Regensburg or Rothenburg ob der Tauber
 

Regensburg OR Rothenburg ob der Tauber . Go ...

Regensburg for me having visited each - Rothenburg is a small village often overrun with tourists - kind of a Disneyland - tour bus central; souvenir shops everywhere. It is a perfectly walled medieval town as can be - if you stay overnight it may be much more romantic and you can take the Night Watchman's acclaimed tours along the ramparts.

Regensburg is a large city on the Danbue with an ungodly number of historic old churches and edifices- said by some sources to be the most such collection of them in today's Germany.

I like real cities much more than museum towns but others may feel the opposite so hard to say what you may like but for me Regensburg hands down.

I was prepared to hate Rothenburg ob der Tauber because of its reputation for being ultra-touristy, but I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the town. It probably helped that I visited in April a bit outside the main tourist season, and I did spend a night. There were some tourists there in the daytime but they weren't overwhelming, and it was almost empty at night.

I haven't been to Regensburg.

I visited Rothenburg ob der Tauber twice, both in high season, against wishes of my German family/ friends who preferred to take me to a more 'authentic' town (they have previously taken me to Bamberg, Coburg, Landshut, Bayreuth, Wurzburg, Forchheim, Gossweinstein, Chemnitz, Kohren- Sahlis..)
I think they used the word Disneyland too. I visited Rothenburg anyway. Just delightful. So beautiful. A great wall to walk on, lovely back streets. The main street is busy, tour groups definitely get herded to a few viewing points, especially the picturesque town gates. So I took my boys the following year, they loved it, too.

My 2 albums linked here have my photos ... you will see few people, not because I avoided them, it's just that the back streets are actually quiet and there were very few people walking the wall.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskfL3qzw

https://flic.kr/s/aHskf6uyHF

Have not been to Regensburg, but it is on my to do list.

I liked them both.
I have been to both several times.

Each has it's own pluses.

If you go to one and have not seen the other.....your're okay either way.

We have only visited Rothenburg and stayed a couple of nights. We took the Nightwatchman tour, saw the Torture museum, and a church with a very nice alterpiece. And we shopped - discovered Kathe Wolfort Christmas shops.

I am a fan of both. Visit the one that fits your schedule best. They both have real histories and genuinely interesting buildings. Do a bit of reading and see which one fits your imagination best.

Both are great but Rothenburg is sweet after the tour buses depart.