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Town in Bavaria, Germany
Photo: Berthold Werner, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a town along the Romantic Road in Bavaria, Germany, about halfway in between Frankfurt and Munich. It is best known for its medieval town centre (Altstadt), seemingly untouched by the passage of time, encircled by the undamaged 14th-century town wall. In the Middle Ages, Rothenburg ob der Tauber was a free imperial city, reaching its apex of prosperity under mayor Heinrich Toppler in the 15th century with a large population of 6,000 - much larger than Frankfurt or Munich at that time. Today Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a small, quaint town and a big tourist attraction. Especially popular with American and Japanese tour-buses and organized groups, the town can feel a bit overcrowded sometimes, but its sheer beauty makes up for that and more than justifies its popularity.
On Wednesday nights at 20:00, the English Speakers' Club meets. All are welcome.
Housed in a Renaissance styled residence built in 1596 by the town master mason (Stadtbaumeister) Leonhard Weidmann.
Japanese cuisine.
A true tavern atmosphere.
Inn (Gasthaus) in a 1100-year-old building. Cash only.
A cafe-bar on the River Tauber. It is quite the hike down and up but, the beer is nice and cold.
Inn (Gasthaus) in a 1,100-year-old building. Cash only.
Cozy cafe. Nice cakes. Beautiful decorations.
Former home of mayor (Bürgermeister) Toppler (~1406).
10 rooms in a 16th-century hotel. A hearty German breakfast gets you going in the morning. Herr Hocher is a great source of sight-seeing advice and he is always looking for a worthy chess opponent.
Nice rooms, includes breakfast, no elevator.
Funny souvenirs. You could dress up in a Medieval or Rococo costume and pick up the photo at once.
This shop sells both souvenirs from cuckoo clocks to drinking glasses and antiques such as paintings.
Cuckoo clocks, Hummel figurines, pewter beer steins, music boxes, dolls, and the usual suspects.
German Christmas Museum
A somewhat touristy shop in three floors underground where one can buy Christmas decorations during the whole year.
By car
By train
The town isn't too well served by trains. There is an hourly connection from Würzburg and Ansbach, but in both cases you have to change trains at Steinbach (b. Rothenburg).
By tour
By car
Getting around by car is unnecessary and sometimes is impossible.
By bike
In the spring and summer, biking is also strongly recommended. There are a lot of bike lanes and special bike roads with no cars.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Nuremberg · International · NUE
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