ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER tourist attractions

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is often called a fairytale town. It is one of the best-preserved medieval cities of Bavaria. It is located on the local Romantic Road leading through the most picturesque landscapes of the region, and in recent years has also become one of the most photographed places in Germany.

The city was founded at the castle erected in the 10th century by the Comburg-Rothenburg family and quickly became an important commercial and cultural center of the region. Its flourishing lasted until the Thirty Years' War and subsequent waves of plague and the general impoverishment of this part of Europe. It is with the Thirty Years War that the most famous urban legend is associated. When the city was occupied by the army of General Johan von Tilly, the inhabitants gave him a gallon of the best wine. The general said he would not destroy Rothenburg if someone drinks this pitcher without interruption. The mayor accepted the challenge and met the task. In remembrance of this event, every year at Pentecost there is a City Salvation Day, along with concerts, historical parades and a great fair.

The Old Town is surrounded by the city walls of Rothenburg with preserved gates, Gate of Blades, Gate of the Gallows, Castle Tower and city gate. Within them are the most important monuments of the city, including half-timbered tenement houses. The focal point here is the market square with the Renaissance town hall. Its tower can now be accessed to view the town panorama from a height.

A very famous place is Plönlein, a small square with charming tenements and two gates visible in perspective. A popular tourist destination is also the Medieval Criminal Museum, which presents old torture tools and methods of obtaining testimony from criminals. There are also several other museums in the city, such as the Village Museum, the Rothenburg Museum, the Graphic Museum at the Dürerhaus, the Christmas Museum and the City History Museum.

The idyllic atmosphere of the town is complemented by local parks and squares, the most famous of which are the Castle garden and the monastery garden.