Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Rothenburg ob der Tauber-the most long name of a city I ever heard, not easy to remember.  The name "Rothenburg ob der Tauber" means, in German, "Red fortress above the Tauber". The name is from because the town is located on a plateau overlooking the Tauber river.

The small city is a town on the Romantic Road in Bavaria, Germany, about halfway in between Frankfurt and Munich. It is well known for its well-preserved medieval old town, with centuries of history that has remained largely intact, now is a tourist destination, a lovely place to spend the day. (Again if it could be a sunny day will be perfect. It was so cold even in October.)

         

Rothenburg is encircled by a wall that’s probably about 30-40 feet high, constructed of stone and mortar…It is known to have the best well-preserved stone gate surrounding the city since Medieval Times. Just through the main gate, you can climb the central tower to get a view of the beautiful old town…

The colorful building in old town… The medieval Altstadt, seemingly untouched by the passage of time, encircled by the undamaged 14th-century town wall. In the Middle Ages, Rothenburg was a free imperial city, reaching its apex of prosperity under Burgermeister Heinrich Toppler in the 15th century with a large population of 6,000 -- much larger than Frankfurt and Munich at that time. But now Rothenburg is a small town, it only takes 15 minutes to walk around from one end of town to the other in the city…

The Market Square (Marktplatz) is the center of urban life in Rothenburg o.d.T. The Square is framed on the west by the Town Hall , on the north by the City Councillors' Tavern (Ratstrinkstube) with its Tourist Information center, on the east by shops and cafes, and on the south by St. George's Fountain. (picture on the left) Enlarge to see the detail of the beautiful fountain.

The Plonlein (Little Square), a few blocks south of the Market Square, offers a charming medieval sight. There are many colorful building, unique by itself.

Rothenburg Town Hall

It was a really cool feeling walking around the cobblestone streets of Rothenburg.  I felt like an old traveler coming into town back in the day… And I wish I could come here again.

My entry for Tuesday My World.