ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER
Where Castle and Romantic Roads Meet
The
town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in the Franconia region of
northern Bavaria is one
of the best known of the romantic old
medieval towns of central Germany.
The quant and romantic old town is renowned for its winding streets
of gingerbread architecture circled by intact stone walls. The entire
city within
those walls is
a preserved historic district of magnificent 
half-timbered houses with
pointed gables, once one of the largest cities of the Hapsburg Empire
in the 1400’s. Two of Germany’s well known tourism trails
meet in Rothenburg. The “Castle Road” which winds west to
east past 70 castles and mansions from the Rhine to Bohemia (see Germany’s
Castle Road) passes through Rothenburg, as does the “Romantic
Road” which
follows two dozen medieval and imperial cities south to north from Fussen
in Bavaria to Wurzburg in the Main River valley.
Dungeons, Dolls and Draughts
The
central market square is one of the best recognized in Germany with
its part Gothic - part Renaissance
Town
Hall (Rathaus) and its tavern which was originally
only for the use of the town council. In fact, Rothenburg owes its existence
and preservation to the drinking prowess of one of its leaders. During
the religious wars of the 1600’s, a general of the Catholic forces
whimsically offered to save the Protestant town from destruction if a
councilman could drink an enormous 3 ½ liter tankard of wine in
one 
gulp. A former mayor of
the city stepped forward, performed the feat and saved the city. Now
known as the “Meistertrunk” the
event is still celebrated with a yearly festival and a grand army enactment
march and performance. The City Councilor's Tavern is now the location
of the tourist office where walking maps of the town can be had and guided
tours taken. The Night Watchman’s tour in English begins at the
Rathaus at 8pm from April through December. Aside from the number of
beautiful old buildings, its famous clocks and fountains, Rothenberg
is home to more than a few curious museums.
Kathe Wohlfahrts Christmas
Museum
Rothenburg hosts a Christmas Market every year in its town square,
smaller and
more intimate than nearby
Nuremburg with its grand-daddy of a market (see Best
Christmas Markets), but
it’s Christmas all year long at the Weihnachtsdorf (Christmas World)
Emporium of crafts maker Kathe Wohlfahrts. The first floor is a store
with the second floor a museum of unique and curious art and crafts,
Germany’s only year around Christmas museum.
Doll & Toy Museum
This
museum of toys and dolls began
as the private collection of Katharina Engels and now takes up three
floors in
a 15th Century historic house in the center
of Rothenburg. Consisting of over 800 dolls and
figures 
made by German craftsmen
for more than 200 years in
historically accurate doll houses and diorama settings of 18th Century
manor houses,
playful shops, train sets, farmyards, theaters, zoos and merry-go-rounds,
the dolls
present
a fascinating
miniature look into lifestyles of the past and well worth visiting for
adults and children alike.
Criminal Museum Rothenburg
Perhaps
one of the most curious and just slightly gruesome museums
in all Europe. the Criminal Museum of Rothenburg
is devoted to the various forms of medieval justice and punishment.
All around Europe, a string of performance venues of “dungeons” has
cropped up for entertainment (see Hamburg
Speicherstadt and Walking
York Walls), but
here in Rothenburg is the real thing. 
Four floors of actual bizarre
and sometime quite funny (if it weren't for the purpose) torture devices
with curious names and forms, the “Iron
Maiden”, “Neck
Violin”, “Chastity Belt” and the “Donkey of
Shame”.
Spiked chairs and racks used in witch trials, and all sorts of unique
and odd punishments for scolds and gossips, bad bakers and even lousy
musicians.
The exhibitions
are in English and art work from the time depict how many of these
devices were used, defining the medieval historical meaning of “cruel
and unusual” punishment.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is located halfway between Heilbronn and Nuremburg, about a hour and a half from Frankfurt by autobahn which passes quite close and two hours from Munich. Tourist parking for the old town is outside the walls which makes you walk past the numerous sweet shops with the local Schneeballentraume sugary snowballs temptingly on display. Rothenburg ob der Tauber can also be reached by train or by bus. The town has a number of quaint colorful bed & breakfast style hotels in the town's central district (see Hotel Markusturm Rothenburg). © Bargain Travel Europe
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See Also:
BURG
HOTEL ON THE ROTHENBURG WALLS
WORLD
OF STEIFF "TEDDY BEAR"
NUREMBURG
TOY MUSEUM
MAINZ
MUSEUMS - ROMAN SHIPS AND BUBBLY WINE
