The Quintessential German Christmas Town

A Few Notes on Rothenburg ob der Tauber

It's Christmas Season here in Germany, and with my limited travel days remaining, I've planned my trips for the Christmas Markets and December scenery. While there are hundreds of Christmas Markets in Germany, all steeped in tradition, there may be no town more fitting for a winter carnival than Rothenburg ob der Tauber. 

I'm going to let the pictures do a lot of talking, but first, a bit about what I've discovered about the town.  Rothenburg hasn't changed much in half a millenium. The walled town kept its fortifications up and never really bothered to change the interior. Though the town has expanded outside the walls, stepping inside is as close as I've come to time travel. The buildings are uniformly unique--all constructed with half-timbered framework and pasteled siding. Cobblestones make the going interesting, though when the December snow fills in the cracks, walking the streets is even more fun. 

As I left home in the early hours of the morning a week ago, I was greeted by the first real snow of the year. Two inches covered the roads and coated the trees. The ride down was like racing through a black and white scrapbook--one of my favorite train journeys to date. 

I spent the day exploring the streets and snapping photos from covered walkways on top of the town walls. Each shop offered a new souvenir or local delicacy, and though the stores looked ancient from the outside, the insides offered all of the modern facets of the vibrant German lifestyle. The town's Christmas Market occupied the main square near the Town Hall and biggest church, and though not as massive as Frankfurt's or as lively as Heidelberg's, I found nearly every stall to be special. The style of the market certainly matched the atmosphere of the snowy town. From the top of the Rathaus Tower I could see the entire town, its roofs covered in snow. The perfect place to be during December.

With that, here are some photos. These should summarize Rothenburg ob der Tauber and my snowy experience there.

Rathaus Platz with the Christmas Market stalls surrounding the tree.

A decorative display in the market.

The picturesque from the Rathaus Tower, looking down on the centuries-old
houses of the walled city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

The year-round Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas Village--but only at it's best in December.

One of many idyllic Christmas sights inside Kathe Wohlfahrt.

The town wall, covered and walkable. To give a sense of size, I walked
ninety percent of it in just over half-an-hour, stopping for photos, of course! 

A perfect view from the wall. It always seems a church dominates the view,
and here the half-timbered houses make the sight even more impressive.

Looking down on the forested valley on the west side of town, which
marks the border between Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg. 

Some incredible buildings, the highest being the Rathaus Tower. 

Traditional German nutcracker dolls, found here in every color, shape, and size.

Click here to see all of my photos from Rothenburg ob der Tauber.