bends.
Closed by snow some winters
Driving
8.5
Scenery
8.9
Harz, Germany
Harz Panoramastrasse
Braunlage to Bad Harzburg · 30 km · B4
Dense spruce forest and granite tors frame this rolling route beneath the Brocken summit.
Snow common in winter
Driving
8.1
Scenery
8.8
Saxon Switzerland, Germany
B172 Saxon Switzerland Road
Pirna to Bad Schandau · 22 km · B172
The Elbe riverside road runs beneath dramatic sandstone table mountains near the Bastei.
Driving
7.8
Scenery
9.1
Harz, Germany
Hochharzstrasse
Braunlage to Sankt Andreasberg · 12 km · B242
A short forested climb linking two Harz resort towns with tight wooded bends.
Icy conditions frequent November to March
Driving
7.9
Scenery
8.6