Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a charming town in Bavaria, Germany. It draws visitors looking to see traditional half timbered houses, the Rothenburg Medieval Wall and so much more! In this post we go through how to take a day trip to Rothenburg ob der Tauber including how to get there and what to do!
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Getting to Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Getting to Rothenburg ob der Tauber is really easy using the S-Bahn trains in Germany. The trains we took in Germany were some of the nicest in all of Europe. We used our Eurail Pass and paid no reservation fees on any trains including high-speed trains in Germany!
You can get to Rothenburg ob der Tauber in under 2 hours from Nuremburg and spend a few days or stay a little outside and visit for the day like we did. We stayed about 50 minutes away in a small but charming town called Ochsenfurt. We loved how quiet and not crowded it was yet it was still really beautiful and exactly what we were looking for!
- Rothenburg ob der Tauber was a little more expensive to stay compared to where we stayed in Ochsenfurt so we opted to visit as a day trip. If your budget allows I’m sure we could have spent a few days exploring even more! Accommodations in Ochsenfurt seemed to cost about half or less of what we found for something similar in Rothenburg ob der Tauber!
Read more about Why we Loved Ochsenfurt in this post!
Walking the Rothenburg Medieval Wall
By far our favorite part of our day in Rothenburg ob der Tauber was walking the Rothenburg Medieval Wall. The wall surrounding the town dates back hundreds and hundreds of years ago. It is extremely well preserved and serves as a symbol of the extensive history of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
- While researching what to do in Rothenburg ob der Tauber we read nothing about walking the wall so we were so excited when we saw you can walk on it.
There are staircases up to the wall walkway every so often so you don’t have to worry about going to one place. We walked from the train station and climbed up at the Röderturm staircase. From there we walked northwest away from the Rothenburg Castle. It was so beautiful! The wall is so well kept and stands tall enough to see over the buildings of the town and beyond to the rolling hills.
- The wall is also completely covered so if it’s drizzling it’s a really nice activity that still keeps you a little dry!
- At the start small peepholes look out in the other direction over the large Spielplatz Hornburgweg.
We spent just over 1 hour walking from Röderturm to where the wall ends near the Gaststätte Guckloch restaurant. As you walk you get views down street after street throughout the town with colorful houses and cobblestone streets.
- At certain sections of the wall you can get incredible photos of the curve of the wall ahead of you covered in green and red ivy!
Near the Gaststätte Guckloch restaurant the wall comes to an end. A smaller wall continues but not at the same height and not with a walkway. You can continue past the Criminal Tower on the outskirts of the town which overlooks a park area that in the fall was so colorful. It’s a beautiful view especially with all the greenery and the towers of the wall that continue on.
There is another section of the wall that you can walk on starting at the Röderturm but going in the opposite direction towards the Rothenburg Castle. This part looks down closer to the town area so you can get close to some really unique looking buildings! Whichever direction you walk you are bound to get incredible views of both the wall, the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber and the surrounding area!
Read More: Guide to Visiting Oktoberfest
What To Do in Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Of course there is more to do in this charming town than just the medieval wall although that was definitely our favorite part of the day.
Walk Around the Town
The half timbered houses in Rothenburg ob der Tauber attract visitors seeking to visit a quintessential German town. They are everywhere throughout Rothenburg ob der Tauber so make sure to give yourself time to just walk around and explore!
- We found the streets around Market Square to be significantly more crowded than some of the streets closer to the wall on the outer part of town.
Plönlein is a popular photo spot because of the intersection of the streets at a famous yellow house. It’s a beautiful place to take a picture but you might have to wait a few minutes if you’re looking for one without anyone else in it!
Try a Schneeball (or Snowball)
At almost all of the bakeries in Rothenburg ob der Tauber you will see snowballs which are basically balls of dough, sugar and sometimes chocolate or other sweets. They are made primarily in Rothenburg ob der Tauber therefore you won’t find them many other places in Germany.
- A snowball is pretty yummy and cost a few Euros depending on which type you get!
- If you’re looking for something more substantial there are plenty of restaurants to grab a beer or even a full meal.
We bought a snowball from Schneeballenträume Café in the main town area. It was delicious and honestly the first place we saw them which drew us in. Then we kept walking and saw them in a few more cafes farther down the street.
Indulge in the Christmas Town
Many view Rothenburg ob der Tauber as a Christmas town. Weihnachtsmuseum or the Christmas Museum in Rothenburg ob der Tauber is open all year and is guaranteed to get you in the mood for the holidays! It costs 2-4 Euros to enter depending on the time of year.
Close by is also Weihnachtsdorf, the Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas Village. We walked through just the store and it is very expansive! The Käthe Wohlfahrt store has been in Rothenburg ob der Tauber for over 40 years and is the perfect stop to find an ornament or any kind of decoration you could want!
