Rothenburg ob der Tauber (Day 1)

We decided to spend part of Labor Day weekend in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which is about a 2 hour drive from Stuttgart.  Several people had recommended this medieval old town to us.  According to Wikipedia, "The name "Rothenburg ob der Tauber" means, in German, "Red fortress above the Tauber". This is so because the town is located on a plateau overlooking the Tauber River. As to the name "Rothenburg", some say it comes from the German words Rot (Red) and Burg (burgh, medieval fortified settlement), referring to the red colour of the roofs of the houses which overlook the river."

Rothenburg was taken over and defeated by a Catholic army during the Thirty Years' War.  The town was left very poor and was unable to rebuild for many years.  For this reason, its medieval architecture remained very well preserved.  In fact, during Hitler's regime, it was called the "most German of all German towns" and became a popular tourist destination.  It is, indeed, very picturesque and beautiful and we loved the two days we spent walking around the old town.  

(Click on individual photos to view full screen.)

A friend recommended this hotel to us.  It was lovely!

Soliders would pour molten tar onto unsuspecting invaders through the open mouth of this mask.

Drew loved looking through these small windows in the walls.

"Schneeballs" are a regional specialty.  We bought two but were not huge fans.  They taste kind of like fried elephant ears but are really dry/flaky and messy to eat!  

Marktplatz.  The yellow building on the left with the stair-like facade was my favorite.

Do you see Jim and Drew?

We had read on TripAdvisor that the Night Watchman Tour (in English) was a must when visiting Rothenburg.  It started at 8pm in the Marktplatz.  We really enjoyed it!  About 75 English speakers attended the tour and even with all those people, we could still hear the Night Watchman and had fun learning about what life was like for the men who guarded the town during medieval times--and even as late as the early 1900s.

During the Night Watchman Tour, we learned that Rothenburg was nearly destroyed during the bombings of World War II.  However, the US Assistant Secretary of War had a special place in his heart for Rothenburg: his mother had once visited the town and purchased a piece of artwork there which hung in his home while he was growing up.  He ordered that no artillery be used to take over Rothenburg and gave them the option of surrendering, thus saving Rothenburg from being destroyed!