4 Best Shopping in The Romantic Road, Germany

This pastry shop is renowned for its Schneeballen, which translates as snowballs but does not really describe the fried dough strips wrapped into balls and slathered with confectioners sugar or sprinkles or drizzled with chocolate, or all of the above. This is the signature pastry of Rothenberg, and no visit to this Romantic Road town can be considered complete without sampling one or more varieties.

You'll find cuckoo clocks, beer tankards, porcelain, glassware, and much more at this old and atmospheric shop near the Rathaus, run by the delightful Anneliese herself.

The Christmas Village part of this store is a wonderland of mostly German-made toys and decorations, particularly traditional ornaments. The Christmas museum, with a full history of the traditions over the centuries, is inside the store.

A 15-minute walk from the town center, this outlet offers German and European designer brands—Daniel Hechter, Bugatti, Lagerfeld, and the trusted housewares brand Alfi, among others—at 30–50 percent off retail prices.