Dog-Friendly Bavaria

A Beagle Bouncing through Bavaria

Somehow, in all of my travels to Europe, and visiting nearly all of its bordering countries, I had missed Germany. So this summer, I wanted to make it happen! After considering many options, I settled on a short road trip through northern Bavaria’s wine region: Franken. I started with two days in Nüremberg, spent two days in Miltenberg, visited friends in Mainz (which actually is not in Bavaria), and ended with two nights in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. I wish I had spent an extra day or two in both Miltenberg and Rothenburg odt, but it was near the end of my trip and I needed to get back to Vienna for a flight. I’ll share info about each location in this post!

I found several places were cash-only in Miltenberg and Rothenburg ob der Tauber! Make sure you have cash!

Overall, I found all of these cities to be very dog-friendly. We sat outside as much as possible because we had nice weather most days, but Alice was welcomed inside everywhere. Unlike Paris or Vienna, dogs were allowed in all of the parks too!

Screen Shot 2023-08-25 at 12.42.42 PM.png

Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 12.39.52 AM.png

Nüremberg

Nüremberg is a larger city, but old town Nüremberg feels small and quaint! Because I had two days here, I only had time to explore the old town. I stayed in a budget hotel, Hotel Garni Probst, with very friendly people working at the front desk, and a great location (five-minute walk from the train station). The room was very small, which is fine, but the “window” didn’t lead outside. Instead, it looked out on some sort of workshop or attic. It was very strange.

Nüremberg: What to Do

The city tour on a miniature train is dog-friendly! We’ve done a few of these in different places, and it’s a great way to see a new city. The starting location is right next to Hauptmarkt, the farmers market in the main square. In the summer, trains were running very half-hour.

While dogs can’t go inside the castle or exhibits, they can walk around the castle grounds! I think they can also walk along the castle walls (didn’t see any signs saying otherwise) - enter through a gate in the tower here and walk through the garden until you see another gate that leads into the castle wall. One very small section of this garden says no dogs allowed, so I carried Alice through it.

There’s a beautiful garden around the outside of the city walls as well, where the moat used to be - we walked around the western and northern sections. Walking through the old town and along the river is also really nice. Make sure you check out Weißgerbergasse, which has a row of beaitufl old buildings with timber framing - a great spot for a photoshoot!

Nüremberg: Where to Eat & Drink

I loved Kaffe Lebemann, Di Simo, and Kafe Bar Katz for coffee! Restaurant Bratwurstglöcklein im Handwerkerhof is quite touristy, but a really cute experience for bratwurst and beer. There are several other bratwurst spots around town - we also went to Bratwursthäusle bei St. Sebald, which was recommended by the train tour conductor. After sever days of European food, I was craving something different. O.sha Thai Restaurant was a great change of pace! One restaurant I would not recommend (because it was overpriced and the food was not very good) is Heilig-Geist-Spital. I had to go because my last name is Geist, but it was not great.

At the base of the castle, you’ll find Café Wanderer, where you can get a glass of wine or a beer to drink in the large square surrounded by timber buildings. I also loved s’Weinbeisl, a cute gay bar on a quiet street with outdoor seating.

Screen Shot 2023-08-25 at 12.40.59 PM.png

Miltenberg

After a rocky start, our three days in Miltenberg turned into an absolute delight! Miltenberg is about a two-hour drive from Nüremberg (I rented a car from Sixt in Nüremberg). I loved our hotel, Schmuckkästchen, but unfortunately the winery/restaurant on the ground floor was closed for most of August. The hotel room is cute and well-maintained, the exterior is classic timber framing set on the main square. The hotel had instructed me to drive straight to the hotel and park out front for check-in, then they would tell me where to park permanently. The main street in Miltenberg does technically allow cars, but you’ll rarely see them and there are so many pedestrians wandering the street - I was convinced I had messed up and drove past the hotel to park elsewhere! You can actually drive and park in the main square for loading and check-in. The men working the front desk did not speak English, so I had to pull out the bits of German I could remember from high school to communicate with him. I ended up parking in this lot along the river, underneath the bridge. Make sure you pay at the station before you leave!

