Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Rothenburg, a set on Flickr.

The town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber (Red Fortress above the Tauber [the river]) is about an hour and a half drive from Stuttgart. We visited there on a whim one Saturday after we exchanged the rental car (the car can only be rented for 28 days maximum). There was a navigation system so out of curiousity we looked to see where the previous renter had visited. Rothenburg ob der Tauber was on the list so we decided to go.

The town is a well-preserved medieval town and as such it's a draw for tourists. The day we visited it started out sunny and warm and then a heavy shower moved through. We sought shelter by visiting the enclosed walkway atop the city wall.

Preservation of the town began in the late 1880's when Romanticism artists rediscovered the city bringing tourists, and laws were enacted to prevent major changes. The city was bombed during WWII; however, the U.S. Army was ordered not to use heavy artiliery to preserve the historic importance and beauty of the city. Donations came from around the world to quickly repair damage to houses and the town wall. (source: Wikipedia).

There appears to be a lot to explore in this town and I hope we will return another day to do just that.