Oh, Rothenburg. A marvelous little fairytale.
Everything about this tiny city was enchanting.
I had less than twenty-four hours in Rothenburg, and I was absolutely determined to make every minute count. Let’s start by checking out the digs, shall we?
The hotel I stayed at was lovely in every way. I would love to return to Rothenburg someday, and I would absolutely stay at the Romantic Hotel Markusturm again.
Come on, how charming is this cute little place right next to the clock tower?
Let’s step inside.
Cute, cozy, iconic.
The people who worked there were so wonderful and kind, and the location of the hotel can’t be beat.
They had a charming little staircase (be forewarned – there is no elevator, so you will be carrying whatever suitcase and luggage you have to at minimum the second floor).
When I checked in, they let me know that they’d upgraded my room, because I booked online through their website directly instead of using third-party platforms. It was so kind of them to upgrade me!
They’d just renovated their rooms, and they were so charming.
We love the exposed wood beam. Let’s continue our tour. The room was very spacious, with the bed at the far end, and a small seating area at the front with a desk, plus a few chairs and a couch. They gave me mineralwasser and some gummy bears, as well, which was a cute touch!
There was a nice shower area – hello mirror-me.
Lastly, there was a very adorable window seat that looked out to a flower box.
I sat here and listened to the rain for a bit.
Despite the short break for rain in the afternoon, the day began with sunshine, so I set out to explore as soon as I dropped my bags.
Rothenburg was so utterly charming, I stopped every five seconds to take a photo of a cute building.
Let’s jump into a few of my favs, shall we?
I would be remiss to not start with the iconic yellow, timber-framed house at the Plönlein. The Plönlein is a small city square, surrounded by beautiful buildings. This particular building is an infamous spot for photographers in the city.
It’s admittedly a beautiful spot, but there are so many more places in Rothenburg that are just as lovely. Let’s check them out!
Not only were the timber-framed structures around Rothenburg so cool to look at, but several had really cool paintings done in various spots on their exteriors.
This one says “Deutches Haus, deutches Land. Schirm es Gott met starker Hand.” German house, German land. Protect it, God, with a strong hand.
You’ll sometimes see this phrase painted on plaques in homes, so it was cool to see it on the exterior.
Another iconic structure is the Gerlachschmiede, also known as the House of Slytherin.
Ok, it’s not really the House of Slytherin, but it is fun to imagine. It’s come to earn this nickname due to the snake-covered coat of arms at the center of the structure. The coat of arms is from Georg Gerlach, a former blacksmith, who worked at the forge once located in this building. The existing structure is not quite the original, which was destroyed in an air raid in 1945. It was restored in 1951 and continued to serve as a forge until 1967.
Nearby was another building that struck me – as I approached, I was drawn in by the vibrant red shutters against the stone building.
As I got closer, I saw that the center window had a stone Star of David in it – I’ve tried to learn more about the origin of this, but couldn’t find any information. I wondered if it was something the homeowners were forced to add during Nazi occupation, or if it was something added after the fact. The stone is dated 1760, but that could have also been added any time after it was built to denote the year the building was completed.
In general, the streets of Rothenburg were lovely to walk through, simply absorbing the beautiful architecture and the life of the city!
Next on my list was to walk the city’s medieval walls, but first, I needed to get some lunch.
I’d been told that Fränkisches Schäufele – pork shoulder – was a must-have in the Francionian region of Germany, so I set out to find a solid restaurant in which to consume it, which led me to Der Reichsküchenmeister, which is both a hotel and a restaurant. A very common theme in Rothenburg.
This place was so damn cute, and my server was jolly as hell. He clearly loved his job, and was so kind to everyone in the restaurant. He tolerated my very terrible German and kept up conversation with me entirely in German while I was there.
I had a giggle at the menu, which exclaimed “Endlich Spargelzeit! Zeit für Fränkischen Spargel.” Finally asparagus-time! Time for Franconian asparagus.”
Germans do not fuck around with Spargelzeit. They get pumped for Spargelzeit. Honestly, can’t blame them. They do know how to cook some asparagus.
I ordered my Fränkisches Schäufele, which also came with dumplings and a red pepper salad.
