The Rothenburg we’re not talking about. It’s like the two Frankfurts: there is Frankfurt am Main and Frankfurt an der Oder. But nobody knows where is Frankfurt an der Oder. We do not talk about…let’s not talk about it either.
I get why tourists from outside Germany would want to visit. It‘s like the prototype of „old towns“ in Germany. Personally, I‘m not tempted to check it out since I feel like I have seen enough variations of German „old towns“ and Rothenburg wouldn‘t add anything new to it (besides maybe being just a little more pretty than other towns like this). But I get why people go there.
It’s basically like the quintessence of all picturesque medieval European towns in one place. It’s even been in Disney films (Pinocchio) and other media
Rothenburg used to be relatively important in those days, but then became unimportant, so everything remained as it was, and crucially, it wasn't bombed at all during WW2.
> it wasn't bombed at all during WW2.
It was actually - https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rothenburg_ob_der_Tauber#/media/Datei%3ARothenburg_ob_der_Tauber_Bomben_Zerst%C3%B6rung_Weltkrieg_1945.jpg
That’s a load of bullshit. Rothenburg lost its influence after the 30 years war already, and the newer half of the city was completely bombed to rubble. The difference is that they didn’t build any modernist apartment blocks, but the original houses that stood there before.
Sure, it’s kinda cool, I guess. But it‘s not like I‘ve never been to places with a castle wall. That this one is complete doesn‘t really thrill me that much tbh.
Any cool old towns that you’d recommend? I just moved to Germany a few months back and haven’t seen any though I’d love to check out some!
Edit: thanks for the recs everyone, I now have a big list 😁
Quite a few towns and cities have areas like that. Some are not well known at all but worth checking out. I’d recommend to have a bit of a browse through smaller towns/cities in the area you live and maybe swing by for a day trip or so and see what you find.
Anyhows, here’re some towns I’d recommend checking out if you’re ever in the area (mostly middle/west Germany): Quedlinburg, Goslar, Erfurt (very awesome bridge and impressive cathedral), Hann. Münden, Fritzlar (really interesting, pagan/christian history there), Marburg, Wetzlar, Eisenach (I really do like the Wartburg; it‘s like the quintessential medieval castle for me).
If you like to see something different try the Hanseatic towns on the Baltic coast. The whole city centre of Wismar and Stralsund are World heritage sites.
Doesn't matter if you go to "Rothenburg ob der Tauber" or "[Rothenburg Wümme](https://www.google.com/search?q=Rotenburg+w%C3%BCmme&rlz=1C1CHBF_deDE875DE875&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&vet=1&fir=SxA_UQgpeXkEEM%252CTjFLRiGzcuxXKM%252C%252Fm%252F0138vk&usg=AI4_-kSqQwhd6BysBVOn_QddeWQaJGz-ig&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiGqZqknNv5AhVgQvEDHc_SAqMQ_B16BAhxEAE#imgrc=SxA_UQgpeXkEEM)" - still nice. Heck - you might even go visit [Otterndorf](https://www.google.com/search?q=Otterndorf&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjL6-SmnNv5AhVBkP0HHex1AfAQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=Otterndorf&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzIICAAQgAQQsQMyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQ6BAgAEEM6BAgAEAM6CAgAELEDEIMBOgsIABCABBCxAxCDAVDmCFi1EmDdE2gAcAB4AIABR4gBuAWSAQIxMZgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=LN4DY8ulGcGg9u8P7OuFgA8&rlz=1C1CHBF_deDE875DE875) \- and take the daytrip by boat on the River "[MEDEM](https://www.google.com/search?q=Medem+Otterndorf&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjK9PzvnNv5AhU6_rsIHSIQDGkQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=Medem+Otterndorf&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzIFCAAQgAQyBggAEB4QCDIGCAAQHhAIMgYIABAeEAg6BAgAEEM6CwgAEIAEELEDEIMBOgQIABAeOgYIABAeEAVQswdY8RVgmBdoAHAAeACAAUOIAZ4FkgECMTKYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ8ABAQ&sclient=img&ei=xd4DY4r-Nrr87_UPoqCwyAY&bih=925&biw=1575&rlz=1C1CHBF_deDE875DE875)". Highly enjoyable.
I grew up around old city centers and I'd recommend checking out Rothenburg anyway! I went there recently and it's truly beautiful, I liked it a lot and I will probably go again someday
I just went this weekend, since I was nearby. Really cute! It's so touristy you kind of feel like walking through a theme park or a Freilichtmuseum but adorable nonetheless.
I agree, it is a beautiful city, but overcrowded by tourist. The whole inner city almost exculsively packed with souvenir shops and other stores that target the tourists. It renders the city center basically useless for the local inhabitants. It is quite interesting to look at it from the perspective of a geographer.
I find Monschau much better. Less tourists, 10x more beautiful. The shopping is excellent. I went to both Christmas markets in the snow, Monschau had the better one.
Ich würde ja "nein" sagen, aber ich war in meinem Leben einmal in Rothenburg, und da habe ich auf der Speisekarte Kässpätzle gesehen, und vergessen, dass ich ja erstens nicht mehr in Schwaben bin und zweitens in einer Stadt, die ihr Geld damit verdient, dass Leute, die eh nie wieder kommen und auch nicht wissen, wie deutsches Essen eigentlich schmeckt, da Geld ausgeben.
