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Sunday, May 12, 2024
Sightseeing in Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Sightseeing in Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber's principal draw is its medieval atmosphere and magnificent fortifications. Huge sections of the wall can be explored randomly. The tourist information office as well as most hotels here have free maps with suggested walking routes to see the town from its most picturesque angles. Besides St Jakob and the Criminal Museum, indoor attractions are best reserved for very rainy days.
The Rothenburg ob der Tauber Markt
A good place to begin your tour of Rothenburg ob der Tauber is the Markt, a large square in the center of the Old Town. The Gothic parts of the Rathaus (Town Hall) date from the 14th century and the Renaissance additions are late 16th century. The 197-ft tower offers the best views in town.
To the north is the former Ratstrinkstube (City Councilors’ Tavern), formerly open to council members only. It has several clocks, including a carillon that recalls the Meistertrunk legend daily at the full hour between 11 am and 3 pm and between 8 and 10 pm.
Käthe Wohlfahrt
Käthe Wohlfahrt’s Christmas ornament shops seem to be everywhere in Rothenburg, but a more historic approach is in the Deutsches Weihnachtsmuseum (German Christmas Museum) at Herrngasse 1. It is in the back of the main Käthe Wohlfahrt shop and has a huge exhibition of historic Christmas ornaments, mostly from the late 19th century.
Käthe Wohlfahrt shop and has a huge exhibition of historic Christmas ornaments, mostly from the late 19th century.
St Jakobs Kirche
The St Jakobs- Kirche (St James’ Church) is a triplenave Gothic basilica. Construction of the east chancel started in 1311, the nave was completed in 1436, and the west chancel built in 1450-71, with a passageway underneath. The church has several remarkable art treasures from the 15th and 16th centuries. None is more impressive than Tilman Riemenschneider’s Heilig-Blut Altar (Holy Blood Altar) carved between 1499 and 1505. Its main panel shows the Last Supper.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber's Museums
The Reichsstadtmuseum (Imperial City Museum), at Klosterhof 5, is in a former Dominican monastery. It has mostly exhibits on furniture, weapons, sculpture and the former 14th-century monastery kitchen.
Many German towns and castles have a torture museum, but the Mittelalterliches Kriminalmuseum (Medieval Crime Museum), Burggasse 3-5, approaches the subject more seriously and more thoroughly. It is a large display on the development of justice in Europe up to the 19th century. The instruments of torture obviously attract the most attention, but the illustrated law books and explanations of procedures are also interesting. All descriptions are in English.
Towards the southern part of the Old Town is the Plönlein, a picturesque little square with a fork in the road. The main road leads to the Spitaltor, the mightiest of the city gates. Its 16thcentury bastions encircle two large inner courtyards. Walking on stretches of the wall from here to Burgtor often affords grand views of both the Old Town and the Tauber Valley.
Last updated December 26, 2010
Posted in Germany | Romantic Road
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