Walking the Wall in Rothenburg
Want to step out of the present and enter the world of Medieval Germany? Rothenburg ob der Tauber offers you the perfect opportunity. The old town of Rothenburg, with its half-timbered buildings set along a maze of cobblestone lanes, takes you back in time where you can imagine folks meeting at the bustling market square and then enjoying a stein of their favorite beer with friends.
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The Medieval wall of Rothenburg
The stone wall around Rothenburg offers a fine way overview. Enter through one of the gates and climb into the wall. You can walk a section or two or all the way around. 
Dating to 1142, these walls of stone protected the young trading center here and a royal castle. Rothenburg expanded to become the second largest city in Germany by 1400, partly due to its security within the wall. Walking the 2-mile-long wall today gives you a roof-level view of Rothenburg. You see the jumble of wooden gables and steeples that tower over the streets. 
You can see beyond the town out to the surrounding farmland, too. 
The Rothenburg blacksmith’s shop
My favorite is the blacksmith’s shop. Built on a triangle corner lot in 1469, this home boasts a coat of arms made of blacksmith tools. A bomb caused a fire that damaged the shop during World War II, but after repairs, the blacksmith carried on. This charmer is now a private home. 
And more of the Medieval wall
We walked a part of the wall, then descended a stone staircase to see the town on ground level. 
Colorful sShops and restaurants of Rothenburg
The colorful buildings are eye-catching. 
The picturesque pharmacy sits at the edge of the market square. The City Hall building in the square features an astronomical clock.
One building’s architecture includes statues that depict the seven virtues and the seven deadly sins. 
The creepy Medieval Crime Museum
If you go to Rothenburg, I highly recommend you visit the Medieval Crime Museum. Billed as “Europe’s most important museum for jurisprudence,” it showcases means of torture and punishment through the centuries. The official brochure recommends the museum for those “of a bloodthirsty disposition,” but I think anyone will find fascinating objects and history here. 
Dogs and dolls
Emerging from the dark museum back into the village, we found more lighthearted sights: People with their pups and lots of shops. I found the Teddy Bear Store enchanting.
Walking the wall of Rothenburg is a good introduction to the village. Then explore as much as you like. A day in this place that is somewhat frozen in time will leave you refreshed.
Read more about Germany here:
How to Plan Your Visit to Heidelberg Castle
Reasons to Visit Heidelberg Germany
Castles on the Rhine
The Berlin Cathedral
Exploring Potsdamer Platz in Berlin
Berlin’s Topography of Terror Center
The Berlin Wall Memorial
Visiting the Berlin Holocaust Memorial
Relaxing in the Tiergarten
Exploring Berlin — 5 Favorites
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Incredible architecture and beautiful photos!
WOW!! So many unique building designs with dynamic facades.
Rothenburg is a stunning town. Hubby and I were there in 2018. We stayed in the old town just down from the town square and spent two days exploring on foot. It wasn’t our first visit and I hope it won’t be our last.
what amazing architecture!!
We’re planning a trip to Germany in 2022. This looks like it’s a must-see. #Randomosity
Oh my Sharon another adventures to savor! Thanks
Amazing! So much beauty!
Thanks for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2019/01/what-flirt.html
Loved visiting this place. So beautiful.
I love to walk through those medieval streets.
Wow, what a great place to visit. What a nice post. I love all the buildings and shots of the streets.
This place has been on my bucket list for years! Great post.
Love that long walk way tp pme pf the towers. Having lived in Holland I first did not realize how a roof view with red roofs is wvery telling of a European building style!So I have only one image like yours on this post. I can imagine the blacksmith’s is your favorite – so inviting and of a skill that virtually has died out!
Super pics.Went back to hundreds of years.
Lovely buildings!!!
I’ve always wanted to go to Germany, and this looks so cool! Great pictures 🙂
You’ve taken some lovely photos of Rothenburg ob der Tauber! One of my favorite towns in Germany and the epitome of fairy tale! #FeetDoTravel
I really enjoyed the photographs, Rothenburg is now on my Germany visit list, which is getting so long! Whenever I walk through “old Europe” I can visualise knights walking, or the sound of a horse’s hooves on the cobbles.
I loved this! I actually have a blog post with the same name and some very similar pictures. Very neat to see it through your eyes! It’s definitely a great activity for anyone visiting Germany. #FarawayFiles
Wow! Looks great. I’ll pin this for reference when we visit Europe this year. Thank you for sharing.
I think walled cities have a special charm. I’ve not walked Rothenberg but York and St. Malo come to mind as special visits. This looks great and I hope to visit and walk the wall someday.
This place looks amazing – I have never been, but thank you for sharing this!
xo
Nancy
http://www.fancynancista.com
Rothenburg looks like a place from my childhood picture books. Thank you for sharing your photographs and also the historical background of the place – another place to add to my list of travel destinations.
I absolutely love those buildings! They look like they’re straight out of a Disney movie! 🙂
This is such a pretty town – your photos are really beautiful and inspiring! I’d definitely explore the wall for the views of those medieval rooftops!
Stunning pictures! Some German towns really make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Walking the wall looks especially interesting 🙂
So pretty photos and interesting collections from the old town of Rothenburg. I’m loving the colorful beauty of each architecture. Good to know about Medieval Crime Museum.
I’m having flashbacks – not to Medieval Germany, but to the backpacking trip my husband and I did in the mid-90’s after graduating from university. Rothenburg was one of our stops and I remember the walls, the cobbles, the gables and the half-timbered homes you shared. I also remember a really delicious schnitzel mit spaetzle and the Kathë Wohlfahrt Christmas shop. I still have the German Nutcracker we bought there! Special memories, thank you for sparking them! Cheers from Copenhagen, Erin #FarawayFiles
When we were on our Rhine river cruise a few years ago, one of the extra day trips was to Rothenburg but we decided to stay with the included trip instead. A hard choice – especially now I’ve seen your photos!
#farawayfiles
I do love half-timbered buildings, I’m from England after all and we have plenty to admire! I would definitely enjoy this walk, so many beautiful buildings to admire (and apparently the odd Pug tee hee). Thank you for showing me such a lovely part of the world to add to my list – pinned! #feetdotravel
Gorgeous photography, Sharon! Some of the buildings and streets remind me of Sighisoara in Romania (it was built as a medieval German-Saxon town). I’d love to visit Rothenburg, you added it to my list of places to visit in Europe.
Your photos are awesome! They really capture the old-town feel of the city. Would you mind sharing what camera you use?
Chad, Rothenburg does have an amazing old-town feel! My camera is a Sony A6300 Mirrorless. It’s so much lighter than my Nikon D3100 and I’m loving it!
Interesting! I use a mirrorless as well – I guess I should start working on my photography skills then!
Wow, what a beautiful place and gorgeous photos!! I grew up in the Netherlands which is right next to Germany, but never really travelled there until I moved to the UK though 😉 Haven’t seen that much yet, but I’m very keen on doing a big German road trip one though. Will try to put Rothenberg on the itinerary! Thanks for the tip!