Rothenburg o.d. T.-- in English, ‘Rothenburg above the Tauber River’ to distinguish from the
other Rothenburgs in Germany, sits atop a high cliff overlooking the Tauber on a thumb shaped
spit of land surrounded by an Oxbow bend in the river. The ease of fortifying this location led to
Rothenburg’s early development. By the 12th Century, two mighty castles occupied the spit,
protected on three sides by the cliff with the first city wall enclosing the fourth side of the village.
As Rothenburg grew, the walls were successively expanded to include more land until the present
walls were built in the 13th and 14th Centuries. Once one of the most prosperous of Germany’s
major cities, Rothenburg went into decline after the 30 Years War and became a backwater
unscathed by wars, leaving today one of most perfectly preserved Mediaeval Cites in Europe.
During the 30 Years War, Rothenburg was destroyed, and was rebuilt in the half-timbered style of
the times. What the visitor sees today is the 15th-16th half-timbered city (Although the exterior
plaster job on many buildings now hides the timbering).
The impressive Rathhaus(City Hall) sits on the north side of the town square. Following the
street running south from the east side of square brought us the Plönlein near the Siebersturm,
one of the oldest city gates and now located well inside the 15th C wall, is one of the most
photographed street scenes in the world. The sight deserves its fame.
The Spital neighborhood, between the Siebersturm and the Spitaltor, the most southernly of the
city gates and the most impressive, has the greatest concentration of half-timbered buildings.
Although almost all the city inside the walls in of half-timbered construction, many buildings
covered the wood timbers that defines half-timbered construction with plaster, which is not as
attractive as those where the wood is exposed. The Spital (hospital) itself is one of the most
striking collection of buildings in the city.
All 11 of the old city gates, the four oldest now inside the city walls, remain. If you did not
arrive by the road along Tauber below the city, good views of the city walls and of the Tauber
Valley are had by exiting the Burggarten though the gate on the south side of the garden and
following the path to the Kohlturm.
Quick Tips:
A minimal visit will take a half a day, but Rothenburg deserves a 1-2 day stay.
The Eisenhut Hotel, just off the market place catty-cornered from the City Hall, is one of the
classic grand hotels of Europe(very expensive). We stayed at the very nice Burg-Hotel, located
on a quiet street and right on the city wall.
Our first visit to Rothenburg was 30-35 years ago. A later visit in the late 1980s revealed how
smart were to have gone 15 years earlier, before the tourist mobs hit. Be prepared to find the
main streets today jammed with hoards of tourists.
There is a museum devoted Mediaeval justice with a fine collection of instruments of torture one
block behind the church on the right as you are going from the Market Square toward the Spital.
For a short visit (about ½ day), starting from the south end of Rothenburg (Spitaltor) go straight
ahead toward the market place on Spitalgasse. Take the first left after passing through the
Siebersturm, one of the older city gates now inside the walls, to the Kohlturm, a gate in the wall
leading to a path that runs to the right with good views of the walls and river valley. When the
path comes back to the wall, go through that gate into the Burggarten then through the Burgtor
to Herringasse, the most significant of the ancient streets, to the market place. St Jacob’s church
(14th Century) is one block north of the town hall. Then return to the Spitaltor on
Schmiedgasse/Spitalgasse which runs south out of the east side of the market place.
If you arrive by any of the other city gates, start in the market place going toward Spitaltor which
puts you on the tour route.
However you arrive in Rothenburg, it is essential to walk (south) from the market place to the
Siebersturm for the view called Plönlein, one of most famous and picturesque sights in Europe.
Best Way To Get Around:
Rothenburg is one of the high points on the Deutsche Romantische Strasse (the German Romantic
Highway) connecting Wurzburg and Fussen. Rothenburg is accessible by bus, train, and car. The
advantage of driving yourself is that you can approach along the river where your first sight of
Rothenburg is an impressive view of the walled city wall situated on the cliff top.
There are large parking lots near two of the old city gates, easy to find if you follow the “P” signs.
Unless you are staying at a hotel inside the walls with parking, park at one of the lots outside the
gates. Streets inside the walls are crowded, narrow, and many are pedestrian zones.
Once inside the walls, be prepared to walk as most of the old city is a pedestrian zone. Be
prepared to do a lot of walking, for once upon a time, Rothenburg was a world class city.
Rothenburg was so overrun with tourists on our second visit that I decided to stay the night in
Dinkelsbuhl, a smaller, less crowded, less expensive version of Rothenburg, and commute 35 miles
to Rothenburg. That proved to be a good idea. The hotel on the town square was reasonably
quiet hotel and built in 1472.