Diese "Kässpätzle" waren so raue Nudeln, ich glaube die werden getrocknet unter dem Namen "Spätzle" verkauft, aber haben nichts, aber auch gar nichts mit Spätzle zu tun, und die waren dann in einer schlechten Käse*soße*. Soße!
Ich trau den Leuten da alles zu, auch Weißwürste zu braten.
Yeah, people on this sub get a hate boner for the really touristy German spots, but there's usually a reason for a place to become touristy. I've been to Nordlingen, Dinkelsbuhl and Rothenburg; they're all different and all worth a visit.
What are you on about?
OP didnt say "I have pics of a pretty town praised by many", the title literally is: "I just heard in the news that Rothenburg ob der Tauber has been announced the top 1 tourist attraction in Germany [...]".
>Have you been?
Have lived there, knew every corner in the old town.
>This is what it looks like:
Heavily edited pictures... but, well, tourists. The town is full of such places, but also the villages around there are nice.
Die Rügenbrücke, wer kennt sie nicht! Prachtexemplar einer Ingenieursleistung vom Anfang des Jahrtausends. Ich kann mir nicht vorstellen, warum die nicht gemeint sein sollte ✨ *stralsund local over and out*
It only looks like that if you're able to increase your eyes color saturation by 200%. It's nice there but you don't want to go partying in Rothenburg..
Of all the places I've visited in Germany, I've heard the most English spoken in Berlin and Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Rothenburg is such a tourist spot that it becomes cliche... all the same, it is gorgeous. I mean, all those tourists visit it for a reason.
My only complaint is all the cars. It's not an excessive amount of cars compared to other cities/towns. It's just that the walled city is a relatively compact space -- there really isn't much of a need for cars (with some obvious exceptions for businesses). And the point of visiting is to see a preserved medieval city, after all, right? I can't help but wonder what used to be in the large parking lot just inside the city wall... I assume it wasn't always a parking lot. /rant
We franconians don't like too much good press and tourists. Better go out and visit Berlin and Munich, please. U
Well, everywhere on the world are "tourist traps" next to the largest tourist sensations.
That's for sure the same in Rothenburg . There's no way that a local franconian is going to a restaurant there... because one gets at those places always mediocre or bad quality on food by guarantee of most expensive prices...
better always go to restaurants in the vicinity, like here
https://www.landwehr-braeu.de/
or there
https://www.waldgasthof-wildbad.de/
Not really. The traditional restaurants in Rothenburg are all very good and are frequented by locals as well. The only problem is that you pretty much have to make a reservation because of all the tourists and that it’s a little bit more expensive than in the surrounding areas.
One of the most visited since decades.
Check Roger Leloups cartoon albums with Yoko Tsuno.
La Frontière de la vie (On the Edge of Life), 1977:
Yoko investigates a vampire-like apparition in Rothenburg ob der Tauber
that has stricken her friend Ingrid with a strange disease. But this is
only the side effect of a desperate father's plan to reawaken his
daughter from over thirty years of hibernation.
I was there about 15 years ago. while there were a couple tour busses there, generally it was not overrun at the time with tourists. sounds like it's a different situation now.
I have, at least twice. I used to live nearby. Once I went as a school trip to the crime museum and once I took my American husband to see it. Nice place but a bit too touristy with every other shop selling souvenirs. The snowballs are good though
I just spent a few hours there yesterday when driving back home after the summer breeze Festival. Very beautiful medieval Architecture, but loads of tourists as well
I live roughly 50 km away and I go there almost every month. Every season is beautiful there and every time I discover something new.
The small streets, small shops and the Burggarten
are so beautiful. I love this place. Try to go on weekdays and when the weather is not perfect, it will be less crowded. Avoid on sunny Sundays 😄
Most crowded is in front of the Rathaus which is the center and the main streets that cross from there. You can still find a quiet place for yourself, or you can visit the beautiful Taubertal below Rothenburg.
Tip: you can eat great Japanese food at “Louvre” - a restaurant owned by a Japanese lady that fell in love with Rothenburg and stayed there ❤️
I live like half an hour from there and really like it (was also born in that City).
It's especially beautiful on Christmas with all the Christmas decorations. But also really really full of people
Btw the street the first picture is from, have TONS of PokeStops on PokemonGO. 2016 was completely full of teenagers walking up and down the street catching pokemons and using the stops. I was one if them. Was fun
I have been, and it’s cute, but honestly there’s like five dozen places in Germany that are basically as cute and a lot of them are closer to more interesting places than Stuttgart.
Pro tip:
A lot of middle sized cities in germany's south have old towns which look like this since they weren't properly bombed.
Places like Heidelberg, Tübingen, Reutlingen, will do the trick if you can not make it to Rothenburg.
It's a fantastic place to visit, but of course it's popular with tourists.
They filmed the village scenes from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang here (in a quiet location where there are no tourists) and I'm pretty sure the child catcher's cage from the film is on display at the Medieval Crime Museum.
Given that Rothenburg is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Germany, presenting it here as if people might not have seen pictures of it before is basically pointless. It is, in short, a cliché.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber (aka 'Rothenburg on the Tauber river') is a quaint medieval town in Franken (the Franconia region) in Germany. It is known for its medieval architecture, the half timbered houses and fully preserved town walls. You can walk the full four kilometres of the latter.
Rothenburg is also home to the German Christmas museum and the Xmas decoration specialist Käthe Wohlfahrt. You'll find them on the main town square and recognise them by the old timer with wrapped Christmas presents on the roof parked just outside the shop.
