Rothenburg ob der Tauber was one of the unexpected stops on our trip to Germany. We had to drive from Northeast Germany to Southeast Germany because our itinerary was special, from Berlin to Munich and back. Originally, we had planned to go to Nuremberg, but because we wanted to see a more "real" old city, we changed to Rothenburg as a stopover for this part of the trip.
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About Rottenburg
Rothenburg is a medieval town with a long history, now belonging to Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the junction of the Romantic Road and the Old Castle Road, which is the most romantic fairy tale town in Germany. Rottenburg is actually not that big. Whether you drive or take the train to Rottenburg, it's a good idea to get off the train and arrange a day hiking tour. The highlights of the day are Plonlein Square, the Town Hall, the Deutsches Weihnachtsmuseum, the Medieval Crime Museum, and the Old Town Wall.
In the thirteenth century, Rottenburg was one of the top twenty cities in the Holy Roman Empire, and had been flourishing. In 1634, due to the Black Death epidemic, the city lost a large number of people in an instant, and has been silent for three hundred years since then, and it was not until the nineteenth century that it began to develop tourism that the city was once again revitalized. Because of the importance of tourism, even during World War II, when the war extended to Rothenburg, the city did not hesitate to surrender to the U.S. Army, so it was not like other ancient cities were destroyed by the war, the cityscape of the frozen preservation of the city is very intact compared to other ancient cities, is still the original flavor.
Plaza Prelaine
Preiläinenplatz is a classic scene in Rothenburg. This fairytale-like market scene is probably the most photographed spot, and it is a must in any travel brochure. Due to the large number of tourists taking photos, it's basically impossible to get a picture of a deserted street.
City Hall Plaza
The Town Hall Square is an important stop for tourists. The City Hall is on the left and the white building on the right is the City Council, which houses the famous Drinking Hall, where the story of the great victory drink is told. During the Thirty Years' War in 1631, Protestant Rottenburg was attacked by the Old Testament Tilly's camp, and with the protection of the city walls, the long-lasting Tilly's camp suffered a great deal of death and injury. Tilly's camp suffered a great deal as the city surrendered because it was out of food and ammunition. Tilly ordered his men to burn, pillage, and behead all the city councilors in order to vent his anger. The inhabitants of Rottenburg go to Tilly to make amends, hoping to be spared. While the wine is still flowing, one of the city councillors brings a three-liter Elector's goblet to Tilly, and Tilly declares, "Whoever can finish this goblet will take back his order. In order to save the people, the old mayor, Lucio, bravely drank the three-liter white wine, and Tilly fulfilled his promise and withdrew his order. The old mayor slept for three days and three nights after drinking the wine. To commemorate this story, every day at regular hours, the windows on both sides of the white clock tower will be opened, and Tilly will appear on the left, and the old mayor Lucio will appear on the right, holding a glass of wine. On weekends, there is also a real-life performance of the Drink of Victory.
The City Hall can be climbed to the top, but you need to buy a ticket to enter. From the top of the city hall tower, you can see the whole city from the top of the city hall. The medieval architecture of the city is magnificent, and the surrounding city walls are also very visible. The word "Rothenburg" means "red castle" in German, and almost all the houses in the city have dark red roofs.
Christmas Museum
The Christmas Museum is located right next to the Town Hall Square, with the museum on the second floor and the store on the first floor. Kathe Wohlfhart is Germany's largest Christmas jewelry brand, and the store is dedicated to Christmas merchandise, and the Rothenburg store is the largest, so if you like Christmas decorations, you'll be able to spend quite a bit of time just admiring the exquisite Christmas decorations. Even though it was summer when we visited, walking into the store was like being on Christmas Eve. In addition to shopping, don't forget to try the classic Schneeball snowballs, which have been passed down for 300 years, at the nearby stores.
Penalty Museum
The Museum of Punishment is another interesting attraction for me. Inside is an exhibition and introduction of various medieval punishment devices, and I can only say that the creativity of the ancients in torturing people is also amazing. For example, the barrels in the photo were used to parade people around, and the long iron rods with serrated teeth were used to catch witches.
Ancient City Walls
Climbing the old city wall is another highlight of Rothenburg. This thick wall was used for defense in ancient times, and it is not easy to see such a well-preserved wall in modern times.
Visitors can climb up to the city wall and feel the atmosphere of the Middle Ages.
From the city wall, you can also enjoy the cityscape from another angle. In the evening, there are not so many tourists, so I feel more relaxed.
This is the old city gate, looking from the outside to the inside.
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