Sunday, December 27, 2015

Bavaria Pt. 1 (Rothenburg ob der Tauber)

Some tourist destinations are so beautiful and unique that they deserve their own post.  Rothenburg ob der Tauber (or simply 'Rothenburg'), in west-central Bavaria, is one of them.  A well-preserved Medieval town, a visit is like stepping into a time machine.  We visited many times.

Approaching the Town

From afar, you know you're entering a magical place.  The Medieval town wall (and guard towers) is completely intact and a clear delineation from the surrounding area.





The Town Walls

No Medieval town was without walls.  Rothenburg's can not only be seen but personally experienced by walking on the wall around the entire town.





The Streets

The streets of the town feature more atmosphere than most anywhere else in Europe.  Quaint shops, half-timber architecture, old fortifications . . . it feels like Disneyworld, only it's real.








Iconic Buildings

If you've seen pictures of Rothenburg, chances are one of the two buildings below was in them.  I could settle on just one shot, so enjoy the below handful.  Note the flower boxes in some pictures (but not others), signifying the season.







Medieval Torture Museum

The Medieval Torture Museum offers many items of the amusing and grotesque, to include shame masks (like the below), which parties guilty of different crimes would have to wear based on the nature of the offense.



From Above

We conclude our summary by a view from above- the town square tower.  Note again the clear delineation between the town and surrounding forests.  European towns, unlike their American counterparts, do not sprawl but rather concentrate homes for easier defense.




Conclusion

Rothenburg is easily in the top 5 of places to visit in Germany.  Hopefully these pictures convey why.

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