It’s hard not to fall in love with this adorable, picturesque village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber (which translates to ‘above the Tauber River’). It’s located in Germany’s northern Bavaria in the south-central part of Germany.
The moment you walk through the old town gates, its like walking into a fairy-tale. The well-preserved old town is known for its medieval architecture and pastel-coloured houses that line its cobblestone lanes. The town walls include many gate houses and towers, with a covered walkway along the top. This dreamy postcard-worthy village is situated at the north end of what is known as the “Romantic Road” – a 410-kilometre drive which passes through some incredibility pretty villages.
Things to see and do in Rothenburg
Rothenburg is rich in medieval history, picturesque buildings, and Christmas shopping. As is our practice we chose to explore the Old Town on our own, however, you can book a private guided walking tour with any number of professional local guides. Some of the more memorable sites we took in include:
Old Town and Marktplatz
In the centre of Rothenburg ob der Tauber’s Old Town you’ll find Marktplatz (or Market Square), a large, cobbled square lined with beautifully preserved Medieval buildings. At the center sits the Rothenburg Town Hall that dates back to 1250 and features two architectural styles, Gothic and Renaissance.
The 52-metre-high Town Hall Tower is a landmark that can be seen from all over town. The tower also features a 220 narrow step walk to the top, which offers views over the red rooftops of Rothenburg.
St. George Fountain
Located in the Marktplatz this prominent 400-year-old fountain depicts St. George fighting a dragon. The fountain served as an important drinking water reservoir earlier in its history. In the winter months the column is encased in glass so you can still view it.
Christmas Market
We visited Rothenburg in December so were able to participate in the annual Rothenburg Christmas Market which has been held since the 15th century. Known as the “Reiterlesmarkt”, the market features plenty of stalls selling handcrafted souvenirs and gifts, delicious Christmas treats and of course mulled wine to take the chill off the cool evening air.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber’s Reiterlesmarkt, will again host its traditional Advent pre-Christmas market for the 2023 holiday season, beginning on Friday, December 1st, 2023 till December 23rd, 2023. One thing to note is the opening hours. Some of the larger centres have later closing hours, however Rothenburg’s Christmas Market closes at 8:00 pm.
Kathe Wohlfahrt’s Christmas Store
No trip to Rothenburg is complete without visiting the world-renowned “mother of all Christmas stores,” Kathe Wohlfahrt’s Christmas Store” that is located just off the Market Square. You can’t miss it given the Käthe Wohlfahrt Gift Express is parked right in front. The store which is over 16,000 sq. ft. in size, is home to almost every type of traditional German Christmas decorations such as Nutcrackers, Glass, Wood and Pewter Ornaments, Christmas Table Linens and much more.
Plönlein
The term Plönlein is actually translated as a “small square“ or “small square at a fountain”, however, it’s become a Rothenburg landmark with international recognition. Some may remember it as the inspiration of Geppetto’s workshop in Walt Disney’s classic animated movie “Pinocchio’ (1940).
The distinctive house sits alongside both the Siebers Tower and the Kobolzeller Gate saddled with cobblestone streets on either side. It’s so charming and remarkable that you will find yourself going back a number of times to see it.
To the left of the Plönlein is the Spital Bastion Gate which leads to the citadel above.
Rothenburg’s Castle Garden
The Castle Garden offers an amazing green oasis where you can explore or relax, with many paths and where you’ll get some of the best views.
Tower Trail (Turmweg)
In addition to exploring Rothenburg from street level, you can see the town from a different perspective, by walking along the Rothenburg’s famous fortification walls. The walls which are also covered, will allow you to see many of the restored towers. The wall system is fairly extensive and covers about 4 km (2.5 miles), however, if you get tired you can leave by many of its stair exits, or, likewise enter it at any point if you want to break up your walk.
St. James’ Church
The St. James’ Church which is in the middle of town is a must see. It dates back to 1485 and interestingly took 170 years to build.
Other Worthwhile Attractions:
There are other numerous attractions we haven’t written about that you might find interesting like:
The Historical Vault Museum
The interesting Medieval Crime and Justice Museum
The Rothenburg Museum
Watch the Ratstrinktube Clock Chime the Hour
Explore the Burggarten (once the location of the Stauferburg Castle)
See the Double Bridge first built in 1330s
Take the Night Watchman Tour
Dining
Rothenburg may be a small village population wise, but it is loaded with many excellent places to dine. Almost all of the restaurants in the village are locally owned and operated which adds a unique feel to the dining experience. Probably one of the significant factors helping to maintain that mom-and-pop feel is you won’t find any chains like McDonald’s or Starbucks in the village. Surrounding Marktplatz and throughout the village are an abundance of pastel-coloured houses, cafes and artisan shops selling many different things from the usual souvenirs to local specialties like the indelible pastry specialty Schneeball (which translates to snowball in English). This fried ball of pie crust comes in all types of flavours from apple, cinnamon sugar and cappuccino to champagne and truffles and everything in between. In one store we counted about 20 flavors. I was super excited to see them as it brought back memories of my grandmother who used to make them for me when I was growing up.
Best Time to Visit Rothenburg?
We visited Rothenburg in December to take advantage of its Christmas market but each of their seasons would have some different appeals. We’re definitely planning on a return in the summer.
Summers temperatures hovering around 23 – 25 degrees Celsius (73 – 77 Fahrenheit) and winters range from about 3°C to 5°C so dress warmly! If you forgot a hat, gloves or scarf, there are several reasonably priced shops where you can buy these items.
How many days do you need to visit Rothenburg?
Depending on your interests and the time of year you visit, you could easily spend one to three days there at a time. We often will revisit a place to see some favorite things and explore the things we didn’t get a chance to see on our first visit.
Getting to and Around Rothenburg
Rothenburg is easy to get to by train from all the major centres in Europe and of course depending on where your travels have you coming from, times to get there will vary. Rothenburg is about 3 hours by train from Munich about 230 km away, Frankfurt is about 180 km and Nuremberg is about 80 km away.
Once you’re at Rothenburg, you’ll find that you can wander around to all of the important sights. Most of the main attractions within the city walls are within a 15–20-minute radius making Rothenburg quite walkable.