Time: 5-7 days | Distance: 1 950 km
Start: Rügen Island, Baltic Sea | End: Reichenau Island, Lake Constance
Best for Home Area(s): Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Dusseldorf
The longest scenic driving route in Germany, the Avenue Route ("Deutsche Alleenstraße") is the quintessential German road trip. Seemingly endless tree-lined avenues accompany you through 10 federal states and form a dense canopy of foliage over your drive.
Originally planted over 250 years ago to guide travellers, the linden trees, maples, oaks, fruit trees and birches cast incredible light and shadow plays over the roads and look especially great in autumn. Although the avenue has been overhauled in many parts of former West Germany, the fall of the Berlin Wall sparked renewed interest in preserving the route, which runs symbolically from East to West across the whole country. To make the most of your trip, start from the Baltic island of Rügen up north and follow the route down to Reichenau Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on Lake Constance. The trees will guide you through the Harz Mountains, beautiful valleys, ancient forests, glittering rivers, and numerous historic sites. The best travel guides break the route down into 10 manageable sections, but you have the freedom to plan your trip just the way you like. Thanks to the sprawling length of the Avenue Route, you can easily join the route anywhere from the middle. As they say, the rest is history. • Image: Alsheim © Karsten Würth / Unsplash
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