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.

Rothenburgertor, one of the four City Gate Towers in Nördlingen, was built around 1390. It is the…read moreNorthern city gate, five-story, partially un-plastered, with ashlar gate built in 1372, with a late 16th-century gable, front gate with diagonally placed corner core and hipped roof, the city side has the stepped gable decorated with pilaster strips. The pitch holes in the gateway and the porch, a so-called barbican (a fortified outpost or gate, like an outer defense to a city or castle, or any tower that overlooks a gate or bridge that was used for defensive purposes), with its oriels testify to the defensive strength of Dinkelsbühl. On the second floor there are former prison rooms and a torture chamber. The exhibition is on the persecution of witches in Dinkelsbühl, which was previously housed in the barbican, can now be viewed after the redesign in the "House of Dinkelsbühl History - Of War and Peace." A lot of history is in this city gate tower.

The town mill was built after Emperor Charles IV of the Holy Roman Empire granted the town of…read moreDinkelsbühl the privilege to operate two mills in 1378. That perhaps sounds so foreign to non-Europeans like myself, but it shows how powerful those emperors, kings and princes were in the medieval period. Without their permission a town couldn't even build a mill?? That'll never go over well in the United States modern building permits notwithstanding. It was a fortified mill until 1600 with a moat on the field side, a battlement and two slender round towers with a conical roof, water inlet and outlet for running the mill, a battlement in the mill on the field side, which once continued on the Mühlhof wall to the gate and the battlement at the adjacent Nördlinger Tor. The Renaissance front gable bears a coat of arms inscribed "1600."

The Nördlinger Tor was built around 1400. It is one of the best preserved gate towers in…read moreDinkelsbühl and is adorned with a stepped gable with half-shells probably added in 16th century. One of the attractions of this massive tower gate is the storks' nest at the top of the roof (photo). Obviously storks don't nest year around, but you can observe some activities in the spring to early summer time as we did on this day. To this day, all road traffic in and out of the Old Town only goes through the four medieval gate towers of which Nördlinger Tor is one of them. For your convenience, there's a large free parking lot nearby for each gate location for visitors and tourists. This is very practical and convenient especially since you can park right in front of the first attractions as you approach this town coming from any direction. Just look for a tall tower like this one and !!

The Segringer Tor has been in existence since 1384. During renovations in the 17th century, the…read moregate tower was given its current baroque dome. There is a small, at first glance somewhat inconspicuous, Chapel of the Three Kings built in 1378 below this gate tower. Today the church houses a memorial for the victims of the Nazi regime. To this day, all road traffic in and out of the city only goes through the four medieval city gates of which Segringertor is one of them. You always have to watch out for oncoming traffic. This is probably one of the reasons why large parking lots were built for visitors and tourists in front of each gate. This is very practical and convenient especially since you can park right in front of the first attractions as you approach this town. Just look for a tall tower like this one!!