In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
About 375 kilometres along the Main, through the Main-Viereck and the Odenwald, across the Hochspessart and on to the Volkach Mainschleife: a route on which you park by the river almost every evening – and should take the water level as seriously as the wine list.
The spirit of the route
The Main here is not a river that forces itself on you. It winds in wide bends around the Spessart, green and unhurried, push-barges chug past, grey herons stand on the towpath. In the morning mist hangs over the water until the sun reaches the red sandstone walls of Miltenberg and Wertheim. Beyond begins forest that hardly ever ends: beeches and sessile oaks in the Hochspessart, half-timbered villages in the Odenwald, meadow valleys where all you hear is a brook and the call of the black woodpecker. Further east the landscape tips into Franconia, shell limestone replaces sandstone, vineyards fall steeply to the river, and Bocksbeutel bottles stand on wooden tables in the courtyards. From your sliding door you will usually see water, vineyard or forest, often all at once. The pace is slow, the stages are short, and many pitches lie so close to the bank that the lapping of bow waves lulls you to sleep.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Aschaffenburg to Klingenberg am Main (approx. 30 km)
- The drive
- From Aschaffenburg take the B469 or the parallel riverside roads upstream along the Main via Niedernberg, Großwallstadt and Obernburg. The terrain is flat and well built up in the broad Main valley, with the edge of the Odenwald on your left and the Spessart on your right. In Klingenberg things get tight: the old town lies between river and steep slope, and its lanes and railway underpasses are unsuitable for large vehicles. Around 40 minutes of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Johannisburg Palace in Aschaffenburg: the four-winged Renaissance residence of the Archbishops of Mainz, built of red Main sandstone (1605–1614), today home to the state gallery and the collection of cork architectural models.
- The Pompejanum above the Main terraces: King Ludwig I had a Roman villa recreated here; the vineyard in front offers a fine view of the palace and the river.
- The Roman Museum in Obernburg, and then the Clingenburg castle ruin above Klingenberg, reached on foot through the steep red-wine vineyards of the Schlossberg.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Klingenberg the “Main.Berg.Blick” motorhome area lies on the bank of the Main, with electricity and service facilities; between Klingenberg and Trennfurt there are also several riverside campsites, for example Campingplatz Mainruh. If you want to stay overnight in Aschaffenburg: the municipal motorhome area at the Willigisbrücke (Stadtwerke, around 30 pitches, electricity for a fee) is within walking distance of the old town; the service facilities are switched off in winter, and users report waterlogged ground after rain.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Wild camping is not expressly regulated in Germany: a single overnight stay to restore fitness to drive is tolerated in public car parks where a sign does not prohibit it – without chairs, awning or lowered stabilisers. Along the banks of the Main between Aschaffenburg and Miltenberg there are so many inexpensive pitches that it is not worth it; riverside meadows and towpaths are off limits.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Willigisbrücke motorhome area lies directly on the bank of the Main and can be closed and cleared at short notice when the river floods. Before the night, check the Main water levels at Aschaffenburg on the Bavarian flood information service (hnd.bayern.de). Leave the camper at the pitch for Johannisburg and the Pompejanum: the old-town lanes and multi-storey car parks are not made for motorhomes.
2Stage 2: Klingenberg am Main to Michelstadt (Odenwald) (approx. 50 km)
- The drive
- Continue upstream along the Main via Laudenbach and Kleinheubach to Miltenberg, then up the Mud valley via Weilbach to Amorbach and from there on the B47 over the Odenwald heights into the Hessian Mümling valley to Michelstadt. Beyond Amorbach there are several long climbs and wide bends through beech forest, well built up. Just over an hour of driving time in all.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Miltenberg: the “Schnatterloch” market square with half-timbered houses below the Mildenburg, the “Zum Riesen” inn on Hauptstraße and the castle itself with its museum and view across the Main-Viereck.
- Amorbach Abbey Church with its great Baroque organ by the Stumm family of organ builders, next to the Green Hall and library of the former Benedictine abbey (now owned by the Princes of Leiningen, guided tours).
