Rothenburg Ob der Tauber is a fairytale town in the Ansbach region of Middle Franconia in the Franconian region of Bavaria.
It has become famous for its well-preserved medieval old town, which is an attraction for tourists from all over the world.
The town’s name means “red fortress” because of the red paint on the roofs of the buildings, and most of the houses and shops date back to 1560.
I visited Rothenburg on a day trip from Munich, but you can stay overnight in the fairytale town in one of its dozens of hotels.
The town still retains its traditional character unchanged to this day, and all indications are that time stopped there in the Middle Ages.
The entire town can be walked through in a few hours, and is surrounded by medieval walls, which have been preserved to this day and you can climb up and walk through them yourself if you wish.
Some of the nicest streets you can explore are Pfarrgase and Klingengasse.
What to see in Rothenburg
Marktplatz – Town Hall
In the Marktplatz you will find the town hall. The imposing town hall (Rathaus) of Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a gothic building with a tower on its roof (it is the side with the white paint from 1250). But it also has additional Renaissance elements (1570) with the arches at the bottom.
The town hall tower can be visited and many were those who climbed up high to admire the panoramic view of the town and the entire Tauber Valley.
Around the square the picturesque buildings one better than the other complete the picture of the Middle Ages.
The original walls of Rothenburg
The city retains its surrounding walls, which have been built since 1350. All along the walls there are 12 towers which are the entrances to the historic city centre.
You can climb the narrow wooden steps, wander the walls and admire the city from above.
Plonlein
The Plonlein is the trademark of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. If you cross the Obere Schmiedgasse, after passing the dozens of shops you will find the famous spot.
Museum of medieval crimes and Christmas museum
Although I didn’t visit the museums, in Rothenburg you will find the Medieval Crimes Museum and the impressive Christmas Museum, which keeps Christmas alive all year round.
St. James Church – Franciscan Church
Two impressive evangelical churches you can visit in Rothenburg are St. James Church and Franziskanerkirche.
You can admire St. James Church from the outside, and the entrance fee to get in is around 4€.
The Franziskanerkirche church is free to enter and the opening hours are very short, as it is only open from 14:00-16:00.
Try Schneeball
In most of the shop windows in Rothenburg you will see the traditional sweets of the city, Schneeball (meaning snowball).
They are made with strips of dough rolled into balls and covered with chocolate or icing sugar after being fried.
In my opinion, they weren’t something special, as they reminded me of our “diples” without the honey, but they were worth a try.
If you want to see more about my trip to Rothenburg Ob der Tauber visit my profile on Instagram.
