Sunday 19th October 2025 – Rothenberg, Germany

We woke to the sound of bells announcing the 06:00 service at the church and we went back to sleep. It was a cold night with an air frost and the temperature at 07:30 was under 2°C. Bells again for the 09:00 service, which was the special one for the 300 year celebration. Jane heard a distant brass band playing but we had no time to investigate as they were obviously going to the 09:00 service. Two hot air balloons flew over, not part of the celebrations, but the recovery vehicles came up our road, turning round in the aire when they realised that the balloons were heading off in a different direction.
It was a simple journey today mainly on a single road, the 7 but, unfortunately, most of it was concrete, which gave a very uncomfortable ride. Being a Sunday in Germany, there were no lorries on the road but it was the end of the German half-term holiday and the road was very busy.
We arrived in Rothenberg at one o’clock and found a place in a paid aire just outside the town. Rothenberg is a medieval town and a big tourist destination. A very short walk took us to one of the main gates of the town – the very impressive Spital Bastion over which there is an inscription, in Latin, that reads ‘Peace to those who enter. Farewell to those who leave’. We wandered along the main street and in the centre we found a hotel restaurant that offered a ‘Flammkuchen’ (a type of extra-thin pizza) topped with Bavarian blue cheese, pear, roasted walnuts and cranberries – delicious.
We visited the castle gardens with good views back to the town and over the countryside. A little further on we found steps that went up onto the town walls. This is accessible for nearly two thirds of the wall – approximately 4 km in total – and is a restored, covered walkway on the inside of the wall and high up on it. It gives great views across the town from lots of different angles. The wall walk took us back to the Spital Bastion and we walked back to the van.
Rothenberg is a fascinating town with really interesting architecture. There is still more to investigate and we would definitely like to return one day.
Photos: The Spital Bastion just a few metres from the aire; A typical Rothenberg street scene; The Flammkuchen; One of the most photographed views in Rothenberg; Looking back from the castle gardens to the town; The castle gate; A view from the wall walk; The other side of the Spital Bastion – it is possible to walk all the way around the inside of the bastion.