Screenshot 2024-01-13 at 11.56.51 PM.png

Screenshot 2024-01-13 at 11.58.16 PM.png

Miltenberg: What to Do

The town itself looks like a fairytale, but so do the surroundings! Dogs are allowed on the Reederei Henneberger boat tour along the Main River. Beverages and snacks are available for purchase onboard the one-hour cruise. The dock is only a three-minute walk from the hotel!

Dogs are allowed on the grounds of the castle, Burg Miltenberg, but aren’t allowed to climb up the tower. The path going up to the castle is really beautiful, and from there you can hike in the woods south of Miltenberg! This area is so beautiful, especially the lookout Haagsaussicht. I downloaded this map on All Trails and made my own plan from there.

I highly, highly recommend enjoying sunset at Mainpier, an outdoor bar on the river!

Screenshot 2024-01-13 at 11.51.50 PM.png

Screenshot 2024-01-13 at 11.52.56 PM.png

Miltenberg: Where to Eat & Drink

We arrived in Miltenberg on a Wednesday in August, and nearly everything was closed that night! We settled for a pretty awful pizza. We had much better options the next two days!

For coffee/breakfast, I loved Kostbar, Mocha, and Cafe B. For lunch and dinner, check out Golden Krone (our waitress here was so lovely), Café Gingko, Gasthaus zum Riesen, or Thessaloniki Greek Restaurant. For late(ish) night drinks, Mainpier and Faust Braustuben are both great. All of these places had a lot of outdoor seating!

Screen Shot 2023-08-21 at 12.45.40 PM.png

Screenshot 2024-01-13 at 11.55.54 PM.png

Mainz

We stopped in Mainz for a day to visit friends who used to live in New York! I mostly followed their lead and we had a lovely time, but I don’t have a ton of suggestions. I really enjoyed this outdoor bar, Weinausschank der Mainzer Winzer am Rheinufer, next to the Rhein River, surrounded by parks. The ruins of St. Christoph’s Church are really beautiful. If you happen to be craving Mexican food, El Burro was surprisingly great! We took the bus a few times, and dogs are allowed.

Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 12.36.40 AM.png

Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 12.35.50 AM.png

Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 12.36.06 AM.png

Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 12.35.04 AM.png

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

I cannot say enough good things about Hotel Eisenhut. I splurged a bit on this hotel (I generally try to keep to a $100/night budget, but I paid closer to $200/night for this one), but it was perfectly charming. The room felt huge compared to the single-occupancy economy rooms I’m used to. The lobby and staircase were so beautiful. The view out of my window was perfect. They provided a dog blanket and bowls for Alice!

Hotel Eisenhut does offer parking in a lot nearby for a fee, but driving around Rothenburg is quite an adventure. More than once, I felt that surely I was not supposed to be driving this direction on this road… but I survived!

Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 11.24.16 AM.png

Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 11.26.14 AM.png

Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 12.37.07 AM.png

Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 11.25.44 AM.png

Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 12.37.22 AM.png

Rothenburg ob der Tauber: What to Do

Walk all over this gorgeous medieval town! The architecture, the cathedral, the fountains, the towers - Rothenburg is another fairytale town.

Be sure to walk along the city wall and take in views of the town from above. You can also climb up to the top of Röderturm (with your dog, but I had to carry Alice up the last staircase because it was so steep, almost like a ladder).

The Castle Garden is beautiful and dog-friendly! There was also a music festival happening at night while we were in Rothenburg, so I checked out a set and had a drink. I brought Alice with me because she is almost entirely deaf, so the sound didn’t bother her, and she doesn’t mind crowds!

Behind the castle garden, there are some trails that take you through the woods and down to the Tauber River. Unfortunately, some of these trails were closed off because of the music festival.

The Church of St. James is really beautiful, right in the middle of town. The very kind woman at the ticket counter held Alice for me so I could walk around for five minutes! Just outside of the church, don’t miss the miniature bronze model of the town.

Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 12.41.02 AM.png

Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 12.57.32 AM.png

Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 11.30.23 AM.png

Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 12.48.42 AM.png

Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 11.27.20 AM.png

Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Where to Eat & Drink

I’m not usually a breakfast girlie, but Café Einzigartig was so good!!!

Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 12.42.19 AM.png

Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 12.43.29 AM.png

Am Platzl was one of the most unique and delicious dining experiences I’ve had abroad. I am so impressed by the owner/chef and what he has created here.