The Schäufele was excellent, but those dumplings were phenomenal! They stole the show for me. I ate every last bite on my plate. I wasn’t a huge fan of the red pepper salad, to be honest. I tried it, but left most of it to focus on the Schäufele and dumplings, which were extremely filling.
Not everything can be a winner, and that’s ok!
Now that I was properly fueled, I decided to hit the most popular attraction in Rothenburg, and what I was most excited to see: the city’s medieval walls.
I did, in fact, walk the entirety of the city’s walls. I mean, come on, you kind of have to.
The city walls are marked with 42 towers and 6 gates, all of which are unique.
I started by Galgentor, or the Gallows Gate. Yikes to that name!
When you climb the stairs to the top, there’s a little overlook that you can see over the city.
Look how cute Rothenburg is in the background.
And thus, I began my journey around the city!
There were a few things I noticed as I walked. First, there were stones labelled with peoples’ names.
This is in honor of folks who donated to Rothenburg after World War II, as part of efforts to repair portions of the city that were damaged. Fun fact: Rothenburg was primarily saved from extensive damage during the war, because of U.S. Assistant Secretary of War, John J. McCloy. His mother had once visited the city, loved it, and kept a picture of the city in her home. Her son, who would grow up seeing the photo and hearing his mother’s story, decided that he could not bomb the city, and instead negotiated with the Nazi occupiers of the city, who surrendered.
Other features of the walls include slots for artillery build during the Middle Ages.
As I walked the walls, I periodically descended to take photos of the six gates, as well as to visit some of their surrounding features. The next gate was Klingentor, or Blade Gate. All very ominous-sounding names.
Probably my second-favorite looking gate.
My first-favorite gate was by far, Burgtor, or the Castle Gate.
GORGEOUS.
We’re going to stop and give this gate it’s moment in the sun.
First, this is sick as hell. There’s a little face directly in front of the gate, through which they would have poured hot tar onto their enemies, and that’s so cool.
Always thinking, those medieval folks.
Even walking through this gate was beautiful.
In the Middle Ages, there was a curfew for Rothenburg. All citizens had to be back in the city by a certain time, at which point, all of the city gates would be locked down, and you could not enter until the morning.
However, there was once exception, and it was at the Castle Gate. Here, there was a tinier door within the larger city door, in which latecomers could enter upon negotiating with the guards.
It was only large enough for one man to fit through, barely, ensuring the city would not be tricked into letting in enemies.
It’s very small. No Trojan Horses getting through Rothenburg!
Aside from how badass this gate is, it’s also the most beautiful. Just outside the gate is a lovely park, which offers beautiful views of the city.
You can see several of the 42 towers in the distance.
There’s also a beautiful garden.
A statue for each season!
I took a moment to lean dramatically over the balcony, both for photo purposes and viewing purposes.
Can you blame me with views like this??
Rothenburg is simply the most charming place I have visited.
If you exit the park through one of the side towers, you not only get to walk through a cool archway, but you get another cool view of the city.
Look at all those cute people, sitting on benches and enjoying their day.
Every corner of this city is adorable.
And idyllic.
A fun story – there was once a castle near Castle Gate – go figure. It existed before the city walls were built, and it was only for the king to stay at during his visits, which were very few.
Now, back in the day, they were all very scared of earthquakes, because it was the Middle Ages and they were scared of a lot of things.
One day, when the king returned to Rothenburg, his castle was simply gone. When he asked the villagers what happened, they told him that an earthquake had demolished the castle, and there was nothing left of it.
Historians have questioned this for a long time, because Rothenburg does not lie on a fault line, and it’s virtually impossible that an earthquake would have damaged the city to that degree, or to particularly demolish the castle and nothing else in the city.
Eventually, records from other cities have been uncovered which explain what happened.
The citizens had begun building the wall, but realized they would not have enough bricks to fortify the city. Off in the distance was the king’s castle, virtually unused. Would be a real shame if anything happened to it.
The citizens decided they needed the castle more than the king did, and they dismantled it to put up the city walls. They told him the story of the earthquake to explain away his missing castle, but one has to wonder if he knew what they really did.
The castle had a very particular form of bricks, which are shaped like a belly, protruding out roundly. As you walk along the walls of the city, you can see them distinctly. Kind of fun to know you’re walking past what was once a castle.
Also, so hilarious that the citizens of Rothenburg did that. 10/10. You can see above how the center stone protrudes beyond the other flat stones of the city walls.