- Michelstadt: the late Gothic half-timbered town hall of 1484 on its wooden supports and the Carolingian Einhard Basilica in the Steinbach district.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Michelstadt has a municipal motorhome area with around ten pitches, electricity and service facilities within walking distance of the old town; in neighbouring Erbach there is the Reisemobilstellplatz am Alexanderbad. If you would rather stay on the Main: in Miltenberg MainCamping lies on the north bank (early April to end of September, electricity, sanitary facilities, service point), plus several municipal motorhome areas, for example at the Schwertfegertor (all year, water for a fee, no electricity, maximum three days) and at the Martinsbrücke (vehicle length up to 7.5 m).
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The hikers’ car parks in the Bergstraße-Odenwald Geo-Naturpark are meant for day visitors; overnighting in the forest and on forest tracks is prohibited in Hesse as in Bavaria, and forest roads must not be driven on. With the motorhome areas in Michelstadt, Erbach and Amorbach you need no alternative.
- Insider tip for campers
- The motorhome area at the swimming pool in Miltenberg can only be used for one night, from 5 pm to 10 am, and is closed during the Michaelismesse (in 2026 from 11 August to 15 September, including set-up and dismantling). Amorbach has only a few pitches on the edge of the old town – for the abbey church it is better to stop in the morning. Miltenberg’s old town is unsuitable for through traffic; use the bypass.
3Stage 3: Michelstadt to Wertheim via Erbach and Walldürn (approx. 80 km)
- The drive
- Three kilometres up the Mümling to Erbach, then back onto the B47 over the heights to Amorbach and on to Walldürn – hill country with clearings and woods, bends but no narrow points. From Walldürn take minor roads through the Bauland to Külsheim and down into the Tauber valley to Bronnbach Monastery; the last stretch follows the Tauber to its confluence in Wertheim. Just under two hours of driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Erbach: the palace of the Counts of Erbach-Erbach with its collection of antlers and armour, and the German Ivory Museum, which recalls the local carving tradition.
- Walldürn: the pilgrimage basilica of St. Georg with the Holy Blood altar, destination of a main pilgrimage lasting several weeks in early summer, and the reconstructed Roman bath on the Limes.
- Bronnbach Monastery in the Tauber valley, a Cistercian abbey from the 12th century with cloister, monastery garden and wine shop – Tauberfranken only brushed in passing.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Wertheim there are AZUR Camping Wertheim am Main and Campingpark Wertheim-Bettingen further up the Main, both with electricity and sanitary facilities; check the season dates beforehand. Directly opposite the old town, in Kreuzwertheim, there is a motorhome area on the bank of the Main. For an intermediate stop, Walldürn has small motorhome areas and a large one at the Goldschmitt Technik-Center on the edge of town, and Külsheim has a motorhome area at the palace.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Baden-Württemberg, too, a single overnight stay to restore fitness to drive is tolerated where parking is allowed. The Main meadows at the Tauber confluence in Wertheim lie in the flood zone and are no place to spend the night, even if they look empty.
- Insider tip for campers
- Wertheim lies at the confluence of the Main and the Tauber and is one of the most frequently flooded towns in southern Germany – flood marks on the old town show how high the water can rise. For Baden-Württemberg, the Hochwasservorhersagezentrale (hvz.baden-wuerttemberg.de) provides information. The old town is a pedestrian zone and the castle is reached on foot by steep paths; during the Walldürn main pilgrimage, parking in the town is scarce.
4Stage 4: Wertheim to Marktheidenfeld (approx. 25 km)
- The drive
- Cross the Main bridge to Kreuzwertheim and follow the right bank of the Main through the narrow sandstone valley to Triefenstein with Homburg am Main, then on to Marktheidenfeld. A quiet, winding riverside road between forest and river, in places narrow in the villages. Half an hour of driving time – time enough for Wertheim Castle in the morning.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Wertheim Castle high above the old town, one of the largest castle ruins in southern Germany, with a view of the confluence of the Tauber and the Main.
- Homburg am Main: the palace on the rock above the village and below it the steep Kallmuth vineyard with its old dry-stone walls.
