Distances:
Munich 200 km
Frankfurt am Main 185 km
Stuttgart 122 km
Nuremberg 76 km

12,600 inhabitants (2005); 425 m above sea-level
With its splendid location and charming medieval atmosphere, hardly any other town is able to captivate its visitors in quite the same way as Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

A walk through this town is an unforgettable encounter with bygone centuries. The imposing building of the Town Hall, stately towers, massive fortifications, churches and patrician houses are witnesses to a mighty imperial past. An imperial castle, dating back to 1142, represents the beginning of the town.

Elevated to a Free Imperial City in 1274, Rothenburg became one of the most important city states of the middle ages. In 1631, during the Thirty Years War, Rothenburg was taken by imperial troops. Ex-Mayor Nusch saved the town by drinking 3 liters of wine in a single gulp, the so-called "Master draught".

Loosing its importance in the following centuries, Rothenburgs medieval center remained untouched. In the Romantic era, the town was discovered by painters and poets, and became a symbol of the middle ages in Germany. Already in 1900, it was shown that tourism will be the most important sector of the economy in town and the old town was protected by special building regulations. There are about 3000 spare beds in all price ranges and also about 150 restaurants.

For more info: Rothenburg Tourismus Service
Marktplatz 2, D-91541 Rothenburg o.d.t.
Phone: +49 (0) 9861/40 492
Fax: +49 (0) 9861/ 86 807