WATSONSGOTRAVELLING: ONCE UPON A TIME IN ROTHENBURG

The Romantic Road is a 220 mile route that begins in Wurzburg and follows the Main River to the Bavarian Alps. The route connects castles, picturesque medieval towns, vineyards and rolling countryside.

Rothenburg is undoubtedly the fairytale superstar of the Romantic Road.

All that is missing - Hansel and Gretel

One of the oldest, Rothenburg is quaint and unspoiled. Despite all the hordes of visitors and an overabundance of Christmas shops, its hard not to feel transported back in time with ancient houses leaning this way and that on either side of the well worn cobbles.

The town can thank economic stagnation after various wars for making it too poor to rebuild its town in the prevailing architectural styles of the 17th and 18th centuries. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The 19th century brought strict preservation orders protecting the steep-roofed timber houses and their expansive Gothic gables.

Rooted in its 12th Century beginnings, the town’s covered fortifications are worth exploring for magnificent views over the dramatic rooftops. It was surprising how quickly the crowds disappeared as we climbed the ancient stone steps (very carefully) to reach the walkway. There was virtually no one else there and as an occasional oncoming walker passed us we found ourselves giving one another a knowing nod that we had discovered something really special.

There is nothing more to say about Rothenburg - the pictures seem to do all the talking.