Next up was Spitaltor, which was my second favorite gate in terms of activities.
If you continue straight on, there’s a really beautiful courtyard with a majestic tree.
But, if you choose to go up the tiny set of stairs, you get to go on an adventure.
The first adorable staircase made me feel like a main character in National Treasure.
You can see me practicing my best “curious-National-Treasure-explorer-face.” Nic Cage, call me any time for the third installment of the films. I’m ready.
Just a girl having fun, twirling in a long dress in a medieval staircase, thinking about the cult classic film National Treasure. A state of being I would like to permanently reside in.
If you continue on through the stairs, however, you get to step back into time.
You can walk through the structure, not just above it.
There were even a few canons just casually sitting there.
I could have explored in here for ages. Like where does this little door go?
This space is open to the public to explore, but there is a bit of a thrilling feeling that you’re somewhere you shouldn’t be. The whole time I was wandering, I couldn’t believe this space was just open for me to walk around. It was so cool – one of my favorite parts of visiting the city.
If you continue outside of the fortress, there’s a beautiful entrance back into the city.
The bridge here overlooked a path, where I could imagine a fantastical moat that may or may not have ever existed.
There was also a gorgeous bridge that led into another entrance into the bastion.
After I finished my tour of the walls, I decided it was time for a little treat, Rothenburg’s famous pastry, the Schneeball. Snowball.
It’s a deep-fried shortcrust pastry that is covered in powdered sugar. You can also get it covered in chocolate and other toppings.
You can find them in bakeries across the city, but to be honest, they weren’t my favorite. They were okay, they just didn’t strike me as amazing or particularly special. Much better treats to be had, in my opinion!
If you’re thinking at this point that this is a lot to do in one day, you’d be right, but you’d also be wrong, because there was so much more to pack into 24 hours!
I had not yet had my fill of Medieval attractions, so I made my way to the Medieval Crime Museum.
This place was very interesting, and overall unsettling.
Would not want to be trapped in one of those guys.
Or one of those guys.
Or definitely one of these guys.
There were a lot of interesting things in the museum, including a section on shame-based punishments, which I think we should seriously consider bringing back.
These masks look like they might actually double as a weapon, so I wouldn’t encourage these making a return.
HOWEVER. These shoes that have bells on them to jingle and alert you when a criminal is near?? When and why did we ever get rid of these??
You’re not getting within 100 feet of a school if you’re not supposed to be in these shoes. I’m just saying! These could be helpful!
They also had this executioner’s robe, which was wild to see in-person.
V. creepy. 10/10.
They also had an executioner’s sword, which was also wild to look at and think about the history it was part of – and ended.
They also had this creepy Iron Maiden, which reminded me of every Scooby Doo movie ever.
They basically noted that they had no evidence this was ever used, and they essentially believed that while it was a mechanism for punishment, the nails inside were added at a later date, so it was not used for torture. Although if you’re telling me someone was enclosed in here as a form of punishment, that does feel a bit like torture – even if the spikes were not included.
Either way, she was scary looking. As were a lot of the things in the museum!
After my tour of the museum, I decided to lighten the mood before eventually heading back into the Middle Ages.
In addition to being a charming town also full of scary medieval things, Rothenburg is home to the largest Christmas store in the world, Käthe Wohlfahrt.
It also has its own museum.
This place is no joke.
It has an enormous Christmas tree at the center, and has a variety of rooms, halls, and corners, all brimming with Christmas decorations and gifts.
Someone call the North Pole and check Santa’s pulse, because Rothenburg is out here absolutely slaying.
At this point, it had begun to rain, so I hustled back to my hotel for a while and rested.
That evening, I had plans to take part in the Night Watchman tour, which is an absolute MUST. This tour, in addition to strolling the city walls, absolutely cannot be missed.
The Night Watchman is utterly charming, a fantastic storyteller, and an excellent Rothenburg historian. I learned so much during this tour, and had many a laugh during the tour.
In medieval times, the night watchman was responsible for patrolling the city to ensure no crimes were happening. During the tour, he explains the role of the night watchman, all while walking you through the city on your “patrol,” sharing stories of the city as you pass by special landmarks.
You start your tour at the Town Hall, which is a gorgeous building.
Look at her details!