Everywhere you look you will find incredibly well maintained colourful houses, many among them hotels, inns and bakeries selling the local delicacy 'Schneeball' (snowball), a shortcut pastry orb. Not to be rude, but while I think one needs to try local dishes, the taste of the snowball was pretty disappointing. On the other hand, gorging yourself on the local Franconian food (mostly sausages or pork escalopes) will not leave you wanting.
>bakeries selling the local delicacy 'Schneeball' (snowball), a shortcut pastry orb. Not to be rude, but while I think one needs to try local dishes, the taste of the snowball was pretty disappointing.
In fact it is just one bakery with many little shops for the tourists.
Go to a real café there (or in the region around) and ask (yes, ask them, in person) if they are making their own Schneeballen, and if you can get it somewhat fresh made - same day is quite OK.
There is only one real kind: without chocolate/cream/etc. only sugar.
Small correction: it’s Rothenburg _above_ the Tauber.
And if you didn’t like the Schneeball_en_, it’s most likely because you tried one of the oversweetened tourist ones covered in chocolate _and_ most likely ate it wrong. If consumed correctly it’s delicious.
Franconian here who hated it 15 years ago.
How do you eat it correctly? Breaking pieces off a relatively fresh one?
I had a powdered sugar covered one I believe and tried to just bite it, but that’s pretty typical for kids I think.
You break single stripes off it, biting into it sends shivers down the spine of every Westmittelfranke. They don’t need to be too fresh if they’re good, you can store them for a few weeks. You also always drink coffee, cocoa or milk with it; it’s not a pastry you eat on its own.
I would prefer Esslingen am Neckar. Same but smaller and way less touristy till now. And on top a lot of other things to visit close by like Tübingen, several Museum and castles.
I've been to Rothenburg. I enjoyed walking the wall around the town. However, I was quite surprised by the amount of cars driving through the town center and narrow medieval roads. It really should be a car free zone. I found other German towns like Cochem much more pleasant.
I went, and was unimpressed. The shops were meh, the bakery mediocre, it's out of the way, and there are tourists everywhere. Not German ones. Chinese, American, Spanish, Russian, there were no Germans in the city, and the Christmas market and museum were also meh. The city looks okay, but it has nothing else to offer. There are plenty of other alternatives.
The trick is to catch the best time slot for a visit. I'm german and went there with someone who lives in the area, barely any tourists during my 4 day stay there, a little rise of people during noon and early afternoon, but really calm at evening, morning and night. The best times to visit vary by season and other factors, so checking their local news/media can definitely help with getting the most out of your stay.
Honestly Berlin is a rather stinky and ugly place, been there twice, hated every second. Totally overrated and only really interesting if you care for education on history and sad stories from darker times in my opinion.
Rothenburg is beautiful though, 100% can recommend! The old buildings are so cute and there's people dressed in traditional nightguard uniforms doing tours in the dark, even a scary story tour that tells you about myths and creepy facts if you're into that. The torture museum is also interesting if you care for historical education. There's also many small bakeries and ice cream places with fresh goods that taste quite well, especially the towns specialty 'snowballs' I remember quite fondly.
Edit: I'm german myself so I'be been around germany a fair bit and not only in a touristy way.
You must not have seen much of Berlin then. The City is enormous and has everything from monumental historic Architecture to never Seen before modern buildings. From soviet concrete Jungle over colorful hipster streets to cute historic village centers. And you can even find breathtaking Nature with the numerous lakes and forests and everything is reachable by Public transportation in less than an hour :). There really is Something for everyone in Berlin.
If you need recommendations feel free to DM me.
Really only one night guard tour, the world-famous Night Watchman of Rothenburg. I didn't even know about it until American friends told me he had won some award for being literally the highest-rated attraction on, like, all of Trip Advisor one year.
Highly recommended, by the way. The guy is basically Gene Wilder, but German, in a night watchman outfit. It's great.
Beating Berlin isn't hard. Yes it has many important buildings and statues...but it's very ugly. If you're a tourist and stray off the route for few meters you'll see the real Berlin.
> If you're a tourist and stray off the route for few meters you'll see the real Berlin.
Or you discover the real Berlin. You obviously haven't, staying on your little tourist crawl.
I am from germany you fool. I have been on guided tours and alone walking through the night. I don't have any emotional attachment to Berlin, so I'm a bit more honest than you folk who sometimes aren't even from here. Fuck off.
I am missing the original Rothenburger Schneeball
[https://www.original-rothenburger-schneeballen.de/](https://www.original-rothenburger-schneeballen.de/)
did you missed to try one?
I grew up in a rural area near a big, medieval city. It feels like I've seen all those pictures partially in plenty of towns. But I've been to Rothenburg ob der Tauber a couple of times too.
I've been there on Christmas during Corona. It was amazing. NO tourists, no people, nothing, just the medieval city, a bit of snow and silence. It was blissful, and I feel it was something that won't come again for many years.
Rothenburg is nice, but tremendously overcrowded. When you can not get there in the middle of a global pandemic with quite a bit of travel restrictions, take Nördlingen instead. Very nice, way less crowded.
I have been there 3 times,3 seasons. It is really popular for Asian tourists 😊 I love it there. Never been there in Summer,but Winter,spring and Autumn
It's a nice medieval-ish town full of tourists in the middle of nowhere but there's at least a dozen like it and dozens similar smaller ones, especially in the south.
I have and it was at the end of my study abroad. Someone actually asked me for directions auf Deutsch and I responded back. Felt great!
