Melnq8

Hi annhig - nice to see you here. Lots to do in Munich, we've been many, many times and never run out of things to see and do.

bdokeefe

Thanks for the write up, very interesting so far.

As a dad of 3 twenty-something daughters, I nominate you for Aunt of the Year.
I really like taking 2 or more of them with me on trips...heading out solo with one of the daughters and no spouse, not sure how that would go. Major thumbs up to you, Melnq8!

Melnq8

bdokeefe - It was a learning experience, no doubt, but K turned out to be a very good travel companion. I hope she felt the same about me.

Melnq8

Dec 18 – Munich to Rothenburg ob der Tauber

It was time to leave Munich and head to the best preserved medieval town in Germany, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, one of Europe’s most visited towns. Yes, it’s touristy. Yes, it’s kitschy, but I couldn’t imagine taking my niece to Germany at Christmas without a visit to this ‘fairy tale’ town on Germany’s Romantic Road.

And so we bid adieu to our lovely Munich hotel, walked to the Hauptbahnhof, purchased a Bayern Ticket (€34, good on regional trains only) and set out on the 3:15 journey to the “Red Fortress above the Tauber” aboard the 9:35 am train, via Treuchtingen and Steinach.

I was surprised that these trains weren’t busy this close to Christmas - whether sheer luck or because it was mid-week I’ll never know - but all the better for us. Our five minute train change in Treuchtingen was stress-free as we merely had to walk across the platform to our waiting train, but the four minute change in Steinach involved dragging our luggage down a set of stairs, then back up another set of stairs, accompanied by many other tourists doing the same thing, some of them rather inconsiderate as they frantically rushed to make the connection.

Upon arrival at the Rothenburg station I passed my phone to K who, being 19 and much more proficient at gadgetry than me, did a great job of getting us to our accommodation, Kreuzerhof Hotel Garni, chosen for its location within the walls, yet on a quiet side street. The B&B consists of a handful of buildings and a small parking area.

I’d booked a quiet four-poster room, hoping for a wee bit of extra space. It suited us well (€105 per night, inclusive of a decent breakfast).

https://www.kreuzerhof-rothenburg.de/index.html

Rothenburg too was unexpectedly sunny. After getting settled we went out to explore…having only had a cheese pretzel for lunch, the display case of Café Uhl quickly seduced us inside for cappuccinos and calories – chocolate cake for me, lemon cheesecake for K, both good (€12). Our timing was perfect, as a tour group filed in shortly after, pretty much taking over the entire cafe.


Cafe Uhl

Cafe Uhl

K was intrigued by the Schneeballen, a popular Rothenburg treat (pastry made from short crust and dipped in various toppings and…IME…barely edible); we picked up a few small ones for her to try later (and she agreed they look a lot better than they taste).


Schneeballen

We then climbed the 220 steps of the Rathausturm (tower of the town hall) to the viewing platform…well, platform is a stretch…it’s more of a ledge. I’ve climbed the tower before but had forgotten how steep and narrow it is – the last bit is actually a ladder. The guy in front of me bailed at the last minute forcing me to back down to let him escape (€2 each).

The views from up here made the climb well worth the effort – expansive views of the town, the Tauber River, the surrounding countryside and of course the goings on directly below us in the market square Christmas Market.


Views from Rathausturm

The day had been surprisingly warm, but cooled off as soon as the sun dipped. We returned to our accommodation for warmer jackets and then set out to explore the Christmas Market in earnest.


Rothenburg ob der Tauber Christmas Market

Rothenburg ob der Tauber Christmas Market

Afterwards we wandered the side streets and popped into Zur Hoell, me wanting to show K the place she’d hear more about during that evening’s Night Watchman’s tour and hoping for a pre-dinner drink, but alas this popular Rothenburg institution was fully booked from 5 pm.

We eventually made our way to the Klosterstuble; I’d stayed here on two previous trips and knew they had a good restaurant, so I’d booked us in for both tonight and Friday.

And good it was; Käsespätzle with a mixed side salad for both (K really liking the potato salad), plus a shared plate of apple strudel with warm vanilla sauce and whipped cream for dessert - I enjoyed the almonds but wasn’t crazy about all those raisins. And another first for me - a nice Schwarzriesling, €38.

No visit to Rothenburg ob der Tauber would be complete without accompanying the hellebarde wielding Night Watchman on his rounds, so after dinner we joined the mob in the main square for the English Night Watchman’s Tour - 8 pm (€8 for adults and €4 for students and loads of fun).


Night Watchman

To be continued...

Fodorite018

We loved Rothenburg, and were surprised that it was not busy when we were then in mid September. The most people we saw were during the Night Watchman Tour, but not during the day at all. Too bad you missed Zur Holl. Excellent food! I agree, those Schneeballen look MUCH better than they taste.

