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Travel in Germany - Rothenburg |
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The town of Rothenburg is one of the most popular touristdestinations in Germany, and once you get there, you will seewhy. Once upon a time, many German towns looked like this:quaint half-timbered houses, cobblestone streets, all thissurrounded by a wall with many towers. Unfortunately, most townstore down their medieval fortifications in the 19th century tomake way for progress and traffic. Not Rothenburg, though. Inthis former "Free Imperial City", time seems to have stopped.
Rothenburg is located in southern Germany, about 110 milessoutheast of Frankfurt. The old town is situated on a hilloverlooking the Tauber river, and it is very compact. You canexplore the entire town in half a day, though you better bringcomfortable shoes, as the cobblestones and the steep stepsleading to the battlements can be hard to navigate, particularlyin rainy weather.
Rothenburg became a "Free Imperial City" in the 13th century anddeveloped into a major regional trading center. During theThirty Years War (1618-48), it escaped being sacked by enemytroops, when ex-mayor Nusch accepted a challenge by the enemygeneral and downed almost a gallon of wine in a single draught,an event that is still being re-enacted during a festival everyspring.
You could say that all of Rothenburg is a time capsule, withnumerous historical buildings at every corner, but somebuildings stand out. There is the imposing townhall, St. Jacob'schurch with its famous carved altar by Riemenschneider, and theCrime Museum, which documents ancient (and often cruel) forms ofpunishment.
If you are travelling in Southern Germany, Rothenburg is anideal destination for a day trip. Don't forget to try the localcuisine and the excellent Franconian wine. A local dessertspecialty are "snowballs", made of deep-fried dough stripssprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.
Summer is the main tourist season, and Rothenburg can getextremely crowded then, so it would be a good idea to go inspring or fall, even though the weather might be cool and rainy.You won't regret your trip to Rothenburg.
About the author:
Pamela Bruce lives in Austin, TX. She is the owner of Love BeadsUnlimited and sells the sterling silver and Swarovski crystalbead jewelry she designs and creates both in her eBay store(http://stores.ebay.com/LOVE-BEADS-UNLIMITED) and on her websiteat http://www.lovebeadsunlimited.com, where you can alsodownload the free e-book "A Consumer's Guide to Buying BeadJewelry Online".
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