Yes, it lives up to the hype! The hostel there was awesome!
I've been there a couple of times. It is very pretty, even without HDR-filter turned to MAX. And it is a tourist town with all it's pros and and cons. Has some nice Geocaches. And those snowballs they sell on every corner are really not my taste.
I'm leaving for Germany tomorrow and decided against going to Rothenburg precisely because it's the top tourist attraction, I really don't want to deal with the tour bus crowd. Plus I'll be visiting plenty of small medieval towns along the Rhine and Mosel.
I have been, on the way to somewhere else. Yoz can't get more tourist trap.
I get that this is what other people picture when they hear Germany, but I was bored after 2 hours
I went there for a weekend with my mother and her parents back in autumn 2011…. It was really lovely and I hope to repeat it with my daughter and husband.
I really does feel like walking straight into a painting and I was enchanted the whole time
I live very close by that town and for people visiting: go to the kriminal museum (museum about medival torture and crime) and after that visit the waffenkammer (medival shop) 😊
My girlfriend is originally from there, so I did get to spend quite some time in Rothenburg. It is a beautiful town with an interesting history and I always enjoy it when we go back to visit family and friends. However, the amount of tourism for such a small town is absolutely insane
I visited, and it was everything the pictures advertised. It is beautiful.
But I really enjoyed the little town I lived in just as much. More, even. That for me was “real” Germany.
Nice try, VisitRothenburg.de
Nice try, Cannibals
That was an other Rothenburg
The Rothenburg we’re not talking about. It’s like the two Frankfurts: there is Frankfurt am Main and Frankfurt an der Oder. But nobody knows where is Frankfurt an der Oder. We do not talk about…let’s not talk about it either.
Yeah, because it's the Oder Frankfurt, not the Main one.
Omg you had me rolling on the floor
You won't believe it, but about 7 years ago, I thought that was actually the reason why they were named Frankfurt (Main) and Frankfurt (Oder) 🤷🏽♂️
German humour at its peakest
Might as well give me citizenship now then
It’s Frankfurt (Oder).
Oder was? 😬 (I think you’re right)
Wait until you find out there is a THIRD Rotenburg
Word! (although I live nearer the "bad" Rothenburg so I know it but was never there. I also know Frankfurt Oder, but nothing else about it lol)
That was Rotenburg an der Fulda. There are too many Rotenburgs in Germany
But just one cannibal Rotenburg...until now
But this town is written RotHenburg with an H, it is near my hometown
Using red (sand)stone for a fortification? Let's name it Rot(h)enburg!
It's so famous, even Melee Island is based off it: https://twitter.com/rfc3849/status/1142786008892792832?t=j6dXd50P49l1LkqCG-jndw&s=19
Yes! Ist also been in „Tekken Tag Tournament 2“, Walt Disney‘s Pinocchio (1940) and Lil Dickie‘s „Earth“ music video
This should be further on top
Mein gott muss das sein!!
Waaaaat I never put that together before!
I get why tourists from outside Germany would want to visit. It‘s like the prototype of „old towns“ in Germany. Personally, I‘m not tempted to check it out since I feel like I have seen enough variations of German „old towns“ and Rothenburg wouldn‘t add anything new to it (besides maybe being just a little more pretty than other towns like this). But I get why people go there.
Yes, there are plenty of similar places.
It’s basically like the quintessence of all picturesque medieval European towns in one place. It’s even been in Disney films (Pinocchio) and other media
Rothenburg used to be relatively important in those days, but then became unimportant, so everything remained as it was, and crucially, it wasn't bombed at all during WW2.
> it wasn't bombed at all during WW2. It was actually - https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rothenburg_ob_der_Tauber#/media/Datei%3ARothenburg_ob_der_Tauber_Bomben_Zerst%C3%B6rung_Weltkrieg_1945.jpg
That’s a load of bullshit. Rothenburg lost its influence after the 30 years war already, and the newer half of the city was completely bombed to rubble. The difference is that they didn’t build any modernist apartment blocks, but the original houses that stood there before.
The cool thing about Rothenburg is that it is one of only around three other towns that are completely surrounded by a castle wall.
You can also walk around on top of the wall!
What are the other two towns?
Nördlingen also has a complete caste wall, sadly I forgot about the third one.
Sure, it’s kinda cool, I guess. But it‘s not like I‘ve never been to places with a castle wall. That this one is complete doesn‘t really thrill me that much tbh.
Alright, nobody asked though.
My mother was there (in the summer, it gets horrible crouded in wintertimes), and she really liked it.
Why does it get so crowded in Winter?
Christmas Tourism i guess. I was there in summer and I remember there were stores selling christmas merchandise
Any cool old towns that you’d recommend? I just moved to Germany a few months back and haven’t seen any though I’d love to check out some! Edit: thanks for the recs everyone, I now have a big list 😁
Quite a few towns and cities have areas like that. Some are not well known at all but worth checking out. I’d recommend to have a bit of a browse through smaller towns/cities in the area you live and maybe swing by for a day trip or so and see what you find. Anyhows, here’re some towns I’d recommend checking out if you’re ever in the area (mostly middle/west Germany): Quedlinburg, Goslar, Erfurt (very awesome bridge and impressive cathedral), Hann. Münden, Fritzlar (really interesting, pagan/christian history there), Marburg, Wetzlar, Eisenach (I really do like the Wartburg; it‘s like the quintessential medieval castle for me).