- The old sandstone Main bridge in Marktheidenfeld and the Franck-Haus, a Baroque townhouse with exhibitions.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Stellplatz Martinswiese in Marktheidenfeld, directly on the Main and within walking distance of the old town: around 30 pitches on gravel, electricity for coins, service facilities, payment at the machine or by app. Only the night from 6 pm to 9 am is charged; during the day you can park free of charge for a town visit; the town asks you not to stay longer than three days. During the Laurenzi-Messe in summer and at major events the site is closed, and if it is cleared because of flood risk you must leave immediately – fees already paid are not refunded.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): No reason to wild camp: on the banks of the Main between Wertheim and Marktheidenfeld the lay-bys by the river are day car parks, and the riverbank strips belong to the floodplain.
- Insider tip for campers
- The short stage suits a cycling day well: the Main cycle path runs along the bank here almost free of cars, so you can cycle from Marktheidenfeld to Homburg and back instead of driving the camper through the narrow villages. Marktheidenfeld has large supermarkets on the edge of town – shop and fill up with water before the Spessart day.
5Stage 5: Marktheidenfeld to Lohr am Main via Hafenlohrtal, Rohrbrunn and Mespelbrunn (approx. 75 km)
- The drive
- Downstream along the Main to Hafenlohr and then into the Hafenlohr valley: a narrow road follows the brook through meadows and forest up to Lichtenau, often without a centre line, with cyclists and timber lorries. Via Rohrbrunn on the A3 and Weibersbrunn down into the Elsava valley to Mespelbrunn; back via Weibersbrunn and on minor roads through the Hochspessart northwards to the B26 near Lohrer Straße and downhill via Rechtenbach to Lohr. A good two hours of pure driving time through almost unbroken forest.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Hafenlohrtal nature reserve: brook meadows, alluvial forest and beech slopes in a valley that was once to be flooded for a drinking-water reservoir. Walks from Lichtenau, for example to the Hoher Knuck natural forest reserve.
- Rohrbrunn in the heart of the Hochspessart with ancient oak and beech stands in the surrounding area; the village is regarded as the setting of Hauff’s “Wirtshaus im Spessart”.
- Mespelbrunn moated castle in a quiet forest valley, ancestral seat of the Echter family, still lived in today in the south wing by the Counts of Ingelheim, called Echter von und zu Mespelbrunn; guided interior tours, in 2026 from 28 March to 9 November, then closed for the winter.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Motorhome area at the Mainlände in Lohr, on the Osttangente by the river: around 20 pitches, also for longer vehicles, electricity for coins, service facilities (switched off in winter), maximum two nights. If you would like to sleep closer to the castle, there are small motorhome areas in the Elsava valley, for example in Heimbuchenthal with only a few pitches.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Hochspessart is a nature park, and Hafenlohrtal and Hoher Knuck are nature reserves: overnighting in hikers’ car parks, on forest tracks or meadows is not allowed here, and forest roads are closed to motor vehicles. The car park at Mespelbrunn Castle, too, is for visiting, not for overnighting.
- Insider tip for campers
- On the narrow valley road in the Hafenlohr valley you will meet long-timber lorries – wait in passing places in good time. Rohrbrunn and Weibersbrunn have hardly any infrastructure – fill up with fuel and shop beforehand in Marktheidenfeld. Visit Mespelbrunn early in the morning: from late morning the car park and access road fill up with coaches.
6Stage 6: Lohr am Main to Karlstadt (approx. 30 km)
- The drive
- On the B26 in the Main valley upstream to Gemünden, where the Sinn and the Franconian Saale flow into the Main, then through the increasingly open valley with the first shell-limestone slopes to Karlstadt. A well-built main road, with a short stretch through town in Gemünden with railway bridges. Around 40 minutes of driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The Spessart Museum in Lohr Palace, where Electoral Mainz mirrors from the Lohr glassworks are displayed – some researchers see Lohr as the origin of the Snow White fairy tale.
- The Scherenburg castle ruin above Gemünden with a view of the valley of three rivers.
- Karlstadt: the walled old town with town hall and gates, and across the river the Karlsburg ruin and the dry grasslands at the Kalbenstein with steppe heath and rare orchids.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Motorhome area of the Stadtwerke Karlstadt am Main, a few minutes from the old town, with electricity and service facilities; next to it Campingplatz Karlstadt with sanitary facilities for anyone who needs a full campsite.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The dry slopes at the Kalbenstein and the Grainberg are nature-protected; the field tracks leading there are closed to motor vehicles. In Gemünden, on the Lindenwiese, there are simple motorhome pitches without facilities as a legal short-term alternative.
