Rothenburg ob der Tauber is perhaps the best known of all the medieval "sights" on the Romantic Road.
Along with its two neighbours (Dinkelsbühl and Nördlingen to the south), it is a prime example of a walled medieval town - one of the few remaining in Germany - and its beautiful buildings, walls and alleyways have made it one of the most popular tourist destinations in Bavaria.
In fact, it is such a tourist attraction that in high season it can seem like a medieval theme park, with busloads of visitors from nearby towns streaming into the market square from the coach parks on the edge of the old town.
However, the walls and history of Rothenburg still work their magic for those who take the time to explore away from the crowded central 'sights' and especially for those who stay overnight and can wander the lanes, walls and cobbled streets by moonlight...
Speaking of moonlight, one of the most popular daily events is the night watchman's tour, organised by local guides, which takes people around the market square and the medieval wall overlooking the Tauber valley.
Of course, more independent visitors can design their own tour, taking in sights such as the Medieval Crime Museum, the town hall and the castle gardens.
View of Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg also attracts thousands of visitors to its popular festivals, such as the Meistertrunk (an event from the Thirty Years' War) play and the picturesque Christmas market in the town centre during Advent.
Rothenburg is located in the west of Bavaria near the border with Baden-Württemberg. The closest major city is Würzburg to the north.
'Ob der' is short for 'oberhalb der', which means 'above the' in English. Rothenburg is located on a hill 'above the' Tauber river.
Rothenburg was awarded its town charter in the 12th century and became a Free Imperial City in 1274. There had however been a small town at the base of fortifications near Rothenburg in previous centuries.
A fleeting scene that many people believe is a location in Rothenburg appears in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. In fact, the shot is from Bernkastel-Kues elsewhere in Germany. Rothenburg appears in the film credits because of aerial filming in the area which was not used (or digitally altered).
Rothenburg is another location on the Romantic Road which features in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The centre of the old town features as the city of the Baron Bomburst and the Childcatcher.
The closest airport to Rothenburg ob der Tauber - by quite a long way - is Nuremberg. Stuttgart, Memmingen and Frankfurt are all within a fair distance.
Distance to Nuremberg Airport: 86km
Distance to Stuttgart Airport: 166km
Distance to Memmingen
Airport: 180km
Distance to Frankfurt
Airport: 186km
Nuremberg is a relatively small airport with plenty of connections within Germany and a good charter programme. Both Stuttgart and Frankfurt are international hubs for major airlines (Frankfurt with a much greater choice). The other airports have varying degrees of options with internal flights or low-cost carriers.
Rothenburg's railway station is located to the east of the town outside the historic centre. Rothenburg is at the end of a spur line which connects through Steinach to the larger cities.
Visitors with their own transport can either use the A6 and A9 motorways via Nuremberg or the A8 and A7 via Augsburg for the 250 kilometre journey. There is also the option of turning onto the Romantic Road at Augsburg and using the B2 and B25 to Nördlingen and Dinkelsbühl.
Visitors using other forms of transport will find it a bit more tricky to get from Munich to Rothenburg.
Train services are going to take between two and a half and three and a half hours and at least two changes. Probably the easiest rail route is up through Nuremberg to Würzburg and then changing to regional connections south to Rothenburg, although there is a quicker and more expensive service using the Intercity trains for sections of it.
Private bus travel is not any more convenient, with operators such as Flixbus only offering services to Würzburg at journey times that compare poorly with the rail option.
Car drivers will find that travelling via the A3 and A7 is usually the quickest option to cover the 180 kilometre journey.
Rail services run frequently between Frankfurt and Würzburg with a change onto the regional service down to Rothenburg making a total journey time of between two and a half and three hours.
There are regular private bus services between Frankfurt and Würzburg but a change onto the train is needed for transport onwards to Rothenburg.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is probably the most popular stop on the whole of the Romantic Road.
Just like a Greek island, the heart of the medieval walled town is crowded with trippers and groups during the daytime. And it's wandering around the town at night (whether with one of the local storytelling guides or alone) that the atmosphere really comes alive.
Of course, a lot of people have the same idea as you and it's advisable to book a hotel well in advance in high season.
CIf you know when you are planning to go but haven't decided on accommodation, then use the map below to get an idea of which properties are available and to compare prices during the period you wish to travel.
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Rothenburg is one of the oldest and most historic of the medieval towns along the Romantic Road.
Although there had been settlements in the area and in the neighbouring Tauber valley for many centuries before, the official history of Rothenburg is generally thought to date from the 10th century with the construction of a castle in an easily-defensible position above the River Tauber (thus "Rothenburg ob der Tauber" - ober meaning above).
The original line of rulers died out and so the castle and neighbouring town came into the hands of the Hohenstaufen Emperors of Germany, who granted it an official town charter in the 12th century.
The town walls and many of the buildings which still exist were constructed during the next century (in fact, rapid expansion meant that a new outer wall had to be constructed within 30 years of the former city walls being finished) and the town was granted the position of a Free Imperial City.
Despite these fortifications (or perhaps they are a sign of the times) Rothenburg has a tortuous history of wars and alliances, ranging from involvement in wars between the counts and princes, followed by enthusiastic participation in the Peasants' War (which led to mass executions in the market place).
The subsequent Thirty Years' War gave the legend of the "Meistertrunk" to Rothenburg - the town mayor is supposed to have quaffed a massive tankard of local wine as part of a bet to save the Protestant town from pillaging by Catholic forces. In fact, the town was forced to pay a massive amount of money and goods as a bribe to pay off the opposing forces after pleas from the children and womenfolk of the town.
A play was developed around the legendary events towards the end of the 19th century - the town had long since become part of Bavaria - which helped to market the town's medieval charms and led to the interest in the the history and appearance of Rothenburg on an international level and to restrictive laws being introduced to control changes to the "look" of the historic centre.
This was part of the reason for the relative preservation of the old town from the destruction experienced by many other places in the Second World War. Although the town was bombed from the air, ground commanders on both sides hesitated to attack or defend with full force as the war came to an end.
The damage wrought by the bombing was repaired, in part, by donations from across the world.
The story of Käthe Wohlfahrt and the Christmas villages and Christmas shops is connected in most people's minds to Rothenburg, the "Christmas town".
However, the original founder Wilhelm Wohlfahrt (the company is named after his wife) was originally an East German and the first sales of traditional Christmas articles from his home region to the American soldiers stationed in Germany took place on an American base near Stuttgart, not in Rothenburg.
It was 13 years later that the company moved to Rothenburg and set up the first Christmas shop there (now there are six in Rothenburg alone). The company, now run by Wilhelm Wohlfahrt's son Harald, has also expanded into other German towns, to France and Belgium and has a strong presence on the internet.
Although similar music boxes, nutcrackers, incense holders, wooden Christmas tree ornaments and cribs can be easily found these days in the commercial Christmas markets all over the world, Käthe Wohlfahrt can be credited with much of the marketing and development of what is now a massive niche for Christmas gifts.
Amongst the many websites that the company runs is www.wohlfahrt.com.
The busy Rothenburg Tourist Office is located in the centre of the
old town in Marktplatz ('Market Square'), in the old City Councillors' Tavern (around the
corner in the same building as the clock performance). It is open all
week in the summer and Advent and from Monday-Saturday in the winter.
Website: www.rothenburg.de