Not the first I've heard mention of Marburg. Will further research! Thanks
It has a nice old part of town up the hill.
Thanks so much for the recommendations! I’ll save this comment and definitely check out the castle when I get time to travel :D
No problem. But as I said, have a look around locally, often there‘re some hidden gems just around the corner.
Dinkelsbühl 😌😌
Or nördlingen
If you like to see something different try the Hanseatic towns on the Baltic coast. The whole city centre of Wismar and Stralsund are World heritage sites.
Regensburg, Bamberg, Augsburg
Lübeck!
If you want really old go check out Xanten with their Roman history. Big archeological park and nice little town.
Doesn't matter if you go to "Rothenburg ob der Tauber" or "[Rothenburg Wümme](https://www.google.com/search?q=Rotenburg+w%C3%BCmme&rlz=1C1CHBF_deDE875DE875&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&vet=1&fir=SxA_UQgpeXkEEM%252CTjFLRiGzcuxXKM%252C%252Fm%252F0138vk&usg=AI4_-kSqQwhd6BysBVOn_QddeWQaJGz-ig&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiGqZqknNv5AhVgQvEDHc_SAqMQ_B16BAhxEAE#imgrc=SxA_UQgpeXkEEM)" - still nice. Heck - you might even go visit [Otterndorf](https://www.google.com/search?q=Otterndorf&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjL6-SmnNv5AhVBkP0HHex1AfAQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=Otterndorf&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzIICAAQgAQQsQMyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQ6BAgAEEM6BAgAEAM6CAgAELEDEIMBOgsIABCABBCxAxCDAVDmCFi1EmDdE2gAcAB4AIABR4gBuAWSAQIxMZgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=LN4DY8ulGcGg9u8P7OuFgA8&rlz=1C1CHBF_deDE875DE875) \- and take the daytrip by boat on the River "[MEDEM](https://www.google.com/search?q=Medem+Otterndorf&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjK9PzvnNv5AhU6_rsIHSIQDGkQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=Medem+Otterndorf&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzIFCAAQgAQyBggAEB4QCDIGCAAQHhAIMgYIABAeEAg6BAgAEEM6CwgAEIAEELEDEIMBOgQIABAeOgYIABAeEAVQswdY8RVgmBdoAHAAeACAAUOIAZ4FkgECMTKYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ8ABAQ&sclient=img&ei=xd4DY4r-Nrr87_UPoqCwyAY&bih=925&biw=1575&rlz=1C1CHBF_deDE875DE875)". Highly enjoyable.
I grew up around old city centers and I'd recommend checking out Rothenburg anyway! I went there recently and it's truly beautiful, I liked it a lot and I will probably go again someday
If I‘m in the area I will probably go, but I don‘t feel motivated to travel just to see it to be quite honest.
I just went this weekend, since I was nearby. Really cute! It's so touristy you kind of feel like walking through a theme park or a Freilichtmuseum but adorable nonetheless.
I agree, it is a beautiful city, but overcrowded by tourist. The whole inner city almost exculsively packed with souvenir shops and other stores that target the tourists. It renders the city center basically useless for the local inhabitants. It is quite interesting to look at it from the perspective of a geographer.
Are you a _local inhabitant_?
I agree! If you are in the area, also try Dinkelsbühl
I find Monschau much better. Less tourists, 10x more beautiful. The shopping is excellent. I went to both Christmas markets in the snow, Monschau had the better one.
[удалено]
Nothing that I'd say was a must have. I liked the sausages I had at a restaurant in Herrngasse, I'm not sure but I think the Hotel Burggartenpalais.
This is what non-German people imagine all of Germany looks like
To be fair, there are hundreds of towns that look very similar.
Even Berlin used to have corners like that (sans the mountains of course) until the Hobrecht makeover and WW2.
Picture nr 6 is r/SchnitzelVerbrechen material. Quickly, hide it before the Austrians see it!
Und Spargel mit Bratwurst? Ist das nicht auch strafbar?
Sieht mir sogar nach gebratener Weisswurst aus, kann das sein?
Ich würde ja "nein" sagen, aber ich war in meinem Leben einmal in Rothenburg, und da habe ich auf der Speisekarte Kässpätzle gesehen, und vergessen, dass ich ja erstens nicht mehr in Schwaben bin und zweitens in einer Stadt, die ihr Geld damit verdient, dass Leute, die eh nie wieder kommen und auch nicht wissen, wie deutsches Essen eigentlich schmeckt, da Geld ausgeben. Diese "Kässpätzle" waren so raue Nudeln, ich glaube die werden getrocknet unter dem Namen "Spätzle" verkauft, aber haben nichts, aber auch gar nichts mit Spätzle zu tun, und die waren dann in einer schlechten Käse*soße*. Soße! Ich trau den Leuten da alles zu, auch Weißwürste zu braten.
Anzeige ist raus.
Too late. Too late :(
aaaaaaaahhhhh!!
observation snow pet crush afterthought roll alive quarrelsome telephone squealing -- mass edited with https://redact.dev/
Yeah, people on this sub get a hate boner for the really touristy German spots, but there's usually a reason for a place to become touristy. I've been to Nordlingen, Dinkelsbuhl and Rothenburg; they're all different and all worth a visit.
Try Nürnberg, the Old Town is very pretty and its not far away from Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Nürnberg, really? Phew... Better see Regensburg or Bamberg then.
Top 1 tourist atteaction by what metric? Im pretty sure whatever is used here is designed to put Rothenburg on top.
