27th of December 2022
Barbara once again, pulled out all the stops with her delishious German breakfast-feast. We squeezed into our rental. Peter and Arno have came up with a new solution to the problem of the electronic-boot-closer mailfunction...because our luggage was fitting just so snug. They tighthened the luggage first with a piese of mountain rope..and walla... the hatch door closed on it's own!!
A long journey of 4.5hours meandered over the sentral German coutryside. With a great playlist, the kids reading their christmas books (yes I am that crazy mum, who picked a book for each child and carried it around the world to be given as a present under the cristmas tree....jup, I know...) and enough Christmas-German-stocking-nut-cookies, we enjoyed the landscape and dreamed about exploring it further and deeper.
It was early afternoon when we checked into our next abode - Hotel Gasthof zur Linde, just outside one of the city gates of Rotenburg ab der Tauber. The first apperiences, including a HUGE beard and gazillions of tatoos of our ex-biker inn keeper was defo not reflected in his accommodating kindness. With a few nochalant handsignals we were directed where to park our vehicle for the night. A convieniet elevater gave us access to our two rooms straight from the backgarden carpark. Two rooms: For some of you this might not have been even a little thought when booking accommodation for your family. Well, as the travel planner for the Therons, I am now well skilled in finding affordable rooms for a family of 6!! In Hotel Gasthof's case, they had a room for 4 ( which is also har to find) So yay!! The kids were sorted out. We've reached the stage where they can be left on their own. This is like parent-graduation!(First degree....We are still at University for the Honours and Masters....Ha haa!!!) Arno and I got the luxury of our own bedroom!
We settled in quickly, then took to the streets...or should I say... to the anchient town wall, which included many preserved gate houses and towers, plus a covered walkway on top.
Rotenburg is well known for its well-preserved medieval old town, a destination for tourists from around the world.(2.5 million visitors per year!!) It is part of the popular Romantic Road through southern Germany and Germany's best-preserved walled town.
In the Middle Ages, before Berlin and Munich even existed, Rothenburg was Germany's second-largest city, with a population of 6,000. Today, it's the country's most exciting medieval town, enjoying tremendous popularity with tourists without losing its charm. A thousand years of history are trapped within the city walls. If only the cobbled streets could whisper.
We had to trear oursleves away from our elevated viewpoint on the wall, because dusk was settling in fast and tummies were starting to rumble (just so many spiced christams cookies could filled the cavities inside a growing your man, his dad and 3...very-grumpy-at-this-hour-sisters!!) Once down, between the crooked walls, cobbled streets and wooden-framed houses, we did a brisk walk through mish-mash of allyways. We were falling back on the so far ever-present bradwurst christmas stall.
Oh NO!! Disater!!! The only dregs left of the world's most famous christmas market were a few forgotten pine tree twigs. We've missed Rothenburg's marked with a day!!
Dissappointment behind us, we opt for a busy little Italian pizzaria, filled with American tourists. Sooo funny!!!! Just to mention...it was the only restaurant we could find!! Arno consoled himself with a lon local German beer!!
While waiting for our table, we did a short..ish stop at the Käthe Wohlfahrt shop of Christmas decor and ornaments. Here Christmas (or at least Christmas shopping) is a year-round season.
Eventhough we missed the actual christmassy part of our Rotenburg stop, the magic of this little town is something to be experienced.
Just to mention a few places of interest in R.a.d.T:
1. Medieval Crime and Punishment Museum
2. St Jacobs Church (500 year old altarpiece by Tilman Riemenschneider; Germany's greatest piece of woodcarving.)
3. Käthe Wohlfahrt shop and christmas museum upstairs.
4. Walk in the Castle gardens might just lead to a little surprise....
After dinner our stride lenghts were not dependant on starvation brain signals anymore, and we were free to pay closer attention to the enchantment of the town. Since not many visitors stay overnight, we found ourselves in almost deserted streets, gently wrapped in Rotenburg's midievel night glow.
We headded in the direction of our hotel, peeking into little shops, mesmerised by the detailed window displays.
This was a great treat of a day!!!!