In my first post about Germany, where I detail our itinerary for driving the Romantic Road (click here to read), I referenced Rothenburg being a sort of “mecca” for this trip. If you research this area and plan to drive the Romantic Road, or do a day trip from Munich or Frankfurt, it is highly likely that you’ll come across Rothenburg, and for good reason.
If you look up the word charming in the dictionary, you will probably see a picture of Rothenburg. It fits the bill perfectly. The town is well preserved and one of the only towns along this route that wasn’t completely destroyed in WW2. The medieval style and beautiful homes and buildings are so impressive.
The Walls
Rothenburg is a walled town, and it’s a great idea to not only walk along the walls, but to take a nice lap around them on the outside as well. I took a morning run here and got to run past vineyards, gorgeous homes, fields, gardens, and parks. It may not be for everyone, but I thought the views were well worth the energy to traverse it all the way around. I really recommend doing this if you’re someone who enjoys running or walking. You can also walk “on” the walls, which lets you see down into the town and get some really nice views of all of the architecture. While walking, you may notice plaques along the walls with names and locations from all over the world. We learned on a tour that these commemorate the people from all around who donated money to help rebuild and restore sections of the wall that were destroyed towards the end of WW2.
The Old Town
Needless to say, in addition to walking around the town, walking through it is even better. It felt a little like Disney World Germany, there are beautiful souvenir shops, bratwursts, pretzels, restaurants, bars, and, of course, a Ratskeller. They have a lot of Christmas themed stores where you can buy cute, well-crafted ornaments, nutcrackers, and all sorts of things. We could only imagine how incredibly cute this town probably is during the holiday season.
The Square & Town Hall
There is a main square right by the Ratskellar (or town hall) and it seems to be where most people gather in the town. Locals and tourists alike were sitting in the sunshine of the square, sipping drinks and socializing. It was a really nice feeling and everyone seemed very kind and jovial. The town hall also has a tower that you can go up in to get views over the town, unfortunately, it was under construction during our visit.
Taste some German Wines
One of our favorite parts about this visit was popping into the little wine room run by Glocke Winery, called “Reichsstatd Vinothek”. They also have a hotel, restaurant, and wine bar in town. We were a little too late in the day for the wine bar, but they sent us down the road to the tasting room and we had a great experience. We got to taste wines that grow in the vineyards surrounding Rothenburg, and we really enjoyed them. We tried a few rosé’s and even some German champagne. If we were to come back one day, I would love to do one of the tours that Glocke runs to get a chance to taste and learn more about their wines.
Dinner at Glocke
It was by pure coincidence, but we also had dinner at the Glocke’s restaurant. We walked in to a very lively scene and the place was packed, so we assumed that was a good sign. We had a great meal here and really enjoyed our lamb and beef dinners. We also tried some red wine for a change, which, to be honest, didn’t thrill us. Germany is much better with the white wine! But it was a great dinner nonetheless, and we had a great view of people coming into town and taking the quintessential photo of Rothenburg.
The Night Watchman Tour
After dinner, we headed back to the town square for the “Night Watchman” tour. The great thing about this tour is that you just show up! You will see the Night Watchman right away, as he is dressed in period costume and carrying a weapon. This tour is a great historical tour of the town and gives you plenty of laughs as well. It ran for about an hour and even though there were a ton of people, you were still able to see and hear everything and enjoy the stories and information provided. We learned a lot about Rothenburg, how it was built, and how it has grown and changed. We learned about what life in Rothenburg was like during different periods of time, and what the purpose of the Night Watchman used to be. When the tour was over, 9 Euros were requested from each adult attending, although not demanded. Payment was simply an honor system like a free walking tour, where you put your money into a hat at the end of the tour. He charged a special, lower rate for students and children as well. We found this tour to be well worth 20 Euros we ended up spending, it was entertaining and informative and a fun night out. In case you want to join, the Night Watchman has a website so that you can get information on where & when to meet depending on the season.
Where to Stay
A HUGE highlight of this trip was our hotel. I am always on the lookout for hotels that are reasonably priced and provide a special experience in the cities we’re in. This hotel was all that and more. It was nestled in the hills right outside the gates of historic Rothenburg and had the most stunning scenery and architectural detail. We could walk up the stairs and into town in about 5 minutes, although it should be noted that there are a lot of stairs! The building was an old spa hotel in the 19th century, but it looked more like an old palace or castle. The pictures on booking.com don’t even do it justice, when you see it in person it’s truly incredible. As we were pulling up the long driveway, we just kept getting more and more excited to be there, the vast grounds were simply stunning. I just know it is absolutely amazing to see in summer when all the plants are in bloom.
The hotel was full of surprises, and we didn’t even get to explore all of it. There was a beautiful library, and even a chapel in the top floor of the hotel. There were a few gorgeous sitting rooms with large windows, and one even had a fireplace in a sunken conversation pit. For refreshments after hours, there was essentially a giant mini bar in a room where you could take wine, beers, snacks, etc. on an honor system, where you just mark down what you take and pay when you check out. You could relax on the property enjoying whatever you wanted. They had a ballroom style room that was beyond incredible, and I could just imagine the parties that must have happened in the past. They even had a theater room for shows and performances, and a ping pong room for fun and entertainment. This place was incredible. Breakfast was also included and the breakfast room had views of the whole property and its grounds and gardens. There were hiking trails all around the property as well and we imagined coming back in the summer to stay a few days and really enjoy this lovely place. I could not recommend it enough if you’re traveling to or near Rothenburg.
It would also be nice to stay for a few days in the summer and explore all of the hiking, wineries, and tours and then pop into Rothenburg on and off for entertainment. This really is a great area and I hope we return someday.
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