Rothenburg: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Rothenburg was a Free Imperial City, answering only to the emperor, and at its height in the 14th century it was one of the richest towns in Franconia. Then wars and a shift of trade left it poor, so nobody could afford to rebuild, and the medieval town survived almost unchanged. This walk crosses it from the market square to the castle garden and down to the famous corner. About two hours on cobbles; wear proper shoes and start early, before the day-trip buses arrive.

A short history of Rothenburg

Rothenburg ob der Tauber was a free imperial city from 1274, and in the Middle Ages one of the richest towns in Franconia. In the 13th century its Jewish community was home to Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg, the Maharam, one of the great halakhic authorities of Ashkenaz, who was imprisoned by the emperor and died in prison in 1293. In 1631, during the Thirty Years' War, General Tilly captured the town, and according to legend the mayor saved it by draining a huge vessel of wine in one go. After the war the town became poor and forgotten, so it was not rebuilt and its walls were preserved. In March 1945 about 40% of it was destroyed by bombing, and the rest was saved by John McCloy, the US Assistant Secretary of War, who asked for the shelling to be called off.

The ten best sights in Rothenburg

1
Plönlein
The postcard corner; come before nine or after six to have it without crowds
2
Market Square
Be here on the hour for the clock figures, and at 8 pm for the night watchman
3
Town Hall tower
220 steps and a ladder at the end; the top platform is tiny, so wait your turn
4
St James's Church
Go up to the west gallery: the Riemenschneider altar is the treasure
5
Medieval Crime Museum
Four floors of law and punishment; give it more time than you think
6
RothenburgMuseum
In a medieval convent; see the giant tankard of the Master Draught
7
Old Craftsmen's House
A small house furnished as it was lived in; 20 minutes, very real
8
Judengasse
One of the few medieval Jewish streets in Germany still lined with old houses
9
German Christmas Museum
Inside the big Christmas shop; the history of the tree and its ornaments
10
Castle Garden
The best view of the Tauber valley, and benches for a picnic

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Tours in Rothenburg →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Rothenburg:

Free walking tours in Rothenburg

Inside the walls

Market Square · The clock on the councillors' tavern opens its windows on the hour to show the Master Draught: in 1631, the story goes, the Catholic general Tilly spared the town after former mayor Georg Nusch drank more than three litres of wine in one go.
Town Hall tower · The Gothic half of the town hall carries a tower about 60 metres high. The 220 steps end in a ladder and a narrow hatch, and the platform at the top fits only a handful of people.
St James's Church · Tilman Riemenschneider carved the Holy Blood Altar here between 1500 and 1505 around a rock-crystal capsule said to hold a drop of Christ's blood. The west choir that holds it is built over a street, which runs through an arch under the church.
RothenburgMuseum · The museum fills a Dominican convent from the 13th century, with its original kitchen. It also holds the great tankard that, in the legend, Mayor Nusch emptied to save the town.
Castle Garden · The garden stands where the castle of the Hohenstaufen emperors stood until an earthquake brought it down in 1356. Only the small Blasius chapel survives from it.
Plönlein · At this little triangle the street forks between two towers: the Siebersturm on the higher road and the Kobolzell Gate on the lane down to the river. Both were part of a later ring that extended the walls to the south.

Wall, war and the valley

The town wall still runs almost all the way round, and much of it has a covered walkway you can follow above the roofs. Its stones also tell how close Rothenburg came to destruction in 1945, and how the world paid to rebuild it. This route walks the wall from the east gate to the southern bastion, then drops into the Tauber valley below. About three hours with the valley; the descent is steep and the climb back is steeper.

Galgentor · The 'gallows gate' on the east side was named for the gallows that stood outside it on the road. It was the side most exposed to attack, facing open high ground rather than the valley.
Rödertor · On 31 March 1945 an air raid destroyed a large part of the eastern town around this gate. A few days later the American official John McCloy, who knew Rothenburg's reputation, had the planned artillery attack called off, and the town surrendered.
Wall walk · The rebuilt stretches of the walkway are lined with small plaques naming the people and groups around the world who paid for the repair after the war. Many of the names are American.
Spitaltor · The southern bastion, built in the 16th century, is shaped like a figure eight, with two inner courtyards and a ring of gun ports. An old inscription over the gate wishes peace to those who come in.
Double Bridge · The two-tiered stone bridge over the Tauber, with one row of arches stacked on another, dates from the 14th century. It was blown up in 1945 and rebuilt to the old design.
Toppler Castle · Mayor Heinrich Toppler built this odd tower house in 1388, a narrow base with a wider house on top. He was the most powerful man in Rothenburg, and he died in 1408 in the dungeon under his own town hall.

