Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Wurzburg

 

The Plönlein in Rothenburg

Rothenburg ob der Tauber 

Rothenburg deserves its own post and it nearly gets one. I first visited when my kids were still kids along with my mother and her husband Don. We enjoyed this town so much I was excited to share it with Dermot but also a bit fearful it wouldn’t live up to my memory. Not to worry, Rothenburg still delivers as the king of medieval German cuteness. If you have any interest in coming to this area, do yourself a favor and download Rick Steve’s free Audio Europe app and download the Rothenburg Town Walk and listen to it either before or while you look at our pictures. 

Click here for photos, (i) for information

We arrived at Campingplatz Tauber-Idyll which is small but tidy and, unbeknownst to us before arrival, is set in the tiny town of Detwang which is one of the oldest villages in Franconia - dated 968. Google maps estimated it was only a 16 minute bike ride to Rothenburg so we broke out the bikes and headed in. The first part of the ride along the river is nice but then we were at the bottom of a hill. Pushing our bikes up the 100 meter height elevation to get into town was no picnic. Once in, we locked up our bikes and went to the recommended Hotel-Gasthof Goldener Greifen restaurant for a nice dinner in their biergarten. 

We roamed a bit while waiting for the Night Watchman’s Tour to begin. I still remember parts of the tour and even the face of our guide and was excited to see the same man all these years later. He led a group of over 50 people through the town and managed to describe the miserable conditions and superstitions prevalent in the medieval ages; the catastrophe of the town being ransacked in the Thirty Years war; the bubonic plaque and 250 years of extensive poverty with equal parts humanity and humor. I took pictures of him and sent them to Julianna who asked if I paid him in salt - a reference to the tour she experienced 20 some odd years ago! A very proud mom moment for me. 

Our bike ride back down to camp in the dark was harrowing because, though I had remembered to bring extra batteries for our bike lights, I had forgotten they recharge via usb so only Dermot’s light worked. I also had plenty of time to ponder the fact that I had no idea what shape our bike brake pads were in after multiple years subjected to neglect and wide ranging temperatures. 

Walking the walls - fun and gorgeous!

The next two days we spent in typical tourist fashion - following the guided walk, admiring the medieval architecture, shopping, strolling through the walled town, and visiting the Rothenburg Museum. We were very lucky that there were relatively few tourists especially on Monday when we nearly had the place to ourselves as we walked along the top of the walls and enjoyed a bird’s eye view into residents’ back gardens in town as well as the countryside and orchards outside the walls. 

 . . . and Würzburg

We only had one day in Wüzburg and we avoided going into town until the worst of the heat had passed so we didn’t really do it justice. We took RS’s guided walk  to the bridge but didn’t enter the Residenz (it was near closing time). The standout to me was the memorial adjacent to the City Hall (Rathaus). “Gedenkraum 16 März 1945” commemorates the Allied bombing that resulted in a firestorm that destroyed nearly every downtown building. Most residents survived in bomb shelters but the 5,000 mostly women and children who died were either burned alive, crushed under fallen buildings or smothered in underground shelters. That has haunted me for days. It's remarkable that the city is so engaging after undergoing such devastation. After strolling through the rest of the town and enjoying the views from the bridge, we headed into town for a lovely dinner al fresco by the river. 

We’ve been hinting that one of our travel-related dreams may soon come true and we stepped up the planning for that during this phase of the trip.

Next Stops: The Rhine and Mosel Valleys.

Ping-ponging through Bavaria

Munich

We arrived in Munich and settled into our sub-standard campground that was, at least, only 30 minutes from the old town center. In addition, our campsite was right on a fenced riverbank that had a lovely family of swans. On the opposite side, huge machinery was tossing logs around like tinker toys which were being fashioned into large rafts and floated downriver. Several days later we would see one of these rafts hosting a party complete with musicians.  

Click here for our photos, (i) for information.

On the drive in, we noted the nice bike paths and decided to bike into the old town. I’m a nervous bike rider in traffic but we both managed well enough by following the locals’ example of riding like they owned the path and the bike bell was a warning that must be heeded. Rick Steves had prepared us by writing “Pedestrians wandering into the bike path may hear the cheery ding-ding of a cyclist’s bell just before being knocked unconscious.”