Adelaidean

I love Rothenburg odt , Mel, been twice, but only in summer.

I even took a cousin who lives in Nuremberg but had never been, - too ‘Disney’ she thought, well, she loved it too, ha!

Melnq8

I like it too. I've been there several times and always manage to have a good time (and I've been to Zur Holl a few times for drinks but haven't had a meal there yet, must rectify that).

tripplanner001

Joining you on your travels too, Mel. I really enjoyed Munich but have not ventured far into the rest of Bavaria. Am reading your report with great interest.

Macross

The night watchman is grey now. I have done his tour twice. We tried one of those balls. Yuck.

We took the cable car up the top without stopping on Boxing day and it was smooth till we hit the tower and then we all fell forward and people gasped. I had nothing to hold onto so about went over. We took the cogwheel back down and it was standing room only. So much ski and sled equipment taking up space. It was a clear day but like you blowing hard. We had a great lunch and was so happy for the one non rainy day.

Didn't you love Eataly? We had drinks and a cheese plate one night there. I bought my husband the lemon gelato.
You really did well!

Melnq8

Macross -

So, the ride from Eibsee up to the Zugspitze wasn't smooth?

I enjoyed poking around Eataly (especially the chocolate section), but our lunch didn't knock my socks off. Or the service. Sorry I missed the lemon gelato though!

Melnq8

Dec 19 – Rothenburg ob der Tauber - Detwang

After breakfast we walked the ~2 mile long wall that surrounds Rothenburg to take in the roof level views of the town. I’ve done this several times and it never gets old. K seemed to enjoy it as well.

I’ve since found this comprehensive guide and wish I’d it with me at the time:

https://www.bigboytravel.com/germany...-walking-tour/



Walking the wall

Walking the wall

We then walked outside the wall and followed the Jacobsweg/Panoramaweg Taubertal down to the pretty town of Detwang in the Tauber Valley, following the river. We both really enjoyed this walk, K commenting on how peaceful it was.

I’d read about the Sacred Cross Altar at the 1000 year old St. Peter and Paul’s church. We found the church easily enough, but were unable to view the interior or the altar, as the church is only open for an hour on Sunday in the winter. It sure was pretty though, and we both admired the well-kept cemetery.


Detwang

Then it was back up the hill to Rothenburg, where we walked more of the exterior, explored the grounds outside of the Rödertor (one of the five gates into the walled city) and I took a gazillion photos.


Outside the wall

Outside the wall

Outside the wall

Outside the wall

Hungry, we headed to Gastof Rödertor, located just outside the walls, a favorite of mine from past visits. Determined to save room for a cake stop later, we shared a really good potato pizza with ham, onion and salami (€19 with sparkling mineral water and one glass of wine). I was surprised to find the restaurant near empty.

Our afternoon was spent at Das Mittelalterliche Kriminalmuseum (Medieval Crime Museum) where we learned much more than we wanted to about medieval torture and punishment (€11 euro for both). Fascinating and gruesome.

After cake and cappuccinos at Baumeisterhaus (cheesecake for K, a tiramisu cake that didn’t taste much like tiramisu for me) and a rest in our B&B, we returned to the Christmas market so K could pick up a few gifts she’d spotted the day before.

We milled about, ate 1/2 meter bratwursts, soaked up the festive atmosphere, and then watched the Christmas Market vendors button up their stalls for the night as we waited in the market square for the 7 pm Ghost Tour with the Executioner (the tour actually begins at 7:15, there’s a typo somewhere). Unlike last night’s mob for the Night Watchman, our group was small, four Aussies, two Brits, and two Americans (us).

The tour was entertaining, the guide a hoot, good looking (!) and intense; staring each one of us directly in the eye and flirting shamelessly with one of the young women in the group – great fun (€9 each).


Ghost tour

To be continued...

memejs

I’m enjoying this report and can’t wait to read more! I only stepped a toe in Germany and really need to do a Germany-focused trip one of these days. There are just so many places to visit and unfortunately the money to travel doesn’t accumulate at the same speed that locations are added to my bucket list!

swandav2000

Really enjoying your report!

I spent several nights in RodT, and I most enjoyed the scenic walking from the town. Glad you got out to see the countryside -- so pretty!

s

bdokeefe

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is really worth it if you can spend the night (like Brugge). They are magical when the sun goes down and the day tourists leave.

Macross- That sure is a sign of time moving on, I also remember the Nightwatchman with non-grey hair. 'And for the next 400 years in Rothenburg, nothing happened', for some reason his delivery of this line made me laugh then, and now. Trade and fortune bypasses a city, which then serves to preserve it.

Lubitsch

Yeah, but no. Rothenburg was 25% destroyed in WWII.