South on the Romantic Road

Rothenburg is the most famous walled town on the Romantic Road, but not the only one. South of it, two more towns kept their whole ring of walls: Dinkelsbühl, which came through the wars almost untouched, and Nördlingen, built inside a crater left by a meteorite. This route links them in one driving day, with Riemenschneider's carving at the start. About 110 km of easy country roads; Nördlingen is the natural lunch stop before the drive on to Füssen.

Detwang · The village below Rothenburg is older than the town itself, and its little church of St Peter and Paul holds a Holy Cross altar by Riemenschneider, easy to see up close without the crowds of St James.
Herrgottskirche Creglingen · The Marian altar here, carved by Riemenschneider around 1505-1510, is about nine metres high and was left unpainted, the bare limewood meant to be seen as it is.
Schillingsfürst · The baroque castle of the princes of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst sits on a ridge with views far over Franconia, and its courtyard hosts the Bavarian falconry centre, with flight shows of eagles and falcons.
Feuchtwangen · The town grew around a monastery founded in the early Middle Ages, and its Romanesque cloister is used every summer as an open-air stage for a theatre festival.
Dinkelsbühl · Every July the town holds the Kinderzeche, recalling a legend of 1632: during the Thirty Years' War, the town's children went out to plead with the Swedish commander, and he spared Dinkelsbühl.
Nördlingen, the Daniel · Nördlingen lies in the Ries, a crater about 25 km wide made by a meteorite some 15 million years ago, and its buildings are partly made of stone shocked by the impact. The Apollo 14 astronauts trained here in 1970. From the Daniel tower, a watchman still calls 'So, G'sell, so!' every half hour in the late evening.

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Getting to Rothenburg and getting around

Rothenburg station · A branch line; almost every train means a change at Steinach
Steinach station · The junction for trains to Würzburg and Nuremberg; the shuttle waits here

Cheap eats in Rothenburg

Rothenburg's own sweet is the Schneeball, strips of shortcrust pastry rolled into a ball, fried and dusted with sugar; it is better fresh than as a souvenir. The rest of the food is Franconian: bratwurst, roast pork, potato dumplings and local wine from the Tauber valley. The old town is touristy and prices follow, so the bakeries and the snack counters near the gates are where to eat cheaply.

Diller's Schneeballen · One Schneeball about 2-4 €
BrotHaus · Bakery on Schmiedgasse; pretzel, roll and coffee about 4-7 €
Imbiss Heller · Snack bar by the Rödertor; bratwurst in a roll about 4-6 €
Konditorei Café Prezel · Pastry café by the square; cake and coffee about 6-9 €
Gasthof Glocke · Franconian lunch with the house wine, about 12-20 €
Goldener Greifen · Old inn by the square; soup and a main about 12-18 €
Eiscafé D'Isep · Two scoops on the walk, about 3-5 €

Museums in Rothenburg

Medieval Crime Museum · Law and punishment over four floors; 1.5 hours
RothenburgMuseum · Convent rooms, the tankard and a Judaica room
Old Craftsmen's House · Rooms of medieval craftsmen, still with their tools
German Christmas Museum · Old tree ornaments and Christmas customs
Ries Crater Museum · In Nördlingen; meteorite science and a moon rock

Nature and day trips near Rothenburg

Castle Garden · Terraces high over the river bend
Tauber valley path · Riverside walk with views up to the walls
Walk to Detwang · 30 minutes down the valley to a village church
Daniel tower · 350 steps over the crater town

Things to do in Rothenburg with kids

Night watchman tour · 8 pm from the square, about an hour, in English
Wall walk · A covered walkway above the roofs; children love the arrow slits
Falconry at Schillingsfürst · Bird of prey flight shows, 20 minutes south
Crime Museum · Older kids love the shame masks; younger ones may not

Where to eat in Rothenburg

Zur Höll · Candlelit wine tavern; book ahead
Baumeisterhaus · Franconian dinner in a Renaissance courtyard
Goldener Greifen · Family inn, roast and dumplings
Gasthof Glocke · Own-estate wine with Franconian dishes

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Frequently asked questions about Rothenburg

What is there to see in Rothenburg?

The top sights in Rothenburg are Plönlein, Market Square and Town Hall tower. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Rothenburg?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Rothenburg without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Rothenburg?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Rothenburg, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Inside the walls.

How do you get to Rothenburg and get around?

The main ways are Rothenburg station and Steinach station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Rothenburg, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Rothenburg that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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