Today we made a side trip from Munich to one of Germany's most charming and noteworthy stops, Rothenburg ob der Tauber (on the Tauber). Munich is centrally located next to a few of our stops, so it works out splendidly as a home base, and that's how we'll use it for the next three days. (This is great because it prevents us from having to pack and unpack for a bit.)
Here is a shot from Rothenburg's beautiful Christmas Market and town square.
We stopped for tea and cake almost immediately upon arrival at the Hotel Eisenhut. Here is a shot from inside their lobby.
We had a mandatory stop at the Käthe Wohlfahrt christmas shop. This is actually two shops flanking either side of Rothenburg's most major road. Here are a couple of pictures from inside the store. It was absolutely fantastic and quite the tourist trap. While we could have dropped quite a few euro in here, we opted for only one small ornament instead. The experience was more valuable than any bauble we could have acquired.
These toy "smokers" are a German staple. We've seen them EVERYWHERE in Germany and the designs are quite elaborate and regionally connected in most instances. These are just a few from inside the store.
After we fed our materialistic cravings, we headed over to St. Jakob's Church which is impressive not only because of its towers, but also its interior altars, two of which are fashioned by the famous wood carver Tilman Riemenschneider, and the third high altar is by Friedrich Herlinto. The church has been used since 1336.
This is a photo of me sitting in front of the 5,000-pipe organ.
These chancel pews are from 1514.
We aren't sure whent this door was built, but we thought it was blog worthy. Notice the necessity of the lock and key - even in the 1400's. (Some things don't change.) 
We headed to the Burgerkeller for lunch, and were so glad we did. We had recommendations from the manager for Bratwurste auf Linse (sausage with lentils atop noodles) and Bauernschmauss (farmer's feast). 
After lunch we decided it best to work off a little of our calorie consumption. We started our trip around the city wall.
Rothenburg is along the Romantic Road and is known for its mediveal setting. It's a walled city that was left largely untouched for hundreds of years. It has been my favorite stop so far because it's exactly what you'd hope your Christmas-filled trip to Germany to be all about - concerts, costumes, hot spiced wine, ornaments by the thousands and gorgeous gothic churches.
Here is a shot from Rothenburg's beautiful Christmas Market and town square.
Along with a picture-worthy town square, there are countless cobblestone streets lined with quaint shops, small cafes, traditional eateries and various museums. Here are a few images to give you an idea.
We stopped for tea and cake almost immediately upon arrival at the Hotel Eisenhut. Here is a shot from inside their lobby.We had a mandatory stop at the Käthe Wohlfahrt christmas shop. This is actually two shops flanking either side of Rothenburg's most major road. Here are a couple of pictures from inside the store. It was absolutely fantastic and quite the tourist trap. While we could have dropped quite a few euro in here, we opted for only one small ornament instead. The experience was more valuable than any bauble we could have acquired. These toy "smokers" are a German staple. We've seen them EVERYWHERE in Germany and the designs are quite elaborate and regionally connected in most instances. These are just a few from inside the store. After we fed our materialistic cravings, we headed over to St. Jakob's Church which is impressive not only because of its towers, but also its interior altars, two of which are fashioned by the famous wood carver Tilman Riemenschneider, and the third high altar is by Friedrich Herlinto. The church has been used since 1336. This is a photo of me sitting in front of the 5,000-pipe organ.These chancel pews are from 1514.We aren't sure whent this door was built, but we thought it was blog worthy. Notice the necessity of the lock and key - even in the 1400's. (Some things don't change.) These handmade ornaments decorated the trees of the church.
We headed to the Burgerkeller for lunch, and were so glad we did. We had recommendations from the manager for Bratwurste auf Linse (sausage with lentils atop noodles) and Bauernschmauss (farmer's feast). After lunch we decided it best to work off a little of our calorie consumption. We started our trip around the city wall.This face (see dark area) was used to pour hot tar on would-be threats as they tried to enter the city walls - or so the legand tells us.
Here is a shot of the final street scene as we left this beautiful little town and headed back to home base. In the end we headed back home to our toasty hotel room in Munich via train.
Chad says that "every way you look in this town is a picture", and these views don't disappoint either.
This shot is just outside the Medieval Crime Museum. (I'm certainly glad I didn't live to experience being hung in this thing for days while people did all sorts of horrible things to me.) Having my picture taken in it for fun seems like a much better idea.
Here's a shot along the wall for a straight path. The wall takes about 1.5 hours to walk completely surrounding the city.
Here's a shot along the wall for a straight path. The wall takes about 1.5 hours to walk completely surrounding the city. We had to make a stop at a local Bakery (Bacherei) to warm up with hot coffee and tea, as well as sample a local treat. This particular establishment has been family operated for more than 125 years now. We enjoyed a schneeball (dark chocolate covered) among other local treats that provided ample dunking opportunities for the drinks.
Here is a shot of the final street scene as we left this beautiful little town and headed back to home base. In the end we headed back home to our toasty hotel room in Munich via train.
No comments:
Post a Comment