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***image1***It’s not difficult to quickly appreciate Rothenburg’s history – it’s everywhere you look!
As the country’s best-preserved walled city – and a summertime tourist Mecca – there is no shortage of sights (and shopping) to be had in Rothenburg (pronounced ROE-ten-burg).
To begin, the tourist office is located near the town hall (with the city’s tallest spire) and the 700-year-old St. Jacob’s Church in the market square. There are numerous pamphlets and a daily 2 p.m. walking tour. Be sure to catch the night watchman’s tour in English at 8 p.m.
While in the market square, check your watch. The clock tower will open on the hour at 11 a.m., noon, 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10 p.m. to reenact the Meistertrunk story. Basically, the Catholic army invaded this Protestant town in 1631 and was about to rape and plunder, when the mayor struck a deal. He said, “If I can drink this entire three-liter tankard of wine in one gulp, will you leave us alone?” The invaders agreed and the mayor drank the whole thing; the town was saved!
The Medieval Crime and Punishment Museum has a large selection of torture and punishment instruments. All the exhibits are labeled in English. The museum is open daily 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Check out the Web site: www.kriminalmuseum.rothenburg.de for more information.
There are many restaurants in the city, but if you enjoy a picnic and the weather is cooperating, the castle garden is the perfect place to go. This park is the site of a castle destroyed in the 1300s, and there are great views of the Tauber River Valley below.
As the city evolved as a crossroad to trade routes between the 10th
and 14th centuries, Rothenburg manages to retain its historical charm while continuing to evolve to meet the needs of the large numbers of descending tourists.
