Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a beautifully preserved Medieval town, famous year-round but especially recommended for Christmas visits. Unfortunately, it’s in Bavaria where they’ve been very strict with Covid restrictions. We were glad that we could still visit, that it was still open, but disappointed that there would be no Christmas Markets in Rothenburg this year. Nevertheless, people visit Rothenburg all year long, so we went ahead with our scheduled three-night stay.
We’re so glad we went! Rothenburg is truly magical. The town is beautifully maintained with nearly all the architecture in the Medieval style: half-timbered construction with tall, steep roofs. The medieval walled town features forty-two towers and seven gates. Although a few motor vehicles can enter, the mostly cobblestone streets feel like a large pedestrian zone.
Our train dropped us off on a cold evening. No taxis were in sight and UBER wasn’t available here – so we walked from the train station. Walking through one of the town gates was like stepping back in time – like a Disney creation, but this one was real. Everywhere we looked there was another beautiful, historic looking view. We found our hotel first, and then set out for an evening stroll. With the sun setting at 4:30, it was already dark, but the central part of town is well lit and beautiful. We enjoyed goose for dinner at a recommended restaurant. As we walked back later, it began to snow, and before long a layer of wet snow lay on the streets and the rooftops, further enhancing this remarkable view.
There were no Christmas Markets, but we really didn’t miss them. This place is “Christmassy” all year round, and especially now, in December, approaching Christmas, with a layer of snow on the streets. The town is still dressed out with Christmas decorations. Rothenburg is the head office for Käthe Wohlfahrt, a German company specializing in Christmas decorations and other related items. With two large Christmas shops AND a German Christmas Museum in Rothenburg, Käthe Wohlfahrt makes Christmas a year-round focus. We loved visiting the Käthe Wohlfahrt store full of Christmas ornaments, lovely traditional decorations, nativity scenes – and anything else you can imagine related to Christmas. We wanted to visit the German Christmas Museum as well, but their Covid restrictions required a recent test, so we chose not to.
Covid Restrictions: Although we enjoyed Christmas Markets in Cologne, and later in Frankfurt, none were allowed in Rothenburg, Bavaria. We are both fully vaccinated with recent boosters, so we can usually enjoy whatever we wish. We need to show our EU Digital Certificate along with ID, but that has always been accepted as sufficient. But twice in our Rothenburg visit, that was not enough. In order to visit Käthe Wohlfahrt’s German Christmas Museum, and in order to attend a Christmas concert, we had to show our EU Documents and provide a negative Covid test within 24 hours. While we respect their efforts to keep everyone safe, and the tests were easily available, we chose to skip the extra hassle of a test. So we skipped the concert and the Käthe Wohlfahrt German Christmas Museum.
We spent most of our days just exploring Rothenburg on foot. Wherever you looked there was something amazing, so Sara was stopping endlessly to take pictures. Rothenburg is very much a tourist town today. The local shopkeepers said that the tourist activity was far less than normal, yet the streets seemed fairly busy to us, especially in the daytime on a weekend when the day-trip buses arrive. The crowds would thin out as the evening progressed. We don’t think we would enjoy it as much if the streets were just packed with tourists.
Walking the Town Walls: To take a break from wandering the cobblestoned streets, we walked the city walls, about a three-mile walk. We hoped to climb one of the towers, but they were all closed, and even a small section of the walk was closed. It’s a narrow walk of stone and wood raised along the inside of the large stone walls, as in many a castle or fortification, with occasional openings to view the surrounding territory or the narrow slits through which you could rain down arrows on your attackers.
The Last Supper: On our last evening in Rothenburg, we especially enjoyed dinner at a restaurant within the city but away from the main square. Early birds that we are, we knocked on the door a little after 5:00 but were told to return after 6:00. We amused ourselves by walking. When we returned, we were shown to a small, lovely room with only three tables. Before long two more couples came in. We soon realized that we were all English speakers: two American couples and one from northern England. We remained at separate tables, but the conversation was general from then on, as we told our stories and shared travel advice. For three hours! Lovely food and great conversations. This is why we love travel!