- Insider tip for campers
- Karlstadt and Lohr each lie directly on the river – in winter and spring, after prolonged rain or snowmelt, the motorhome areas can be closed at short notice. Check the Würzburg and Steinbach water levels on the Bavarian flood information service. Water at the Main motorhome areas is often switched off in winter because of frost; then fill up beforehand at a campsite.
7Stage 7: Karlstadt to Dettelbach (approx. 55 km)
- The drive
- On the B27 along the Main via Zellingen and the wine village of Thüngersheim to Veitshöchheim, driving through Würzburg only in passing: via the ring road and federal-road link eastwards towards Kitzingen and from Mainstockheim along the river again to Dettelbach. Rush-hour traffic and many traffic lights in the Würzburg urban area; otherwise well-built roads. A good hour of driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Veitshöchheim Court Garden, the Rococo garden of the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg with hedge rooms, lakes and sandstone figures – free to enter.
- The pilgrimage church of Maria im Sand in Dettelbach with its portal and rich pulpit, a few steps from the old town.
- Dettelbach’s town wall with its many towers, and the local pastry speciality Muskazinen.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Dettelbach motorhome area at the Mainlände: around 60 pitches, also for vehicles over 8 m, electricity and water for a fee, grey water and cassette included, open all year (disposal not in winter), stay of up to seven nights, payment at the machine. Larger alternative sites are offered by Kitzingen and Mainstockheim.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Around Würzburg and in the Maindreieck, vineyard tracks are agricultural roads closed to traffic; the winegrowers do not tolerate overnighting there. Many wine estates, however, offer pitches in the farmyard – phone politely beforehand; a purchase is always welcome.
- Insider tip for campers
- If you are not stopping in Würzburg, it is best to skirt the city centre widely – there is hardly any parking for motorhomes in the inner city. For a city visit the motorhome area at the Friedensbrücke is suitable, but it also lies on the bank. In Dettelbach the old town lies slightly above the motorhome area – five minutes on foot.
8Stage 8: Dettelbach to Volkach (Mainschleife) (approx. 30 km)
- The drive
- Via Schwarzach am Main with Münsterschwarzach Abbey to Sommerach and Nordheim on the “wine island” between the Altmain and the Main canal, then by vehicle ferry from Nordheim across to Escherndorf, up to the Vogelsburg and on to Volkach. Short stretches through vineyards, narrow village streets in Sommerach and Nordheim. With stops a whole day, driving time under an hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The Vogelsburg on the spur of the Mainschleife: a viewing terrace above the river, the Escherndorfer Lump vineyard and the wine country all around.
- The pilgrimage church of Maria im Weingarten on the Kirchberg near Volkach with the Rosary Madonna by Tilman Riemenschneider, reached on foot through the vines.
- Münsterschwarzach Abbey Church with its bright building from the 1930s and the monastery shop.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Around the Mainschleife there are many riverside sites: Campingplatz Escherndorf am Main and the Wohnmobilhafen Mainschleife in Escherndorf, the municipal motorhome area on the bank of the Main in Nordheim (April to end of October, electricity for a fee, maximum three nights), the motorhome area on the bank of the Main in Volkach (early April to end of October, electricity) and several winegrowers’ pitches in Sommerach and Nordheim. In autumn and on wine-festival weekends, arrive early.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The vineyards and Main meadows on the Volkach Mainschleife are partly under landscape and nature protection; overnighting outside the motorhome areas and campsites is not tolerated, and at harvest time tractors drive on every track.
- Insider tip for campers
- In September and October the wine festivals and Heckenwirtschaften are open – the Häcker pour their own wine in courtyards and barns, often only for a few weeks. Expect full motorhome areas then. The Main ferries at Nordheim, Fahr, Obereisenheim and Wipfeld also carry motorhomes across; most run with a lunch break, and at Obereisenheim service stops in winter – current times at volkach.de. The sites on the Mainschleife all lie low on the bank: in a flood they are closed and cleared, and the ferry service may also stop; keep an eye on the Würzburg and Schweinfurt water levels.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- German road traffic law allows parking but not camping on public land. In Bavaria, Hesse and Baden-Württemberg a single overnight stay to restore fitness to drive is tolerated in car parks without a prohibition sign – without table, chairs, awning and lowered stabilisers. Anyone who sets up camp risks a fine.
