Between the Danube and the Main we followed the Romantic Route, an old route to Rome, as its name sounded pretty, and, ahh! it was. A terrific tourist hook, that.
We drove interesting rural routes, quiet now except for tourists, used since Medieval times and came across the only three remaining completely walled villages left in all of Germany: Nordlingen, Dinkelsbuhl and Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
All are lovely. Nordlingen is interesting as the city has grown up inside an ancient crater bed. Millions of years ago a meteor slammed into the earth here. Its massive impact left the crater littered with coarse rock, glass, crystal and diamonds. So the buildings and roof tiles of Nordlingen that come from the tons of local earth and clay are studded still with tiny microscopic diamonds and crystal slivers that glow in the sunlight.
But, of all of them, Rothenburg was quite simply, astonishing. If Germany chose to rate her 120 most beautiful villages the way the French have done, Rothenburg ob der Tauber would likely come out on top.
Any single street in the town could be used for a re-creation of any Shakespearean play you could conceive. There are gallows gates, toll gates with sentry stands, an ancient moat, a church with a capsule said to contain three drops of Christ’s blood, guard towers built for pouring hot burning tar onto enemy incursors, cages next to cold fountains in which medieval fisherman used to store their fish, and medieval torture devices like the Strappado with its ducking cage used to dunk bakers who sold their bread too light. For each half ounce missing a baker was dunked into cold water: Baker’s baptism.
And last, but not least, street after street of the most gloriously restored half-timbered fashwerk houses in the country.
Fifty years ago people did not want to live in these gorgeous homes: they were being pulled down by the thousands throughout Germany, making way for massive roads and bridges, and buildings of glass, brick and stainless steel.
Nowadays, there is a move to the old. Folk are coming to treasure these ancient old crooked wooden structures with their sharply angled roofs and exteriors coated in a mix of limestone and oak.
Today most of the half-timbered homes framed in oak in Rothenburg are shining: newly protected in many coats of pretty coloured paintwork. The place is just gorgeous.
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Doors of St George's church in Dinkelsbuhl |
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Schneeball, a Rothenburg classic pastry ball you smash before eating
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Beautiful facades in Dinkelsbuhl
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Bienenstich (bee sting)supposedly created to celebrate a 15th century village win after successfully throwing their bee hives at a neighbouring village in a battle
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Paddy wagon for criminals of yesterday
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Narrow Rothenburg streets with horse and buggy
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Miss Bec enjoying Rothenburg
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| Further along was Miltenberg |
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Romantic flowers along the Romantic Route
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