Enchanted by Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Rothenburg ob der Tauber was beautiful, peaceful and picturesque. It’s little wonder that many have said it’s out of a fairytale and one of the most romantic towns in the world. Most visitors only swing by for a day trip, but we stayed for 4 days and it was perfect.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber was our third stop on our Germany trip after Nuremberg in April 2022.

Where we went

Night Watchman Tour

The Night Watchman Tour is a must-go if you’re staying in Rothenburg ob der Tauber overnight – and that’s what our watchman guide said too. It was an informative and fun hour where he took us around the old town from the market square in front of the town hall and told us stories and jokes.

The English tour cost €9 each per person which we paid to the watchman directly at the end of the tour.

Walking on the city walls

We strolled on the city walls to get an overview of the whole town within, and also look out through the windows for pretty views. there are stairs down at several intersections, so don’t worry about having to pee and having to hold it in till you reach the end!

There was an area where donors for the reconstruction of the destroyed parts of the town from World War II were acknowledged with plaques. You can also donate if you want your name up on the wall!

Market Square

The “life” of the old town – this was the most crowded area when the sun was out and visitors like us were out and about. If you want to wander around without the crowds, I recommend coming earlier in the morning (and staying overnight)!

Plonlein

You must have seen some version of this picture countless times. It’s one of Germany’s most photographed squares, and it’s easy to see why. There’s something just so charming about the pastel houses and tower in the background.

Castle Garden

The “Burg” in Rothenburg ob der Tauber stands for castle. But sadly, the castle was destroyed and not rebuilt. The castle grounds are still around and thriving though.

There were a few groups having a picnic on the grass or playing frisbee. We decided to buy mini snowballs (Schneeballen) for a snack while admiring the view too!

We also took one of the paths leading out of the walled town to have a short walk around.

Medieval Crime and Justice Museum

If you’re interested in the darker part of history (excluding war), the Medieval Crime and Justice Museum is a definite must-visit on your list. The €8 ticket price is well worth it.

The iron maiden, executioner’s swords, and a multitude of torture devices are housed in the museum – all with descriptions (most are in English). Walking and reading through the many torture and killing equipment, I picture myself being caught for some crime I didn’t commit. I think I would have just admitted to whatever they wanted to hear to stop the pain in record time!

When you’re lamenting about the unfairness of your bosses and company’s management, just think about how lucky you are not to have lived a few hundred years ago. I’m not sure why it’s in the Medieval Crime and Justice Museum, but it’s interesting to see what “welfare” was provided in the olden days. You work from 6 in the morning to 6 at night, have a half-hour lunch break where you are expected to keep working, and even have to bring 4 pounds of coal to work daily during winter months. And to top it off, the management expected you to do more work because this new policy was better than the previous one. Wow.

I’m happy the justice system has evolved. It seems pretty easy to get flogged or given a death sentence in the past. Even gossiping had a pretty harsh punishment, which was to wear iron masks with huge ears and a long tongue in public. Some even bells so everyone knew when you were near and could mock you.

Even kids didn’t have it good. There were plenty of punishments that would make modern adults weak in the knees. I think the only one that’s acceptable (and still done now in some households) is standing in the corner.

Käthe Wohlfahrt’s Christmas Village & Museum

Käthe Wohlfahrt’s Christmas Village is a paradise for people who love trinkets and the modern Christmas spirit. Although we went in April, 8 months away from Christmas, just stepping into the huge store brought all the warmth and happiness Christmas often embodies. And huge it was. There was an area where the high ceiling was painted to look like the night sky with a towering Christmas tree in the middle. The picture does it no justice – it was way more beautiful in the flesh.

We also went to the second level where the Christmas Museum was housed. It’s quite small (and costs €5, but it shows you the history of how Christmas and Santa Claus came about, and how it’s commercialised now. Bet you didn’t know that dear old Santa (aka St. Nicholas) was accompanied by a monstrous creature who punished children. Santa back then was not the plump, cherry old man you know him to be now too. It was interesting to see the different faces of Santa, and the museum also houses all the different types of ornaments and Christmas trees throughout the different periods. It was definitely not as extravagant in the early ages as it is now!

Rothenburg Museum

The Rotherburg Museum is housed in a former Dominician monastery, and Germany’s oldest preserved monastery kitchen from around 1260 can be found in the building!

We were one of the few visitors in the museum, so we could take out time to look at the artifacts, weapons, and the art. The tickets cost €5 each, but if you want to take photos with a proper camera, it’s €3 more.

The painting versus the inspiration.

Where we stayed

We stayed at Hotel Rothenburger Hof which was less than a 10-minute walk to the Old Town. It was also directly opposite the train station and close to a supermarket, so the location was really convenient. the interior reminded me of a cabin – lots of wood and very cosy.

The only thing that was lacking was a kettle in the room, which because of building restrictions was not allowed. So, no hot tea late in the night for us! We could get a kettle of boiled water from the kitchen till about 9pm at night before the receptionist left though.

Food in Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Ending the post with food pictures!

The snowballs (Schneeballen) are a sweet pastry from Rothenburg ob der Tauber which used to be served only on special occasions. But they are now easily found everywhere in the town with many flavours!