Time travel in the old town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Next stop: enchanted! A walk through the old town centre of Rothenburg ob der Tauber is like a short journey through a fairytale book. The medieval town centre with its narrow half-timbered houses, winding alleyways and small bay windows and turrets is for many the epitome of historic Germany.

Around the town on the tower trail

The Rothenburg Tower Trail is an ideal start to your tour of Rothenburg. This leads you around four kilometres along the town wall around the old town. As you walk along the Tower Trail, you will pass numerous information boards that provide you with information about the towers of the town wall and the sights. For those who are particularly interested, a brochure with further information on the 22 stations of the Rothenburg Tower Trail is also available from the tourist information centre on the market square. The best place to start your tour is at Rödertor, one of the five main gates of the outer city fortifications, which is only an eight-minute walk from the railway station. Some of the city's towers are open to visitors and the city wall itself is also accessible in some places. The best way to enjoy the view of the city's 42 towers is from up there.

In Pinocchio's footsteps in Middle Franconia

A detour from the tour around the city wall is particularly worthwhile near the Kobolzell Tower. Not far in front of it, you will come across the actual landmark of the Middle Franconian town of Rothenburg - the Plönlein. Even Walt Disney's illustrators were impressed by the architecture of the narrow half-timbered house: the Plönlein served as the model for the birthplace of the famous children's book character Pinocchio and is one of the most photographed landmarks in the historic town.

Experience the dark side of the Middle Ages

The tour of Rothenburg's old town centre is both spooky and educational. Rothenburg's Medieval Crime Museum, Europe's largest museum of legal history, is located just a two-minute walk from the Plönlein, parallel to the town wall to the north. In addition to a collection of various masks of shame, stretching benches and other torture devices, there is also an Iron Maiden to marvel at. However, the museum does not play with shock effects, but fulfils its educational mission as a museum of legal history and ensures that the displays are suitable for children. After visiting the museum, you can continue your walk along the Rothenburg Tower Trail towards the castle gate. For a little refreshment with coffee and cake, we recommend a short detour across the market square to Walter Friedel's traditional café. For those with a sweet tooth, the café offers its original Rothenburg snowballs and Tauberkugeln, small praline-like treats. You can also pay a visit to Rothenburg Castle, also known as Toppler Schlösschen, a short distance from the old town.

Christmas all year round

If you still have time and want to make another stop, there is another unrivalled museum just a 3-minute walk from the Crime Museum. Christmas Eve is all year round at the German Christmas Museum. Numerous exhibits illustrate the origins and development of Christmas customs in Germany. In the building next door, you can also pick up a souvenir or two for friends and family in the Käthe Wohlfahrts Christmas Village. Right in front of the traditional shop, oversized nutcracker figurines and a red historic bus with presents invite visitors to stop for a photo.

Enchanted romance and nature - the castle garden

Regardless of whether you have followed the tower trail on your excursion so far or have taken a direct walk through the small town in Middle Franconia - the castle garden at the town exit at the castle gate offers the ideal backdrop for a short break. The gardens on the former castle grounds invite you to linger in a romantic atmosphere and make photographers' hearts beat faster. The centrepiece of the grounds is the small statue garden, whose arrangement symbolises the seasons and the four elements. Finish off your day at the nearby Zur Höll pub and reflect on your eventful day with a hearty meal and a good glass of wine or a refreshing apple spritzer before heading back to the railway station.

You can reach the station in just under 15 minutes on foot by following Burggasse and Alter Keller eastwards until you reach Rödergasse. There, turn right towards the Rödertor, where you started your tour of the old town. From there, follow Ansbacher Straße to Bahnhofstraße and continue along this street for around 200 metres until you reach the train station, from where you can start your relaxed return journey full of impressions. We bet you'll definitely be enchanted after a visit to romantic Rothenburg.