Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Today,Rothenburg's great trade is tourism: Two-thirds ofthe townspeople are employed
to serve you. While 2.5 million people visit each year, a mere 500,000 spend the night.
Rothenburgisyoursafterdark,whenthegroupsvacateandthetown'sfloodlitcobbleswring
some romance out of any travel partner.
Too often, Rothenburg brings out the shopper in visitors before they've had a chance to
see the historic town. True, this is a fine place to do your German shopping, but appreciate
Rothenburg's great history and sights, too.
If time is short, you can make just a two- to three-hour midday stop in Rothenburg, but the
town is really best appreciated after the day-trippers have gone home. Spend at least one
night in Rothenburg (hotels are cheap and good). With two nights and a day, you'll be able
to see more than the essentials and actually relax a little.
Rothenburg in one day is easy, with four essential experiences: the Medieval Crime
and Punishment Museum, Tilman Riemenschneider's wood carving in St. Jakob's Church,
a walk along the city wall, and the entertaining Night Watchman's Tour. With more time,
you could visit several mediocre but entertaining museums, take some scenic hikes and bike
rides in the nearby countryside, and enjoy the town's plentiful cafés and shops.
Rothenburg is very busy through the summer and in the Christmas Market month of
December.Springandfallareajoy,butit'sprettybleakfromJanuarythroughMarch—when
most locals are hibernating or on vacation. Many shops stay open on Sundays during the
tourist season, but close on Sundays in November and from Christmas to Easter.
There are several Rothenburgs in Germany, so make sure you are going to
Rothenburg
ob der Tauber
(not “ob der” any other river); people really do sometimes drive or ride the
train to other, nondescript Rothenburgs by accident.
To orient yourself in Rothenburg, think of the town map as a human head. Its nose—the
castle garden—sticks out to the left, and the skinny lower part forms a wide-open mouth,
withtheyouthhostelandarecommendedhotelinthechin.Thetownisadelightonfoot.No
sights or hotels are more than a 15-minute walk from the train station or each other.
Most of the buildings you'll see were in place by 1400. The city was born around its
long-gone castle—built in 1142, destroyed in 1356—which was located where the castle
garden is now. You can see the shadow of the first town wall, which defines the oldest part
of Rothenburg, in its contemporary street plan. Two gates from this wall still survive: the
MarkusTowerandtheWhiteTower.Therichestandbiggesthouseswereinthiscentralpart.
