Timber frame houses, cobbled streets, delicious snacks and motorhome parking. Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber has it all. And more
In case you’ve missed anything
Welcome back to the blog! I (Tash) hope you are enjoying reading our trip posts as much as I’m enjoying writing them. (if you’ve missed them, you can read them here, here and here)
At this point, we’d been touring on the continent for just over 2 weeks. No plans, no set destinations (apart from 1 which I’ll get to in a future post!)
Why we don’t plan
A follower on Instagram saw we were nearby in Germany and suggested a place he was at, Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber.
A medieval town with half timbered houses and towers? Erm, yes please! We knew instantly we had to go.
This is exactly why we don’t plan, if something comes up that looks interesting to us, we can go for it.
This is also why we love sharing out travels, to inspire others but also for others to inspire us.
Motorhome parking a plenty
We looked up the small Stellplatz David has suggested. It looked perfect but when we arrived, it was full.
No problem, it turns out there are 2 other car parks on the outskirts of the town that have motorhome parking.
At time of visit, charges were €12 euros for 24 hours with grey waste and elsan. Fresh water was available for a small charge.
Imperial City Festival
As if we (ok, I) weren’t excited enough about visiting a medieval, walled town, we happened to visit Rothenburg Ob De Tauber the weekend of the imperial city festival.
It takes place the first weekend of September and, basically, the whole town becomes a big medieval camp!
There are groups from various time periods in the towns history, all dressed up and living in their respective encampments around the town.
We arrived in the evening and I couldn’t wait to go and have a look around. Needless to say, we parked up, fed and walked the cats and then went straight to town.
A nighttime walk to remember
You all know we love a night time stroll and this one was off the charts.
The beautiful buildings were aglow from the streetlights. That familiar halo of light accentuating some features, casting others in shadow.
It always seems like you can really feel the unevenness of the cobbled streets under your feet when parts of them are shrouded in darkness. The little nooks become more accentuated.
But there were new elements to this evening walk.
A delight for all the senses
There was the smell of fire. Proper wood burning campfires.
There was the sound, hushed mumbles from some parts. Hearty singing from others. Some of the camps even had instruments and were playing traditional music.
We stopped and listened, totally captivated by the lively renditions (as a former marching band drummer, I am quite emotive when it comes to live instruments. Especially ones of any sort of marching or military band)
There was the sight, rows of fire lit torches and candles lined the paths and roads leading to the encampments. It was mesmerising wandering down the little backstreets!
Everyone in complete costume, huddled around the fires drinking, chatting and cooking. It was literally like we had stepped back in time.
The icing on the cake
Our night time meander finished on an unexpected high. A lone flutist had gone AWOL from his camp, wandering the streets, playing a tune.
He was hilarious, he had clearly had a few biers but he made us laugh so much.
Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber in the light of day
After a peaceful night’s sleep, we walked back in to the town.
Last night the town had definitely been lively, but in that magical way that only the night can create.
During the day, the town was alive with a different energy. It was hustling and bustling! There was a lot of jolly activity from both the historic groups and the visitors.
The sun was shining, bringing out the bright notes of all the beautiful flowers, whose boxes adorn most of the windows.
There were various activities happening all over. Dancing groups, bird displays, brass bands playing, traditional wood chopping and even a medieval court! (No, Jon wasn’t successful is having me tried as a witch)
Food. That is all
Ok, lets get to the even better part. The food!
Jon started the day off strong with a bratwurst from one of the food stalls. Quite frankly, it was bloody huge.
Absolutely delicious though and such good value at €3.50. He even let me have a bite.
We saw these curious snacks in the window of one of the food shops the night before. They looked like giant balls of chocolate and pastry. Turns out thats exactly what they were.
Shortcrust pastry, loosely intertwined and wrapped into balls and deep-fried.
We HAD to try one. They are called Schneeballen, which translates to snowballs, and they are found throughout Bavaria. They are mostly associated with Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber which explains why they were in nearly every cafe!
Donner is the same everywhere, surely?
Go to foreign country, have kebab for lunch? Yes! but hear me out.
I will start by saying we got one because it was quick, simple and cost effective. Turns out, it was so good!
Donner just hits different in Germany for some reason, specifically chicken. This box definitely started off a thing for us in Germany!
The tower trail
In the old quarter, there is a tower trail you can walk, along the walls. The walls are covered as well which was great in the heat of the sun!
The views around the town from there are amazing. We passed many others doing the walk and at one point, we wondered if we were going the wrong way round.
Wartime Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber
The town has a long history, dating as far back at 1070 when the Castle was built. In fact, it’s possible there were settlements there before that!
It was hard to ignore the information about Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber during the war though.
Apparently, it was a place of significance for Nazi ideologists. It was considered the ‘epitome of the German home town’.
During WWII, around 40% of the eastern part of the town was destroyed and needed rebuilding. The reconstruction was not like for like but to rebuild in a similar style. This explains the subtle differences in the buildings.
Something some may not notice but we definitely spot things like this!
Definitely worth a visit
If ever you are nearby, Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber is 100% worth a visit. Wether you are a history love like us or not, it is really is a sight to behold.
There is so much more as well, including the prison museum, the many shops and of course the famous landmark, the Plönlein.
All of the Motorhome parking is within a 10/15 minute walk of the town making it so easy to access.
And definitely, definitely try a Schneeball.