rothenburg area
 

i have extended my trip so it will end in rothenburg from (arrival)late afternoon october 3rd to departing munich on oct 6th. i wanted to look around rothenburg on the 3 and 4th. on the 5th i rented a car and thought it would be nice to just go. any recomendations. i've got to be back in munich at 1030am on the 6th or 7th. thanks...gustave

You won't need 2 days to look around Rothenburg. The buildings are very pretty, well-maintained, and photo-worthy. But most of the stores are aimed at the tourist trade--and that can get old pretty quickly unless you are a shopping groupie of some sort.

Ah, Rufus, you always tend to dismiss Rothenburg as simply a tourist trap. I disagree. There is a lovely city park to stroll and the old city wall to climb. There is the Criminal Museum which, while quirky, is very interesting as is the Reichsstadtmuseum. If you get away from the side streets leading to the town square, you will find few tourists. The area around the KlingenTor is a good example.

http://www.frommers.com/images/desti...bdertauber.jpg

Gustave, contact the tourist office and have them send you information in English. There are many lovely streets and buildings in Rothenburgh that are worth seeing.

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From Rothenburg, you can also visit Dinkelsbuhl and Nordlingen, also on the "Romantic Road". Schwaebisch Hall has a great old town and you could even visit Nurnberg as a day trip.

Now, bettyk, I don't TOTALLY dismiss it as a tourist trap. It is very pretty and worth a lot of picture-taking.

But it really isn't our cup of tea as a place to stay.

Of course, millions of people every year disagree with me.

I understand, Rufus. I'm that way about a few places that others on here love. Normally, I would probably agree with you, but it's one of those places I've always had a soft spot for.

It is actually best to stay there, as after the last tour bus leaves @ 5 or so, the city becomes very magical to me. Take the Nightwatchmans Tour & see the puppet show.

How long does the Nightwatchman's tour take?
I read on Rick Steves' that every Wednesday there's an English Conversation evening of fun and good time at a restaurant there (I have the name somewhere)... At what time does that start and how long does it last? Is it only on Wednesdays?

The Tour I believe is an hour or so if memory serves, but may be lengthened or shortened depending on the group. The guide will tell you stories all night if you let him. Check out www.rothenburg.de. We did not participate in the English conversation but did eat at the restaurant & it was very good. I think it is the Altfrankische Weinstube which is practically next door to the Gasthof-Greifen. They may have a web-site also.

It can be accessed via www.romanticroad.com.

I have especially enjoyed Rothenburg in the mornings and evenings, when it's pretty free from tourists. I have found it well-suited for solo wandering around the back streets and on the wall that encloses the Altstadt.

The Night Watchman's tour is fun. However, in the daytime the town is overrun with visitors of all stripes.

can't we all just get along....thanks for both of your insights. i truly do appreciate you both taking the time to add on....

We stayed at Hotel Butz and loved it. Like visiting friends-owner run, locals had a large gathering here when we went down to dinner. Food EXCELLENT. Have stayed at other places here, but Butz our fav.