Rothenburg ob der Tauber is one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval cities. Today this romantic and charming walled city is a far-cry from the foul-smelling and violent outpost it was some 800 years ago. Experience Rothenburg’s stunning architecture, great shopping, interesting museums and live like royalty – if only for the day.
Traditional German Hospitality from a Bygone Era
As the taxi cab rounded the corner and proceeded through the ancient tower gate, our driver veered to the right and abruptly stopped his vehicle. “This is as far as I can take you, but your inn is just up the street,” he explained in polite, perfect English tinged with a soft, German accent. He hustled to grab our bags from the trunk of his Mercedes Benz as he explained that most of Rothenburg ob der Tauber is off-limits to vehicle traffic due to strict heritage preservation laws. We would have to haul our baggage the remaining few blocks, as the sun began to cast long shadows against the half-timbered houses which line the narrow cobblestone streets.
Staying just inside the old city walls and down the road from the 13th century Klingen Tower, we arrived in the early evening to find the city silently calm and eerily deserted. The town is quiet and devoid of the hundreds of day-trippers and tour groupers who overrun this immaculately-preserved medieval time capsule during peak travel season.
Our first night in Rothenburg began with a casual stroll through its maze of lanes and alleyways that criss-cross the cityscape. It ended with a hearty Bavarian meal that included creamy potato soup, fresh-baked bread, Nuremburger Sausages and of course, several generously-sized glasses of the sweet and fruity local Silvaner white wine. Satisfied and blurry-eyed we returned to our cozy gingerbread guesthouse. The only souls we encountered on route are a group of young backpackers taking in the nightly town ghost tour.
The Jewel of the Romantic Road
While not a household name to many North American travellers, Rothenburg ob der Tauber is one of the most visited spots along the Romantische Strasse or Romantic Road. This a 350 kilometre tourist route that runs from the Baroque city of Wurzburg in the Franconia region of Upper Bavaria to the town of Fussen, near the Austrian border – and home to perhaps the most famous castle in the World – Schloss Neuschwanstein.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber (pronounced Roe-ten-berk,) sits above the Tauber River in the Middle Franconia region of Bavaria, some 250 kilometres North-West of Munich. While accessible by train, the town is better reached by car or bus as access from Munich involves several train changes and may take up to 3 hours each way. Regardless of accessibility, Rothenburg is so charming that lugging your bags onto and off of a half dozen trains is well worth the effort.
As simply getting to Rothenburg without a car can be an adventure in itself, I recommend spending at least one night and one uninterrupted day here. Hotels and guest houses offer surprisingly good value: a comfortable room or small apartment decorated with original features from days of yore can be had for less than 100$ USD per night.
A Dark and Turbulent Past
Rothenburg is a town with a fascinating and somewhat dark history. Founded in 1170, the city soon grew to become one of the largest in the Holy Roman Empire. The city was laid siege to and ultimately sacked by Catholic forces in the Thirty Year’s War between Catholics and Protestants in 1631.
Rothenburg was then devastated again a few years later. This time it was the Black Death that took its toll on the local populace. Later in the 20th Century, Rothenburg was subjected to mild Allied bombing raids and an American military occupation during World War 2. Luckily the town was surrendered without much of a fight, thus preserving the city for future generations to enjoy.
Ever Wanted a Coo Coo Clock or Leather Lederhosen? Well Here’s Your Chance
The following morning we awoke to a very different atmosphere than we had encountered the night before. The sun was shining, but the weather is unseasonably cool for a mid-September day. The streets appeared to be lively and full of people. As we gazed out over a sea of red-tiled roofs from the top of the completely intact city walls which encircle the town, we caught a glimpse of the throngs of visitors who descended from all corners of the globe.
Along the chocolate box-perfect commercial streets of Herrngasse and Schmiedgasse, the curio shops, antiquarians and souvenir houses are doing some brisk trades. The city is particularly well-known for its many Christmas shops that delight visitors and spread holiday cheer 12 months of the year. Here, hand-carved wooden decorations and traditional Bavarian handicrafts are available for purchase but visitors may pay dearly for such novelties.
We sauntered past the red-tiled Rathaus, or city hall, that features an impressive stone bell tower. It is here that tourists gather hourly to watch a coo coo clock-based re-enactment of a past mayor’s heroic feat of wine consumption that would ultimately save the town from additional devastation at the hands of the Holy Roman Empire.
The nearby Market Square bustled as the smell of spiced apple-cider and Schneeballen (local deep-fried donut holes) wafted through the air. Available in a multitude of styles and flavours, a caloric Schneeballen break is a must to spur on any hungry shopper, a local speciality dating back to the 1700’s.
Medieval Justice: Served Cold, Swift and with a Side of Whimsy
As we shopped our way to the southern end of the city, we came across a poignant reminder of Rothenburg’s dark and dreary past. The Medieval Crime Museum houses several floors of gruesome instruments used in torture and punishment, but also many original legal documents and artefacts from medieval houses of justice.
Upon entering the museum, visitors can pose for pictures with their limbs and heads fixed securely inside the wooden stocks that were once used to degrade and humiliate wrong-doers many centuries ago. Original executioner’s axes, shame masks and even an Iron Maiden are on display as stern reminders of a much crueller time where nagging your husband, excessive gossip or the production of sub-par beer could land you in some pretty hot water. The entire museum is outfitted with English captions and explanations to up the educational factor for those who don’t read German.
For those who may not be as fascinated with death and torture, the arguably just-as-creepy Toy and Doll Museum provides an apt alternative. The museum houses one of the largest collections of dolls and toys in Europe and boasts over 800 antique dolls from as far back as the 1700’s.
Getting Better With Age
The afternoon quickly fades into evening in a place like Rothenburg’s. The tour buses depart, the crowds disappear and the busy carnival-like atmosphere again turned solemn. We were once more alone in a fairy tale world of dukes, knights and castles. It would appear as if we had the city almost entirely to ourselves; except of course for the ghosts of the past who continue to live on in tales of the city’s rich history.
The charm and magic of this city are evident to all those fortunate enough to visit. It is no surprise to me that Rothenburg played host to a number of live-action feature films over the years and is said to have inspired the fictional cartoon backdrop for the Disney film, Pinocchio.
As the centuries roll past, it is Rothenburg’s stone walls, cobblestone streets and timbered houses that continue to bear witness to life and death, good times and bad.
While good governance, justice, hygiene and technology have greatly increased since Rothenburg’s halcyon days, the city itself appears to remain a constant. As visitors, we were able to step into another epoch simply by walking through its gates – and that alone is well worth the train ride.