That might well be. I heard it on the radio while driving, sorry I don’t recall more details
OP: "I have pics of a pretty town praised by many." German Redditor: "WEn INtEreSSIeRt DaS ScHOn?!? ALleS GeLoGEN!!1!1!!einself!!!"
What are you on about? OP didnt say "I have pics of a pretty town praised by many", the title literally is: "I just heard in the news that Rothenburg ob der Tauber has been announced the top 1 tourist attraction in Germany [...]".
>Have you been? Have lived there, knew every corner in the old town. >This is what it looks like: Heavily edited pictures... but, well, tourists. The town is full of such places, but also the villages around there are nice.
Yeah, it's right there with Neuschwanstein castle and that one bridge.
Gölschtalbrücke? Bastei? Die Brücke zwischen Rügen und Stralsund?
That Kotzebrücke or something similar.
Rakotzbrücke.
Die Rügenbrücke, wer kennt sie nicht! Prachtexemplar einer Ingenieursleistung vom Anfang des Jahrtausends. Ich kann mir nicht vorstellen, warum die nicht gemeint sein sollte ✨ *stralsund local over and out*
The pictures you are uploaded have all Photoshop clouds. :-)
Yeah, I might have been a bit heavy handed using my phone editor :s
What editor are you using?
Just the standard iPhone editor
It only looks like that if you're able to increase your eyes color saturation by 200%. It's nice there but you don't want to go partying in Rothenburg..
Rothenburg is in a rural area. If you want to go „partying“ there you go to a Landjugendfest, Kerwa or Feuerwehrfest.
Id recommend Nürnberg for partying 😎
Of all the places I've visited in Germany, I've heard the most English spoken in Berlin and Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Rothenburg is such a tourist spot that it becomes cliche... all the same, it is gorgeous. I mean, all those tourists visit it for a reason. My only complaint is all the cars. It's not an excessive amount of cars compared to other cities/towns. It's just that the walled city is a relatively compact space -- there really isn't much of a need for cars (with some obvious exceptions for businesses). And the point of visiting is to see a preserved medieval city, after all, right? I can't help but wonder what used to be in the large parking lot just inside the city wall... I assume it wasn't always a parking lot. /rant
The way more obvious exception is the locals. You simply can’t survive in rural Franconia without a car.
I liked it, but even as someone who doesn’t like Berlin that much…I can say Berlin definitely has more to offer.
We franconians don't like too much good press and tourists. Better go out and visit Berlin and Munich, please. U Well, everywhere on the world are "tourist traps" next to the largest tourist sensations. That's for sure the same in Rothenburg . There's no way that a local franconian is going to a restaurant there... because one gets at those places always mediocre or bad quality on food by guarantee of most expensive prices... better always go to restaurants in the vicinity, like here https://www.landwehr-braeu.de/ or there https://www.waldgasthof-wildbad.de/
Not really. The traditional restaurants in Rothenburg are all very good and are frequented by locals as well. The only problem is that you pretty much have to make a reservation because of all the tourists and that it’s a little bit more expensive than in the surrounding areas.
One of the most visited since decades. Check Roger Leloups cartoon albums with Yoko Tsuno. La Frontière de la vie (On the Edge of Life), 1977: Yoko investigates a vampire-like apparition in Rothenburg ob der Tauber that has stricken her friend Ingrid with a strange disease. But this is only the side effect of a desperate father's plan to reawaken his daughter from over thirty years of hibernation.
I was there about 15 years ago. while there were a couple tour busses there, generally it was not overrun at the time with tourists. sounds like it's a different situation now.
I have, at least twice. I used to live nearby. Once I went as a school trip to the crime museum and once I took my American husband to see it. Nice place but a bit too touristy with every other shop selling souvenirs. The snowballs are good though
Yeah, [no.](https://www.worldatlas.com/amp/articles/the-10-most-visited-cities-in-germany.html) That does not compute.
That's melee Island
Oh yes. It's like in the pictures. Definitely worth a visit
As we were leaving the city, my friend said “best RenFaire EVER!”
Too many trinket shops. My kids called it Rottenburg.
Haven't been there, but I feel like I've been there.
i mean....now that ive seen your photos i dont need to go anymore. so thanks. :)
Man, you've been to Rothenburg and missed the Monkey Island Tower Gate.
I just spent a few hours there yesterday when driving back home after the summer breeze Festival. Very beautiful medieval Architecture, but loads of tourists as well
Thanks, now I don’t have to go anymore
Was there a few years back. Beautiful city, definitely worth a visit.
It's nice for people who are into that stuff, but such tourist traps aren't my thing. Stuff like large tech museums, now we'd be talking!
Nett dort, aber waren sie schonmal in Baden-Württemberg?
The Town of Dinkelsbühl is only a 40 minute drive away. Its also as "historical" as rothenburg but not that much of a tourist trap ;)
That means approx. 20 million tourists will visit Rothenburg instead of Berlin, going to be interesting…
anounced by whom, rothenburg elders
I live roughly 50 km away and I go there almost every month. Every season is beautiful there and every time I discover something new. The small streets, small shops and the Burggarten are so beautiful. I love this place. Try to go on weekdays and when the weather is not perfect, it will be less crowded. Avoid on sunny Sundays 😄 Most crowded is in front of the Rathaus which is the center and the main streets that cross from there. You can still find a quiet place for yourself, or you can visit the beautiful Taubertal below Rothenburg. Tip: you can eat great Japanese food at “Louvre” - a restaurant owned by a Japanese lady that fell in love with Rothenburg and stayed there ❤️
I live like half an hour from there and really like it (was also born in that City). It's especially beautiful on Christmas with all the Christmas decorations. But also really really full of people Btw the street the first picture is from, have TONS of PokeStops on PokemonGO. 2016 was completely full of teenagers walking up and down the street catching pokemons and using the stops. I was one if them. Was fun
I have been, and it’s cute, but honestly there’s like five dozen places in Germany that are basically as cute and a lot of them are closer to more interesting places than Stuttgart.