On arrival at Marienplatz, we locked our bikes up in the pedestrian zone with a real sense of accomplishment. Then we started the RS audioguide tour but only made it from Marienplatz with its new and old town halls several sights and markets before the sprinkles combined with the forecasted storms convinced us that we should head back to camp if we didn’t want to ride our bikes in a downpour. We did some grocery shopping on the way back and noted that, once again, the promised rain didn’t materialize on schedule. It was only later that we remembered you can take bikes on the bus if you buy a pass. 

That evening as we settled into bed, the rain finally came in earnest. As we were dozing off, it started raining on us from the air conditioner again! Aargh! This being Friday, we had to wait to take it back to the repair shop which meant we were going back to Salzburg on Sunday for an appointment when they opened on Monday morning. 

On the positive side, the rain brought cooler temperatures for several days which we enjoyed while exploring Munich. Munich’s old town has very interesting history, many beautiful buildings and is sprinkled with an assortment of excellent shopping and eateries of all types. After all that sightseeing, a refreshment break was in order but the outrageously touristy Hofbrauhaus was too hot and loud! Killian’s Irish Pub’s biergarten was just the place to appreciate the merging of the two beer cultures and watch a bit of soccer as well. That night we went to the Haxnbauer which is reputed to be THE place for a traditional pork knuckle and we’re happy we gave it a try.

Back to Salzburg 

Driving back to Salzburg was dispiriting but we tried to make the most of it. After settling into the campground, we did some planning and then headed into downtown to a place recommended by a friend - The Augustiner Biergarten. We followed the majority of locals and did “Self-service”  choosing from among dinner offerings and then a beer for Dermot and a Johannisbier (currant flavored non-alcoholic) for me. We dined in the large space under the chestnut trees and enjoyed the atmosphere of friends’ lively conversations as the sun set and the light faded. A pastry with chocolate and hazelnut capped the meal nicely. Then we strolled along the river and watched as the floodlights lit up lovely Salzburg.

The next day was all about Van repair - it took two trips but we hoped it was fixed for good now. 

Back to Munich

Once back, we headed into town for cash  which is required at most businesses but most ATM’s also charge fees plus 6% so some hunting is required. Though several museums are considered better, we took in the Egyptian Museum as a change of pace and really enjoyed the collection. 

That night we headed to the Augustiner-Keller Biergarten to compare it with the one in Salzburg. This one was many times larger and more crowded. Ordering food and drinks was a contact sport without the advantage of a referee. We had to take turns as one held the table. The food was pretty good and the people watching here was just as engaging but in both Augustiners, the cigarette smoke eventually got to be too much. Most of Europe still allows smoking in restaurants and we often leave when we’d prefer to linger just to give our lungs a break.

Dachau

On our way in, we were pulled over for the fourth time this trip. The smiling police officer explained that we had taken the wrong road and were heading for the police station.  She handed us a small map with the correct route so this must happen all the time. 

Germany’s first concentration camp has been turned into an educational and memorial center. Though I’ve experienced several Holocaust memorials, they’re all different. The politics that gave rise to an evil government are explored as well as hundreds of photographs and personal stories of the victims.  What I found most powerful was the fact that you’re walking over the same ground as all those souls who suffered so horribly and died here. To our sorrow, we learned that very few of those who committed atrocities here were brought to justice.

Nürnberg 

All we knew before our arrival was this was the site of the Nürnberg Trials. Turns out it has some fantastic medieval architecture, an important Germanic history museum, a great Christmas market and seems very livable. Unfortunately, we arrived here during another heat wave and that meant we covered less ground and went to fewer sights than we otherwise would have. This might be the reason the streets seemed pretty deserted - smarter tourists were in cooler places. 

Once again we planned our time to visit during the day and return to camp before the forecasted evening thunderstorms. And once again, the rain didn’t arrive until after 11. As it was the first rain since the most recent air conditioner repair, we got little sleep. I’m happy to report no leaks - yet.

Next stops: Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Würzburg, Frankfurt.