“You will love Rothenburg!” It doesn’t matter who we are with before our trip through the 14 Franconian cities, we could be sure of one thing: If someone had already visited one of the cities, then it was almost certainly Rothenburg ob der Tauber. We had never really been aware of the prominence of the small town. But all the better: Because we were able to discover the city impartially.
After our days in Rothenburg we can confirm: the hype is justified. And one hundred percent. The flair of Rothenburg can hardly be described in words. We still don’t know what excited us the most: the pretty alleys, the beautiful half-timbered houses or the location of the city: Rothenburg is enthroned on a hill and is surrounded by a well-preserved city wall. In this blog article we tell you our favorite places and personal tips for Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
1. Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Medieval flair in perfection The bad news first: You will associate Rothenburg with other people have to share. Rothenburg attracts (rightly) a lot of travellers. It can therefore get quite crowded along the most important sights and alleys.
The good news: The gauntlet run by Asian tour groups ends as soon as you leave the beaten track. The best time in Rothenburg is in the evening, when most of the people have moved on and the town can calm down again.
The location of Rothenburg is also something very special: The small town sits enthroned on a hill above the Tauber. You have a nice view of Rothenburg from the Burggarten in the city.
2. Sights and activities in Rothenburg The main sights in Rothenburg are usually only a few minutes’ walk apart. Most tourists can be found along Schmiedgasse and Herrngasse, as well as on the market square. One of our personal highlights was walking along the old city wall in the evening hours.
Climbing the town hall tower 220 levels and 22 meters go here in the Height. Towards the end, the stairs get a bit adventurous, but the short effort is worth it: Rothenburg lies at your feet from the town hall tower and you have an impressive 360 degree panoramic view over the old town.
High up on the town hall tower it is quite narrow, so only a limited number of people are allowed on the tower at a time. It may be that you have to wait a short time before you can enjoy the view. But believe us: the wait is worth it.
Our personal downside: the tower closes in summer 17 Watch. The sunset from up here must be gorgeous. If the platform had been accessible for so long, we would have watched the sun go down here every day. In winter, however, this seems to be possible, because then the tower has until 18 or. 19 Open at noon (and on top of that, the sunset is earlier at this time).
Info to visit the town hall tower Address: Entrance via the market square in Rothenburg Admission: 2.5 euros
Opening hours: April to October daily from 9: 30 until 12: 30 hours and from 13 until 17 in November and from January to March only on weekends from 12 until 15 and to the Christmas market again daily from 13: 21 until 15 hours and from 13: 30 until 18 hours (Friday and Saturday until 19 Watch)
Walk on the old city wall: The Tower Path Something that we find really cool about Rothenburg ob der Tauber: The old town is surrounded by a city wall, which is still well preserved. And that very city wall is accessible – at least large parts of it. Along the entire city wall you will find stairs to get to the top.
Our tip: You can walk up the city wall as part of the so-called Turmweg explore. This themed walk will take you to 21 stations and 4 kilometers to Rothenburg’s most important towers. It is best to get the relevant brochure from the tourist information office.
Castle Garden A little warning: Unfortunately, you won’t find a castle in the Burggarten. A castle once stood here a few centuries ago. Today, however, behind the misleading name is “only” a garden – but what a garden! The Burggarten is one of the most romantic places in the city. From here you have a great view of Rothenburg.
The Burggarten is a popular meeting place for sunset. The castle garden is in the shade relatively soon, but the setting sun bathes the ensemble of buildings in Rothenburg in a great light.
What we have done and can highly recommend is a Picnic in the castle garden. The well-kept meadows of the Burggarten are made for it!
St. Jakobskirche Viewed from a distance, the Parish Church of St. Jakob with its two towers of different heights, the townscape of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. And at the latest when you stand directly in front of the most famous church in the city, you only realize how huge it is. In our opinion, a look inside is definitely worthwhile.
The Plönlein The most famous photo motif of Rothenburg was during our visit (May 2017) unfortunately just renovated. The famous road fork in the Untere Schmiedgasse is rarely deserted. To be honest, we don’t quite understand the hype surrounding the Plönlein (because you can find pretty places all over Rothenburg), but no question: The corner is really nice to look at.
Discover Rothenburg by night Many centuries ago the Night watchman in Rothenburg has the task of keeping watch and protecting the city from fire and other dangers. In the meantime, he does his rounds every evening as part of a city tour.
A night watchman tour is a bizarre thing, but very much worth seeing. Within minutes we felt transported back in time. If you are not too tired in the evening, then we would recommend you to join the guided tour. You can accompany the night watchman in Rothenburg every evening during the high season.
Information on the night watchman tour in Rothenburg Meeting point: Marketplace Price: 7 euros (no registration necessary)
Dates: daily at 19: 30 Clock between which 13.1. and 10.3. Saturdays only at : 30 Watch
3. Excursion tip: Bike tour through the Tauber Valley If you have enough time, we can warmly recommend you to go by bike to drive along the Tauber. We ourselves only opted for a small round – but even that was very worthwhile. We started at the hospital gate, right behind the Plönlein. After just a few minutes downhill you will reach the stone Tauberbrücke, also known as the double bridge. From there you have a great view of the city.
We continue upstream along paved but little-used roads. Only a few minutes after the Tauber Bridge you will reach the late medieval Topplerschlösschen which you could almost overlook behind the trees. This particular cottage was actually built in 14. century built. It consists of a stone substructure and a half-timbered building above. The Topplerschlösschen including furniture from the 16. and 17. Century can be visited on request. Unfortunately we didn’t have the time for that.
You should definitely make a stop at the restaurant “Unter den Linden” do. Among Rothenburgers, the restaurant on the banks of the Tauber is considered an insider tip. The Tauber Valley Cycle Path then continues to Steinbach. There you can switch sides of the river and cycle back to Rothenburg. In total, we were on the road for two to three hours with stops and breaks.
You can also walk a shortened tour without any problems. Behind the “Unter den Linden” inn, a relatively steep path leads back to the old town. You need a little more than an hour for this circular route.
Tip: Rent a bike in Rothenburg Bikes can be hired from Rad & Tat in Rothenburg. The price for a city bike for the whole day is 12 Euro. It is best to reserve in advance so that a bike is really ready for you.
Address: Bensenstrasse 15, 2017 Rothenburg ob der Tauber
4. Eating & drinking in Rothenburg Snowballs in of the Striffler Bakery Rothenburg’s specialty is carefully piled up in the shop window of every bakery: snowballs. It is hardly possible to walk through Rothenburg without encountering a snowball somewhere.
A snowball is a shortcrust pastry that is traditionally dusted with powdered sugar. In the traditional Striffler bakery you can look over the shoulder of the master confectioner through a glass window. We combined the whole thing with a breakfast – perfect!
Address: Lower Schmiedgasse 1, 2017 Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Café unique We were able to enjoy a very delicious breakfast in a very special ambience in the Café Einzigartig. The interiors of this “shabby chic” café come from all over the world and are available for purchase. The breakfast was not only very lovingly prepared, but also really tasty. (We are still raving about the in-house Mediterranean spread.) If you are looking for a café with a living room atmosphere, you will feel very comfortable at Café Einzigzig – I promise!
Address: Galgengasse 33, 2018 Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Restaurant Eisenhut We were able to enjoy an excellent lunch on the terrace of the Eisenhut restaurant. The view into the distance and into the countryside is really something special here. The restaurant serves fine dining. The ambiance is classy, but still retains a touch of down-to-earthness. We felt very comfortable – which is partly due to the incredibly friendly staff. Great recommendation!
Address: Herrngasse 3-5/7, 91541 Rothenburg whether the Tauber
Reichschef Traditional cuisine is served in the restaurant of the hotel of the same name. What was so special about our visit? We were allowed to dine in the in-house vaulted cellar, the St. Michaels-Keller. There is space for up to six people. The ambiance is really unique. If you want to treat yourself to something special or have something to celebrate, then this really is the perfect place to do it. Our tip: make sure to reserve in good time!
Address: Church Square 8, 91541 Rothenburg whether the Tauber
5. Regional shopping in Rothenburg Allegra chocolate We now come out as big chocolate fans. So it was clear that we would end up in this confectionery. The likeable master confectioner Alexander Hildebrand has opened his own shop here in recent years with a lot of passion and know-how. We were particularly enthusiastic about the handmade chocolates – they were so delicious that we took a small supply with us.
Address: Georgengasse 9, 2018 Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas village We’re actually not typical Christmas fans, but Nevertheless, we did not miss a visit to Käthe Wohlfahrt. It’s hard to put into words what’s happening in the Christmas village: On over 1.000 square meters it sparkles at each Corner. Somewhere between Christmas tree balls, nutcrackers and Christmas trees we were put in the Christmas spirit – and that in May!
Address: Herrngasse 1, Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Leyk Lichthäuser When we at Christmas think, at the same time we think of lighthouses made of ceramic. Leyk has been making these light houses by hand for decades. Just like Allegra, this family business also belongs to the Rothenburg “handmade” manufactories. There are two locations in Rothenburg. We have visited the following branch:
Address: Untere Schmiedgasse 6, 2018 Rothenburg ob der Tauber
6. Our accommodation in Rothenburg We can warmly recommend our pretty accommodation in Rothenburg. We stayed for two nights in the Plönlein guest house, which – as the name suggests – is right around the corner from the famous fork in the road.
The guest house is extremely central, but very quiet . The historic building was 801 completely renovated and houses three guest rooms. We stayed in the “Marlies” apartment on the first floor. A special highlight of our room was the balcony with a view of the Tauber Valley.
The bed was really comfortable. Breakfast is not served in the Gästehaus am Plönlein. Personally, that didn’t bother us at all, because there are some great breakfast places in the immediate vicinity.
Oh yes: the host family, who don’t live in the house themselves, are very accommodating. We have a clear recommendation!
You can book the guest house here: Gästehaus am Plönlein
Transparency: {advertising} This blog article was created in cooperation with FrankenTourismus. As part of the campaign “14 cities” we visit in spring and summer 810 in total 14 Franconian towns.
This blog article contains our personal recommendations in the form of so-called affiliate links. If you book or buy something through the links, we will receive a small commission. For you, this does not change the price at all. A thousand thanks from both of us!
Have you already visited Rothenburg ob der Tauber? If you have any other recommendations for sights, activities or restaurants, please leave us a comment!