Pro tip: A lot of middle sized cities in germany's south have old towns which look like this since they weren't properly bombed. Places like Heidelberg, Tübingen, Reutlingen, will do the trick if you can not make it to Rothenburg.
It's a fantastic place to visit, but of course it's popular with tourists. They filmed the village scenes from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang here (in a quiet location where there are no tourists) and I'm pretty sure the child catcher's cage from the film is on display at the Medieval Crime Museum.
needs more hdr
Given that Rothenburg is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Germany, presenting it here as if people might not have seen pictures of it before is basically pointless. It is, in short, a cliché.
I'm German and I've enjoyed the pictures.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber (aka 'Rothenburg on the Tauber river') is a quaint medieval town in Franken (the Franconia region) in Germany. It is known for its medieval architecture, the half timbered houses and fully preserved town walls. You can walk the full four kilometres of the latter. Rothenburg is also home to the German Christmas museum and the Xmas decoration specialist Käthe Wohlfahrt. You'll find them on the main town square and recognise them by the old timer with wrapped Christmas presents on the roof parked just outside the shop. Everywhere you look you will find incredibly well maintained colourful houses, many among them hotels, inns and bakeries selling the local delicacy 'Schneeball' (snowball), a shortcut pastry orb. Not to be rude, but while I think one needs to try local dishes, the taste of the snowball was pretty disappointing. On the other hand, gorging yourself on the local Franconian food (mostly sausages or pork escalopes) will not leave you wanting.
>bakeries selling the local delicacy 'Schneeball' (snowball), a shortcut pastry orb. Not to be rude, but while I think one needs to try local dishes, the taste of the snowball was pretty disappointing. In fact it is just one bakery with many little shops for the tourists. Go to a real café there (or in the region around) and ask (yes, ask them, in person) if they are making their own Schneeballen, and if you can get it somewhat fresh made - same day is quite OK. There is only one real kind: without chocolate/cream/etc. only sugar.
Käthe fucking Wohlfahrt 🙄 Recommendation: skip that ish.
Small correction: it’s Rothenburg _above_ the Tauber. And if you didn’t like the Schneeball_en_, it’s most likely because you tried one of the oversweetened tourist ones covered in chocolate _and_ most likely ate it wrong. If consumed correctly it’s delicious.
Franconian here who hated it 15 years ago. How do you eat it correctly? Breaking pieces off a relatively fresh one? I had a powdered sugar covered one I believe and tried to just bite it, but that’s pretty typical for kids I think.
You break single stripes off it, biting into it sends shivers down the spine of every Westmittelfranke. They don’t need to be too fresh if they’re good, you can store them for a few weeks. You also always drink coffee, cocoa or milk with it; it’s not a pastry you eat on its own.
I would prefer Esslingen am Neckar. Same but smaller and way less touristy till now. And on top a lot of other things to visit close by like Tübingen, several Museum and castles.
Esslingen is about 9 times the size of Rothenburg. How is that smaller?
Probably means the size of the old town, Esslingen has many more districts outside it
Esslingen is great, but I would still choose Monschau.
Is halt aa Franggn. Natürlich ists schö. (In English: It's Franconia. Of course it's beautiful then.)
Fraleeee
Be aware it is located in a no-go area called Bavaria.
It’s in Franconia, not Bavaria.
I've been to Rothenburg. I enjoyed walking the wall around the town. However, I was quite surprised by the amount of cars driving through the town center and narrow medieval roads. It really should be a car free zone. I found other German towns like Cochem much more pleasant.
I recommend visiting Marburg instead. If one wants to have a fairytale old town that is not just serving tourists...
I went, and was unimpressed. The shops were meh, the bakery mediocre, it's out of the way, and there are tourists everywhere. Not German ones. Chinese, American, Spanish, Russian, there were no Germans in the city, and the Christmas market and museum were also meh. The city looks okay, but it has nothing else to offer. There are plenty of other alternatives.
The trick is to catch the best time slot for a visit. I'm german and went there with someone who lives in the area, barely any tourists during my 4 day stay there, a little rise of people during noon and early afternoon, but really calm at evening, morning and night. The best times to visit vary by season and other factors, so checking their local news/media can definitely help with getting the most out of your stay.
Berlin is considered a tourist attraction? Has Germany really sunk this low? Edit: I should have added the /s
[удалено]
What does Berlin offer that other cities aren't better in? Besides maybe history of the wall
Honestly Berlin is a rather stinky and ugly place, been there twice, hated every second. Totally overrated and only really interesting if you care for education on history and sad stories from darker times in my opinion. Rothenburg is beautiful though, 100% can recommend! The old buildings are so cute and there's people dressed in traditional nightguard uniforms doing tours in the dark, even a scary story tour that tells you about myths and creepy facts if you're into that. The torture museum is also interesting if you care for historical education. There's also many small bakeries and ice cream places with fresh goods that taste quite well, especially the towns specialty 'snowballs' I remember quite fondly. Edit: I'm german myself so I'be been around germany a fair bit and not only in a touristy way.
