Bertha Benz Memorial Route
Photo: Bühler, Mannheim, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
The Bertha Benz Memorial Route follows the tracks of the world's first long-distance journey by an automobile powered by an internal combustion engine. In 1888, Bertha Benz drove from Mannheim to Pforzheim in the Black Forest and back three days later. This was a round-trip journey of 194 km (120 miles) within Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.
HistoryTwo years earlier, in 1886, Bertha's husband, Dr Karl Benz, had invented the internal-combustion powered automobile in Mannheim (Reich Patent No. 37435) - but nobody wanted to buy his invention.
Get inFrankfurt am Main Airport (FRA). Then head south by rented car or ICE-train about 80 km to either Mannheim or Heidelberg.
RouteThe authentic route taken by Bertha Benz not only links almost forgotten original sites she passed on her way, it also leads to one of the most attractive scenic regions in Germany, the wine region of Baden.
ConnectYou should achieve a strong GSM mobile phone signal throughout this itinerary.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Bertha Benz Memorial Route" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Bühler, Mannheim, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons