A Magical Night in Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Tuesday, December 05, 2017
For quite a few of us, travelling is fueled by escapism, a need to get a break and take a breather from the mundane parts of life. We fall neatly into this category and our hunger for something away from the norm was truly fulfilled in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Since Aanchal's last visit to Europe which primarily revolved around Italy, she has been a staunch supporter of visiting a few small towns or villages (however touristy) of countries and not just sticking to the big cities. They always offer a unique experience and insight into the life and culture of the country. This is why, we made sure to incorporate this little town into our German leg of the trip.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a worldwide symbol of German Romance and the country's best preserved walled town was undoubtedly the most unique place on our entire journey. This Medieval village took us back to time of history we have always been infatuated by and to truly experience the place, we chose to stay the night in a family run bed and breakfast that was situated right in the heart of the town.
First up, we got a measure of the city by climbing the Town Walls. You don't need to do the entire walk as it would take a considerable amount of time but we really encourage you to walk a portion of it, to get a sense of what the town was like in the Middle Ages. The view from the top is great and the walls are still beautifully preserved to this day.
During the afternoon we roamed the streets trying local German sweets including Schneeballs, which frankly looked better than they tasted, as well as tempting cakes which fared a lot better. Keeping with the theme of authentic German food, we headed to a restaurant called Gasthof Maktplatz. On the menu for lunch was an authentic Swabian feast full of Kattoffetaschen mit krauter (fried potato bags with cottage cheese inside, yum!) , Spatzel (noodled with cheese and roasted onions, also yum!!) and some dish of stuffed noodle and egg that we cannot find the name of anymore. A part of us was hesitant about how such traditional foods will taste but we could easily down a few plates of the above any day and highly recommend you try them. Our appetite was cut short though curtsy to the town's Medieval Crime and Justice Museum. I'm surprised we managed to hold down our lunch after reading about the various ways of brutally dismembering people.
We spent a large part of our time roaming the streets, popping into shops and photographing the famous Plonlein Corner. Although the town is extremely famous for its cute half timbered houses and for offering picture perfect alleyway views, it also has a long and rich heritage. In the Middle Ages, when Berlin and Munich were just wide spots in the road, Rothenburg was Germany's second-largest city, with a whopping population of 6,000. The riches and prosperity were not to last forever and due to several twists and turns such as the Peasant's Revolt, Thirty Years War and finally the plague, the town suffered a lot and became too poor to renovate thus remaining frozen in time. This all eventually changed again in Romantic era when artists rediscovered Rothenburg's old world charm and it became a tourist haven.
During World War II, U.S. Assistant Secretary of War, John J. McCloy gave Rothenburg's residents a chance to surrender because he knew about the town's historical importance and beauty, hence didn't want to bomb it to the ground. The town's residents surrendered to save Rothenburg and as soon as the war finished they quickly put themselves to repairing the damage that was done. Rothenburg received donations from all over the world, such was the beauty of this 'little' town. We discovered all this and much more on the Night Watchman's Tour of Rothenburg.
During World War II, U.S. Assistant Secretary of War, John J. McCloy gave Rothenburg's residents a chance to surrender because he knew about the town's historical importance and beauty, hence didn't want to bomb it to the ground. The town's residents surrendered to save Rothenburg and as soon as the war finished they quickly put themselves to repairing the damage that was done. Rothenburg received donations from all over the world, such was the beauty of this 'little' town. We discovered all this and much more on the Night Watchman's Tour of Rothenburg.
But before this, we stopped by a local Italian eatery for dinner which served the most unique pizza toppings I've had the pleasure of trying. I'm talking artichokes and potato's on fluffy thin crust pizzas bases. Our companions over dinner were 1 very adorable puppy running about the empty restaurant and two elderly gentlemen playing cards and waiting to pack for the night once we finished. It was night just like the town we were in, quaint and adorable.
After this we headed out for the Night Watchman's tour and although our feet were on the verge of freezing; the tour was certainly worth it. The city's history came alive under the night sky and dazzling Christmas lights as we found out what a battler the small-town had been.
Finally, in keeping with the adventurous spirit of Rothenburg, we departed for our next destination at 4 in the morning. Heading out under the night sky while dragging our luggage on the cobblestone floor was a true highlight.
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7 comments
Wow what a magically charming place! The holiday decorations are so festive! I really enjoyed your post dear.
ReplyDeleteXx Caroline
https://foreverdolledup.net
Dort ist es a wirklich wunderschön! Danke für diesen tollen Post!
ReplyDeletexx Rena
PS: Danke für Deine lieben Worte auf meinem Blog. Hast Du vielleicht Lust auf gegenseitiges Folgen?
www.dressedwithsoul.com
This place looks like fairytale.
ReplyDeleteSuch an amazing photo selection.
xx
https://theonethattravels.wordpress.com/
Looks like such a magical place -- all of the colourful buildings are so pretty!!
ReplyDeletexo,
H
http://firsttimethings.com/
Wow, this place is so gorgeous! Would love to visit someday! Beautiful photos too. :)
ReplyDelete-Emily www.coatandcoffee.com
Amazing place! The lights are beautiful at night! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful day!
Much love, Len
www.lenparent.com
XO
I adore the look of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, it looks such a cute and traditional place to visit! Love the coloured houses too! I've saved this post as I want to go next Christmas! Thanks so much for sharing xoxo
ReplyDeleteJaz
http://www.thelifeofasocialbutterfly.co.uk