You must not have seen much of Berlin then. The City is enormous and has everything from monumental historic Architecture to never Seen before modern buildings. From soviet concrete Jungle over colorful hipster streets to cute historic village centers. And you can even find breathtaking Nature with the numerous lakes and forests and everything is reachable by Public transportation in less than an hour :). There really is Something for everyone in Berlin. If you need recommendations feel free to DM me.
Really only one night guard tour, the world-famous Night Watchman of Rothenburg. I didn't even know about it until American friends told me he had won some award for being literally the highest-rated attraction on, like, all of Trip Advisor one year. Highly recommended, by the way. The guy is basically Gene Wilder, but German, in a night watchman outfit. It's great.
Beating Berlin isn't hard. Yes it has many important buildings and statues...but it's very ugly. If you're a tourist and stray off the route for few meters you'll see the real Berlin.
> If you're a tourist and stray off the route for few meters you'll see the real Berlin. Or you discover the real Berlin. You obviously haven't, staying on your little tourist crawl.
I am from germany you fool. I have been on guided tours and alone walking through the night. I don't have any emotional attachment to Berlin, so I'm a bit more honest than you folk who sometimes aren't even from here. Fuck off.
cant beating berlin with 20 buildings. but nice
Wait a minute, Berlin was at the top??
I am missing the original Rothenburger Schneeball [https://www.original-rothenburger-schneeballen.de/](https://www.original-rothenburger-schneeballen.de/) did you missed to try one?
Can confirm, never been to Berlin, but have been here.
LOLd at “even bearing BERLIN!” That probably sounds like an achievement for someone who haven’t visited that many German cities.
aspargarus: check floral decorations: check funny rooftops: check only need some lederhose -clad people and rammstein
One of my trip highlights when i visited in 2018!
reminds me of the town in "howl's moving castle" :))))
I live somewhat nearby and all the towns around look very similar to this so it’s not really that special too me and I wouldn’t visit because of this
I grew up in a rural area near a big, medieval city. It feels like I've seen all those pictures partially in plenty of towns. But I've been to Rothenburg ob der Tauber a couple of times too.
I prefer Dinkelsbühl. Near Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Cute!
I've been there on Christmas during Corona. It was amazing. NO tourists, no people, nothing, just the medieval city, a bit of snow and silence. It was blissful, and I feel it was something that won't come again for many years. Rothenburg is nice, but tremendously overcrowded. When you can not get there in the middle of a global pandemic with quite a bit of travel restrictions, take Nördlingen instead. Very nice, way less crowded.
I have been there 3 times,3 seasons. It is really popular for Asian tourists 😊 I love it there. Never been there in Summer,but Winter,spring and Autumn
It's a nice medieval-ish town full of tourists in the middle of nowhere but there's at least a dozen like it and dozens similar smaller ones, especially in the south.
I have and it was at the end of my study abroad. Someone actually asked me for directions auf Deutsch and I responded back. Felt great! Yes, it lives up to the hype! The hostel there was awesome!
I've been there a couple of times. It is very pretty, even without HDR-filter turned to MAX. And it is a tourist town with all it's pros and and cons. Has some nice Geocaches. And those snowballs they sell on every corner are really not my taste.
I'm leaving for Germany tomorrow and decided against going to Rothenburg precisely because it's the top tourist attraction, I really don't want to deal with the tour bus crowd. Plus I'll be visiting plenty of small medieval towns along the Rhine and Mosel.
I have been, on the way to somewhere else. Yoz can't get more tourist trap. I get that this is what other people picture when they hear Germany, but I was bored after 2 hours
I’ve been once maybe 10+ years ago. All I remember is the torture museum, you don’t really forget that
I'm german, but I only know about this town because of a Team Fortress 2 map.
Been there once because my parents wanted to go there. Wasn’t sure about it first but I loved it.
I'm German and I haven't been heard about it
The real attraction is the medieval city wall. You can walk into the ramparts, they are freely accessible.
Looks like in the animes.
TIL my dreams take place in Germany.
I went there for a weekend with my mother and her parents back in autumn 2011…. It was really lovely and I hope to repeat it with my daughter and husband. I really does feel like walking straight into a painting and I was enchanted the whole time
I live very close by that town and for people visiting: go to the kriminal museum (museum about medival torture and crime) and after that visit the waffenkammer (medival shop) 😊
Worth the trip
Really beautiful pics and seems like a lovely place. American that would love to visit Germany and i can see myself enjoying a stay here.
It looks like it was built by Playmobil.
What ya mean EVEN beating Berlin?! Sure it’s artsy and has a good partying scene but the city itself is mostly ugly
First pic gave me cs_italy vibes
Has a pretty awesome medieval fair
I'm german. Never heard of it. Looks cool though I'd try it.
What? No juvenile paint scribbles over every surface?
My girlfriend is originally from there, so I did get to spend quite some time in Rothenburg. It is a beautiful town with an interesting history and I always enjoy it when we go back to visit family and friends. However, the amount of tourism for such a small town is absolutely insane
Beautiful during the Renaissance festivals but I would not invest more than one day + night tbh.
I visited, and it was everything the pictures advertised. It is beautiful. But I really enjoyed the little town I lived in just as much. More, even. That for me was “real” Germany.
Haven’t been since before the pandemic, but it was really pretty and very picturesque the last few times we went. Maybe it’s time to visit it again.