- In forest, open countryside and nature reserves, overnighting in the vehicle is prohibited; forest and field tracks are closed to motor vehicles. On this route that applies to the Spessart nature park and the Bergstraße-Odenwald Geo-Naturpark as well as protected areas such as Hafenlohrtal, Hoher Knuck and Kalbenstein.
- Riverside meadows, towpaths and the Main foreland are floodplain. Here too the rule applies: park by day for a picnic where allowed, and move to designated sites at night.
- The density of municipal motorhome areas and winegrowers’ pitches along the Main is high, and prices are moderate. For finding and comparing, park4night, Campercontact, the promobil pitch search and the Bordatlas are suitable; winegrowers’ pitches are often listed on the websites of the wine villages.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Almost every Main motorhome area has a service post; water is usually paid for with coins, and grey water and cassette are often included. Many facilities are switched off in winter because of frost – then head for a year-round campsite.
- Drain grey water only at the station, never into drains, vineyard gutters or the Main. The contents of a chemical toilet belong in the cassette disposal; biodegradable additives are often compulsory on winegrowers’ farms with a small sewage plant.
- Tap water in Germany is drinking water; at motorhome areas look out for the “Kein Trinkwasser” sign and use your own hose approved for drinking water.
- Gas: grey 11 kg exchange cylinders (owned or deposit cylinders) are available at many petrol stations, DIY stores and campsites. Refillable cylinders and gas tanks can be filled at autogas stations without an adapter (German ACME thread). Foreign cylinders are generally not exchanged.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: motorhomes up to 3.5 t 50 km/h in built-up areas, 100 km/h outside them, no limit on the motorway (recommended speed 130 km/h); 3.5 to 7.5 t 80 km/h outside built-up areas and 100 km/h on the motorway; over 7.5 t 60 km/h outside built-up areas and 80 km/h on the motorway. Vehicles with trailers drive 80 km/h outside built-up areas and 80 km/h on the motorway, 100 km/h with a 100 km/h approval.
- Low-emission zones: to our knowledge there are none on the route itself; if you arrive via Frankfurt am Main, you need the green sticker there. Check the current position beforehand with the Federal Environment Agency.
- Tolls: there is no car toll in Germany, and motorhomes with permanently installed living quarters are exempt from the lorry toll even above 3.5 t. A toll may apply if a heavy motorhome tows a trailer whose load area is larger than the living area (such as boat or car transporters), or if a self-build looks like a lorry from the outside – in that case a precautionary registration with Toll Collect is advisable. In the Main towns watch for weight restrictions on old bridges, height limits at railway underpasses and no-through-traffic rules in old towns such as Miltenberg, Wertheim and Klingenberg.
- Winter tyres are required situationally in slippery conditions (marked with the Alpine symbol); in the Hochspessart and on the Odenwald heights expect snow and ice from November to March. A load that projects more than 1 m to the rear must be marked – a warning panel for the bike rack, as in Italy, is not required in Germany.
- Alcohol: 0.5 per mille, and 0.0 for novice drivers in their probationary period and under-21s – after an evening in a Heckenwirtschaft, drive on only the next morning. Smartphone at the wheel only via hands-free kit.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- A water-level app or bookmark for the Bavarian flood information service and the Baden-Württemberg Hochwasservorhersagezentrale – almost all overnight sites lie on bank and foreland areas.
- A bag of one-euro coins for electricity, water and parking machines at the Main motorhome areas.
- Bicycles: the Main cycle path links many stage towns almost on the flat, and you can explore old towns such as Miltenberg, Wertheim and Volkach more relaxedly with them than with the camper.
- A ground-protection mat and levelling ramps – many sites are meadow or grass grid and soft after rain.
- A wine cooler or extra fridge capacity for Bocksbeutel from Escherndorf, Nordheim and Klingenberg, well stowed against clinking on cobbles.
- Sturdy walking boots for the forest tracks in the Hochspessart and the Hafenlohr valley, which are muddy after rain.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
