Rothenburg - The Walled City

The Romantic Road, one of the few parts of Southern Germany that I'd never seen before this trip, climaxes in Rothenburg. This walled city is surrounded by gravel parking lots attesting to its shameless tourism industry that ensures the locals stay well fed.

Unlike the old days when Rothenburg used the wall as a protective fortress/something to throw trash over the exterior of the town is neatly mowed with well kept trials and fresh blooming trees.
The wall itself contains tower after tower. There is actually a walkway on the top inside edge of the wall that connects each tower. It's tough to see in the pictures but there are quite a few slits in the wall along that walkway presumably to shoot arrows through. The walkway as well as the still 100% intact wall circle the entire city, which is very large compared to most old European cities.

After following a trail around about half of the city Mom and I were ready to make our entrance (above).
This picture is actually before entering the city, yet due to BlogSpot I cannot change the photo order and still have them linked so you can click to see the image full size; you'll survive.

At any of the numerous gates we could freely pass back outside. In fortress days I'm sure there would have been guards and gatekeepers ensuring trouble stayed outside. Above is Mom in front of one of the gates we zigged and zagged past.
In constant competition, Mom and I would see who could out-do who with the hair. I still think she has me a bit on length - before I catch her though it's gonna get cut.
Inside the city is a throwback world of cobblestone and color. Bakeries and gift shops line the streets while colorful signs adorn the partially-timbered architecture. A company who hand builds these gas powered throwback buggies offers a country tours for quite a hefty price. Check their website if you have time, it's in English, http://www.aaglander.de/.
Rothenburg, like many European cities, is not flat, nor is it set within a grid. What they end up with is cool angles where houses are custom built. I really enjoy the partially-timbered look, especially when mixed with neat angles or overhangs.

Had I known how cool Rothenburg was I would have planned more than an afternoon there. However, King Ludwig's Castles waited anxiously for our entrance fees and the town of Reutte, which we only visited for a few hours, waited to give two crazy stories.

Quintessential Germany (Der Romantische Straße)

A few weeks back my mom came to visit Europe and enjoy what I've spent many years enjoying. She flew into Frankfurt where I was a mere hour late to meet her before we grabbed a little rental car and drove into the heart of Germany, the Romantic Road.
We drove to Würzburg, another US military town, and had lunch at an outdoor cafe. People walked here and there and young mothers gathered to push their lil ones in strollers. The weather had been great lately and the sun continued to shine for us. Another sure sign of spring arrived too, blooming flowers and road construction.

Mom was tired from the trip but we had much to see so we continued for an hour stopping for the night in the small village of Röttingen.
Germans take great pride in the appearance of things. Nearly every grave in the Röttingen cemetery boasted bright planted flowers. Many window boxes also showed their first blooms of the year.
We stayed at a bed and breakfast called Gasthaus Karl (not pictured). It is common in Germany for people with extra rooms, or an extra story, to convert the free area into a bed and breakfast. I enjoy gasthauses as a colorful and reasonably priced way to experience Deutschland.
It was Monday, the one day each week that many German restaurants are closed. We had trouble finding anywhere to eat, but after a short drive to a neighboring town, Credlingen, we found a homey place serving traditional food; soup, salad, and schnitzel.
Having lost a night's sleep on the airplane Mom put in early. We had a lot of driving over the next few days. We likely could have filled our entire trip with just the cities on this road, but wanting to see as much as possible we chose a whirlwind route.