Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria in Germany

Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Germany is a town that is almost completely built in the medieval style. You imagine yourself back in time here. The small town in Bavaria is part of the famous Romantic Road, a well-known tourist route along numerous villages, castles and nature reserves.

You can easily wander through the narrow streets and take photos of the colourful houses. To prepare your trip well, these are the most beautiful sights of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. It also includes some excursions that are worth doing. Take the time for your visit, there is plenty to see and do.

Market Square

The Market Square of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

The Market Square has been the central point of the city for centuries. The City Hall (Rathaus) is extremely beautiful. It has a Gothic construction and dates back to 1250. One of the most famous half-timbered houses is the Fleisch und Tanzhaus from 1270.

The Jagstheimer Haus is also striking. Today it is called Marienapotheke. The Saint George fountain has been used in the famous Disney movie Belle And The Beast. Do you recognise him?

City Walls

Walking on the City Walls.

The historic center of Rothenburg is still completely surrounded by stone city walls. The imposing wall dates from the 14th century. One of the best ways to see the city is from the city walls. There are several entrances to climb the wall via a staircase. You have a good view of the city. Especially if you want to take photos, this is a must.

One of the towers in Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

Röder Tower

The Röder Tower (Rödertor) was one of the old access roads into the city. This gate seems to have been taken straight out of a fairytale. They are actually two gates. One was for horses and wagons (and now cars), the other for pedestrians. You can find this gem in the east of Rothenburg.

Medieval Crime Museum

The weird Medieval Crime Museum.

The Medieval Crime Museum (Mittelalterliches Kriminalmuseum) is unique in the world. If you want to know what the judiciary looked like in the past thousand years, this is a must. And it has changed a lot over the past centuries.

You will find that hundreds of years ago people thought quite differently about justice. Including the unprecedented witch hunt, but also torture tools to, for example, force confessions. You will learn all about torture, wheel breaking and more. Impressive and a bit scary.

St. James's Church

The St. James's Church (St Jakobskirche) is the leading church in the city. Construction started in the 13th century, but was not completed until 1485. You can visit the church. Pay particular attention to the stained glass windows.

Siebersturm

The Siebersturm can be seen in almost all photos of Rothenburg. It is located near the famous Plönlein in the south of the town.

The wonderful Plönlein in Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

Plönlein

This small square is the most photographed place in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. The reason is that from the square looks at two street. These both have a tower: The Kobolzeller Tor and the Siebersturm. Especially at the end of the day and early in the day it is beautiful.

White Tower

The White Tower (Weisser Turm) in Rothenburg is an imposing fortress tower. This tower also gives you access to the city walls.

Visiting Rothenburg ob der Tauber

This town is popular with day trippers from its own country. But foreign tourists also like to visit the medieval town. Which makes it quite busy here. Especially in the high season and the weekends it is not really fun anymore.

Accommodations in Rothenburg ob der Tauber

The town offers numerous locations to spend the night. Think of hotel, hostels, but also Bed & Breakfast. Most accommodations are located in or around the small center. So you can easily discover it on foot. If you spend the night here, you can set out early in the morning, before the tourist groups arrive. You can also visit Rothenburg ob der Tauber in the evening.

See the best hotels in Rothenburg ob der Tauber

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