There are 46 surviving towers around the Old Town, and they demonstrate the importance of…read moreRothenburg in its heyday. Because of its wealth and relative importance in the Middle Ages, Rothenburg needed to be well-fortified. On this circular tour around the boundary of the Old Town, 40 different towers and tower gates tell an amazing story of a remarkable city. Today, we walked on this medieval fully-covered defense wall from its southern end at the Spitaltor all the way to the northern end at the Klingentor. It was really fun. You have to be careful where you step on especially in the dark areas (where towers/tower gates are) to avoid tripping and falling down. There are some narrow spots, and you may have to yield to your fellow wall walkers at times if there's any. Can you imagine being a medieval soldier and have to run through this narrow passage with all your weapons and protective gears?? Fortunately for us, one of the unintended consequences of COVID-19 pandemic was the total lack of tourists in this otherwise very popular and enchanting tourists destination right now, and we didn't encounter too many others on this wall. The view of the Old Town from the wall is very interesting to say the least. It's sort of funny/strange looking in to houses where people actually live, but at the same time, it's always fun imagining how towns folks lived in this medieval town in the times past. On the eastern walls, you notice right away numerous stone/brick plaques engraved with names of donors who contributed to the reconstruction of this section of the wall. We are indebted to them for making it possible for us to enjoy safe walking on the wall. If you were to walk the entire route around the Old City, it would be about 4 km (2.5 mi) circular route. It can be taken in either direction. It might take about two hours if you take your time. Perhaps, the Burggarten at the eastern end of the Old Town would be a nice stop to enjoy a picnic lunch or snacks (unfortunately, there's no vendors located here, so you have to bring your own). Along the route you'll find 22 information displays (can't be seen if you are up on the wall). They explain in English and German, about he towers and gates, the fortifications, the surrounding nature and landscapes, the history of the town, and the most important visible historical structures. You'll leave this place with the best souvenir possible: a lifelong memory. And you know the best part...it's totally FREE!

It may be due to the fact that I'm slowly becoming part of history myself, but I really enjoy…read morehistory more and more as I age. There's something so surreal about touching and feeling the same stone walls that were built more than 1,000 years ago. I try envisioning guards looking out at the nothingness while on duty. In fact, as one who previously spent hours upon agonizing hours in guard towers myself staring into the abyss, I imagine circa 1,000 AD privates bitching and moaning about how shitty guard duty was. Some things never change, do they? Nevertheless, as I digress, this piece of history is very cool! It's still so intact and fully functional. You can walk all along the wall and look out just as those guards had to so many years ago. And, totally free! It's so worth your time if you're anywhere near Rothenburg. Enjoy!

What exactly is the Plönlein? And where in Rothenburg ob der Tauber is it located? Many guests ask…read moreabout the landmark and probably most famous photo subject in Rothenburg - here we'll use it as a starting point for a short tour of the city's historic residential buildings. The term Plönlein is actually translated as a "small square at a fountain", which means that the ensemble at the Plönlein also includes the fountain in front of the lone timber-frame house and the two towers of the old city wall that rise to its left and right - on the left the Siebersturm leading to Spital quarter, on the right the tower for the Kobolzeller Tor from 1360, which opens towards the Tauber Valley. What is Pinocchio doing in Rothenburg? The Plönlein is a international star: Many consider the timber-frame house on the Plönlein to represent a typical motif of Rothenburg's old quarter. Starting with Walt Disney's classic "Pinocchio" (1940), its architecture is copied by artists, architects and designers whenever they have to depict a typical medieval setting in Europe.

Rathaus (City Building) our Globus tour stopped in town for a short while .. around an hour so we…read morejust had to grab lunch and see what we could see in that short time. It was a charming town .. very clean and quaint. The city building looked interesting but only saw it from outside.

The City Hall, if you will, of an absolutely awesome medieval town not too far from Ansbach. As far…read moreas Rathauses throughout Germany are concerned, not as cool as others, but still cool. There's a tower you can climb up for awesome views. When in Rothenburg you should swing by, you'll enjoy it. Cheers!

Schwäbisch Hall or Hall for short was first mentioned in a document dating from 1063. It's…read moreunclear, but Hall possibly refers to the open-pan salt making method used there until the saltworks closed down in 1925. Salt was produced from brine by the Celts at the site of Schwäbisch Hall as early as the fifth century BC. Hall flourished through the production of salt and coins after imperial mint was founded by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa. Hall became a Free Imperial City of the Holy Roman Empire around 1280. From the 14th to the 16th centuries, Hall systematically acquired a large territory in the surrounding area, mostly from noble families and the Comburg Monastery. The wealth of this era can still be seen in some gothic buildings like St. Michael's Church (rebuilt 1427-1526) with its impressive stairway (1507). The town joined the Protestant Reformation very early. Johannes Brenz, a follower of Martin Luther, was made pastor of St. Michael's Church in 1522 and quickly began to reform the church and the school system along Lutheran lines. Hall suffered severely during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) though it was never besieged or scene of a battle. However, it was forced to pay enormous sums to the armies of the various parties, especially to the imperial, Swedish and French troops. Between 1634 and 1638 every fifth inhabitant died of hunger and disease, especially from the bubonic plague. The war left the town an impoverished and economically ruined place, but with the help of reorganizations of salt production and trade and a growing wine trade, there was an astonishingly fast recovery. The Napoleonic wars brought the history of Hall as a Free Imperial City to an end. Following the Treaty of Lunéville (1801), the duke of Württemberg was allowed by Napoleon to occupy the town and several other minor states as a compensation for territories on the Left Bank of the Rhine that fell to France. Although Swäbisch Hall doesn't have any medieval fortifications walls surrounding it like Rothenburg o. d. T. or Dinkelsbühl, it certainly provides a very quaint medieval atmosphere with its numerous half-timbered houses and buildings, cobble stone streets, massive Gothic church on the hill, and Kocher River running through it. You can certainly enjoy strolling and wandering in this town for hours imagining how one's life might have been during those days. You'll enjoy visiting this town.