As the tour began, the city began to grow dark as the sun set in the distance.
It was stunning.
The whole city seemed to glow.
I followed the night watchman throughout the city, thinking how funny it was to be following around this man holding a scythe and dressed in medieval attire, as we passed modern cars clashing with the historic homes and buildings.
After the tour, I’d hoped to eat at Zur Höll, which is a tavern in the oldest home in Rothenburg, dating back to 900. However, it was unfortunately very full, and there was no seat available.
At this point, I hadn’t eaten in quite awhile, and I’m quite ashamed to admit that as I stood at this very specific spot, looking up the hill of cobblestones leading my back to the Town Center, all I really wanted to eat was a pizza.
I told myself that I would not allow myself to do the second-most-American thing one can do while traveling, inferior only to ordering a cheeseburger, and I would not be getting a pizza.
I walked around, looking for a restaurant, but I was at the stage of hunger in which decision making is no longer easy, so I decided to return to my old friend, Der Reichsküchenmeister.
She’s even cute at night.
When I walked in and asked if they had a table for dinner, they informed me that because it was so late, their kitchen was only serving flammkuchen.
It felt like a sign from above, because flammkuchen is essentially pizza.
Deal.
He set me up at a cute little table with some fun little candles, right next to a rowdy table of Australians who were having the time of their life. They sounded like they were having such a fun time I almost asked to join them.
In a few moments, I had a delicious flammkuchen and glass of white wine. Damn, life was good.
I ate the whole thing, drank two glasses of wine, and headed back to my hotel for the evening, tired and content.
The next morning was a fresh day in Rothenburg.
I had to leave the city, but I was determined to fit in a few more things before I had to go.
I wanted to climb the stairs to the top of the Town Hall to see the views, which ended up being quite the feat.
There are a variety of stairs that take you to the top of the Town Hall, starting with these gorgeous stone stairs.
It goes uphill physically and downhill metaphorically from here.
There were luckily many beautiful windows along the way, at which one can stop and take a breath.
The climb to the top is not for the faint of heart, and absolutely not one for folks with a fear of heights.
The last decent set of steps can be seen here.
Then, they turn into this.
To help you understand how steep this is, my head is directly aligned with the bottom step here, and everything else is cramped and tiny above.
As I climbed these numerous sets of stairs, I ran into a German mother-daughter duo, and despite the fact that I was out-of-breath, I decided to once again test my German.
“Es ist so hoch,” I said, crying inside at being perceived.
I wasn’t exactly sure how they would respond, but they got super excited and said “SO HOCH!” before describing to me how scary it was at the top, and miming out themselves shaking in fear and almost passing out, which was top tier on the list of least encouraging things they could have done as I was on my way up, myself.
Anyway, it kind of made me love them and I hope they’re having the best day, safe and close to the ground, wherever they are.
The staircase we almost ran into each other on was so tiny that I had to stop at a landing to wait for them to pass, but luckily there was a cute view out the window.
Eventually, I got to what I thought were the last set of tiny stairs.
There was a window at the top of the stairs that had another lovely view.
You cannot tell me that Rothenburg is not the cutest.
Once you make it to the top here, you are in fact, not at the top at all. There is the final boss. One last staircase to climb. But before you can, you have to pay the sweet old lady at the top a few euros to buy a ticket. Is she using a secret elevator to get all the way up there, or is that tiny adorable old German lady climbing those stairs every day?
Mad respect. Here’s what the final set of stairs looks like, mid-stair.
This might not look like anything crazy from mid-stair, but I was actually nervous to climb these, because here’s what they look like from the top.
One might say those stairs are so steep you can’t even see them. One would be right.
To get to the top and look out over the city, you have to climb through that triangular hole, past the admittedly cute shuttered doors, and pull yourself up on the very small landing space.
You can see in the picture the width of the landing that you’re standing on. It’s very small. I kind of can’t believe they let people do this.
But I’m glad they do, because the views were so beautiful.
Look at that town square below!
And all of the towers in the distance.
The wind was extremely strong and almost blew me right off the top of the tower, but luckily I survived and had calves of steel after descending the stairs back the same way I came.
And with that, it was time for me to leave dear Rothenburg, and head toward Wiesbaden, where I would stay one night before heading to Croatia.
Stay tuned for a fairytale visit to Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
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