A Medieval Gem

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany, what a gem! Medieval castle walls, authentic Bavarian houses, cobblestone streets lined with Christmas shops, and a beautiful forest backdrop… these are views that will stick with us for a lifetime! 

We started our quest on Saturday morning, waking up at 4am, taking a dark walk to the train station and catching our train to Rothenburg. As we rode along, we watched the fog dissipate, and the sunrise over the rolling hills revealing thick forests intertwined with small German towns. 

We stepped back in time as we walked through the Rödertor Gate (one of the six gateways to the city) and into Rothenburg. Mesmerized by the scene around us, we walked along the cobblestone streets and found Gästehaus Raidel, our 500-year-old B&B. We were greeted by the soft-spoken owner who guided us up the creaky staircase to our quaint little room, perfect for a weekend stay! 

We wandered to the main square, admiring the incredible architecture around us and catching our first glimpse of St. George slaying the dragon at the top of the fountain. At 12 o’clock sharp, the bells on the Councilors’ Tavern began to toll and the little windows popped open, revealing two wooden men sipping their beer. The perfect attraction for a small German town! We stopped by Metzgerei Trumpp for a German “day dog” (Richard’s first German brat!), then continued on to the Christmas museum. What a magical store! There were rooms and rooms of Christmas décor and every type of ornament imaginable! It is here that we found a unique souvenir, our little Hummel Bavarian dancers.

We continued to soak up the picturesque town, taking way too many pictures, but having fun doing so. We took a mid-afternoon break to taste a Schneeballen, a Rothenburg specialty (a thin pastry ball covered in powder sugar, chocolate, our nougats), then headed over to the castle walls to defend the city from uninvited guests. The walls are still lined with small walkways that wrap around the entire town and are open to the public. As we wandered the city walls, we stopped at Röder Tower to climb the rickety ladders to the very top. We were rewarded with stunning views of the city, captivated by the adorable red rooftops. 

Amy's high school German class name!

From here, we wandered to St. Jakob’s Church where we were hoping to take tour and see the artifacts inside. However, as we turned the corner, we found a bride and her wedding party and a church closed to the public. No tour today! Instead, we walked through the castle gardens and down the hill to Rapunzel’s castle (aka Toppler Castle), stopping to admire the covered bridge and fish swimming in the stream. 

After making it back up the steep hillside, we rewarded ourselves with a glass of wine, well actually five glasses… Restaurant Glocke provides a fantastic wine tasting, complete with mini glasses presented in a basket... adorable! Richard’s tasting of the sweet whites won the award for “best summer evening sipping”. Jeff’s reds won the award for “most unique smoky flavor”. And Amy’s dry whites won the award for “most typical”. 

We followed the wine tasting with a quick German dinner, consisting of pork knuckle and schnitzel, then made our way to the town square for the “must-see” Night Watchman’s tour. Talk about a fun event! The Night Watchman came strolling across the main square, with his halberd in one hand and lit lantern in the other. Taking his place on the top steps of the Rathaus, he began his story and lead us around the town, sharing the history of Rothenburg. We learned about the trials the city faced, the influence of the plague and Thirty Years’ War, change of trade routes, and most interesting, how, 200 years of poverty actually ended up preserving the city. We also learned that 40 percent of Rothenburg was destroyed at the end of WWII and thanks to cloudy weather and a little luck from an American soldier, the remaining 60 percent of the city was spared from destruction. A great way to end our first day in this medieval city! 

We woke on Sunday, ready to continue our quest of touring the city. We enjoyed a German-style breakfast complete with sausage, cheese, hard-boiled eggs and lots of bread. Fully energized, we hit the town, making our way to the Imperial Town Museum. At this former abbey, we admired countless artifacts from antique guns, daggers, canyons, and beautiful suits of armor, to a random astrology globe and original caveman tools, and more beer steins than you can imagine!

Next, we strolled over to St. Jakob’s Church aka St. James Church, to admire the stunning Altar of the Holy Blood, completed by Tilman Riemenschneider, the “Michelangelo" of German woodcarvers. The 500-year-old, 35-foot-high wooden alter depicts the scene from the last supper as well as scenes of Jesus entering Jerusalem and a scene of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. The alter is said to hold a relic of Christ’s blood, and the meticulous wood carvings are absolutely incredible (including the fact that Judas can be entirely removed from the altarpiece during the Easter season). The tabernacle in the main portion of the church is also worth admiring and even includes paintings on the back. #funfact 

We continued our tour of the city, heading to the south wall to admire the Spitaltor tower, complete with old cannons still in place, ready to shoot the intruders. We stopped off for a quick lunch at “Rothen-burger” (couldn’t resist the silly name) then took a trip to the Medieval Crime Museum (not sure if this was the best idea right after lunch...). Given the number of crime and torture museums that we’ve seen in Europe, we figured we needed to visit at least one, and why not do it in a medieval town? 

A gossiper's mask

A barrel worn by the drunks!

Continuing on, we took one last stroll on the city walls and one last stop to relax in the castle gardens, soaking up the beautiful fall weather. As the day came to an end, we made our way back to the B&B, collected our bags, and set off for the train station. Just the opposite of our ride to Rothenburg, on our journey home, we watched the sun set behind the horizon, painting the sky with an array of colors, marking the end to another incredible trip.