Also I hope that no one takes from your report that it is a good idea to fall for all the tourist traps there like the ridiculous local sweet or silly pseudo museums. I also don't quite get why you walk to Detwang's closed church but don't mention Rothenburg's own church and its altar piece.

Melnq8

Ah yes, we can always count on Lubitsch to piss all over the trips of others.

And FWIW, we visited Rothenburg's church the following day.

Melnq8

Dec 20 – Rothenburg ob der Tauber

A lazy start, a leisurely breakfast. I paid our hotel bill so we could get an early start the next morning, and then we walked to the train station outside the walls, bought our Bayern ticket for the next day (€34), obtained a print out for tomorrow's train changes, and then explored the mall across the street, me loading up on chocolate from Kaufland (grocery store).

Note: The B&B had left squares of Eichetti chocolates on our pillow – they were so good - remember Albert’s chocolate ice cubes? I loved those as a kid and they reminded me of them. So when I stumbled upon Eichetti chocolate squares at Kaufland for .99 a bag I went a bit nuts. Google tells me that Eichetti is a German brand for a unique ice cream confection and was founded by Adam Eichelmann in Werneck in Lower Franconia in 1897. This chocoholic wholeheartedly approves.

But I digress…

We returned to Café Uhl for lunch, the restaurant weirdly empty; potato soup with bread and sparkling mineral water for both, Schwarzriesling for me, cappuccino with cream for both (those babies were STRONG), a cinnamon roll with poppy seeds for K and an absolutely fabulous decadent rich butter cream cake for me – yum, yum, yum – we both agreed it was like eating a stick of butter - €32.


Cafe Uhl

We wandered, we shopped…the whole town was now bustling on this last Friday before Christmas. The sunshine had disappeared – the clouds and rain had set in, and little did we know they’d be with us for many days.


Poking through Rothenburg

Window shopping

Window shopping

Wandering


I’d run across a tour with music at St Jacobs church at 5 pm, so we joined in; the music and candlelit church were enjoyable, but the tour was in German and therefore lost on us.


St Jacob's Church

St Jacob's Church

Then it was back to the Klosterstuble for an encore dinner, both ordering the Käsespätzle again, Schwarzriesling for me and Schorle for K (white wine diluted with soda, €30, four thumbs up).

After a bit more wandering and photo taking, we retreated to our cozy room to pack and watch German MTV.


Rothenburg after dark

Rothenburg after dark


Rothenburg after dark



To be continued...

Lubitsch

What exactly are you trying to prove here? That there is nonsense written on the internet? Have a look here if you don't believe me. Could it have been worse? Yes, the attack could have destroyed the more precious western part of the old town. But to call it the best preserved medieval town is utter ignorance.

Look you were doing and are writing about one of these sugary grotesque US American cliche itineraries with Munich, Rothenburg, Salzburg. Fine, it's your holiday. It's just that doing a side trip from Munich to Rothenburg is a bad idea and needlessly complicated. You are writing about all the cliches that Rothenburg has set up for clueless tourists. We have no local specialties? Let's pretend that some leftovers are a great delicacy. We have nothing to exhibit? Let's do some silly medieval torture stuff, people will fall for this nonsense.
If it were just you, fine. But people are reading this stuff here and believe you that this is the way to have a Christmas holiday in Germany and at this point somebody has to gently reintroduce reality and some taste.

Great. But my main question is: did you see the Riemenschneider altar piece?

Melnq8

Okay, how about 'one of the best preserved medieval towns in Germany'? Will you buy that?

It's just that doing a side trip from Munich to Rothenburg is a bad idea and needlessly complicated.

Perhaps we have different definitions of complicated. It wasn't complicated for us. And it wasn't a side trip, it was a destination - I wanted my niece to see Rothenburg and all its tourist trappings.

I get that you don't approve, but it's not up to you is it?

I think Fodorites are intelligent enough to realize that many places in Europe are tourist traps, and capable of making their own decisions regardless of what one random visitor writes in a trip report. Lord knows the US is full of tourist traps as well, but does that keep Europeans from visiting? I think not.

And yes, I've seen the altar in St. Jacobs - I took a tour of the church in English several years ago.

Mellow out dude, it's just a trip report.

Macross

omg lub, knock it off.

We have been twice and loved it. We collected gluhwein mugs this trip. Happy to see pottery as last year in France they were giving us plastic cups in Paris and Lille.
I think you did well on the budget, I love reading some high end reports but we are budget travellers so appreciated seeing the cost. That cake!! We splurged a couple of times but still under 80 euros for both and that was NYE. Did you buy anything from the markets? I love felt ornaments.

Your pictures are so much better than mine. You mentioned the train from Munich where it split, we saw a few panicked faces. My husband read the fine line on the boarding gate about it so we were in a front car. He was impressed with your ski ticket. We paid 50 euros each just to go up. We did have the free tourist bus ticket though.