Location Spotlight: Rothenburg

Alright, alright, we all know I couldn't take such a good

picture.

     Oh hi there!  Now that Blogger has decided to cooperate for a change, welcome to the next Location Spotlight!  This week, I'll be going over the medieval walled city of "Rothenburg ob der Tauber" (don't forget the last part if you're looking for directions, as there are multiple "Rothenburg"s in Germany!).

     The first settlements in Rothenburg date back to 950, with the city proper being founded in 1170.  The city grew to prominence through trade and cloth making, due to local long distance East-West and North-South trade routes intersecting just outside of the city.

The Rathaus (town hall).  Yes the tower's windows are set
on a spiral.

     The Bavarian city was occupied during the Thirty Year's War by the Count of Tilly.  The city attempted to prevent the Count's troops from entering the city, but failed.  When the Count moved on, the city was bankrupt, and remained essentially the same until the present day.

     As a result of the Assistant Secretary of War's (John McCloy) efforts towards the end of WWII, the city was spared from complete destruction, due to his insistence that efforts be made to preserve the city (he had personal knowledge of the city's history and preserved medieval buildings).  The damage which was already done to the city was rectified in a relatively short period of time, thanks to donations from international and domestic benefactors.  Since then, the city has remained a popular tourist destination.

Things to See:

It's kinda, sorta, really disturbing.  Fair warning.

     The Kriminalmuseum (Criminal Museum) is one of the major must-sees of the city.  Set in an old monastery, it contains exhibits on the instruments of torture, capital punishment, and  legal systems of the time (Rothenburg-centric).  It is not recommended for children, because, despite the actual exhibits not showing any particularly gory examples of the uses of these devices, they were intended to horrify the people they were made to be used on, and can still have that effect today.

He looks better in person.  And drives a Segway in his off time.

    If you are staying in the city at night, make sure to catch the Night Watchman's Tour at 8pm (in English), which meets in front of the Rathaus (shown above).  It is a fun and informative tour around the city, and is worth every cent of the 7 Euro cost.  Look for the guy with the large halberd.

I don't know how those workers handle the
Christmas music year-round.

     The Christmas Museum shares its space with an enormous Christmas themed shop (one of many in the city), which costs 4 Euros to get in (with reduced rates for children and families).  The shop itself contains everything from ornaments, to smokers and nutcrackers, to toy dolls.  If you have been looking for that one particular Christmas decoration, this is the place to go!

     And that's all folks!  Rothenburg is a great city just to wander through and explore.  You can walk along the top of the wall around the city, stop into a cafe, or just browse through the many shops that are along the (mostly) pedestrianized streets.  If you are staying in the city (I would recommend it!), take note that the hotels may not look like much from the outside, but can be amazing once you step through the doors!  Have fun!

For your Amusement:

Snowballs!  You can even eat the yellow ones!

These are puppies.  That's about it.

There is a double-decker aqueduct looking bridge down there.
Trust me.

If someone says "go to Hell!", they may be referring to here.
Or they just really don't like you.

This is the oldest continuously occupied house in the city.
Don't worry, the original occupants aren't there anymore.

Proverb of the Day:

Whoever turned off the continuous breeze here in the city,

please give it back.

*Source links are included for stock images.
**The background music is from a personal music project in progress.