I just got back from the trip of a lifetime! It sounds cheesy, I know, but Germany was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. I had never been out of the country! Being surrounded by the foreign language and unfamiliar culture was like being in a dream. Sure, Europe isn't extradorinarily different from the US, but no matter where I was-- from the smallest village to the biggest city-- there were little things that were different. The toilets were WEIRD. And that was only the beginning.
I've decided to spread out my Germany posts so that I don't overwhelm anyone with pictures. And I'm not doing the stops in order because I do what I want, Thor!!
Thus I am starting with Rothenburg.
It was arguably the most touristy of all the places we visited-- but it wasn't at all tacky. It's just so beautiful and historical that it draws people from all over the world. The city is entirely enclosed within a wall and all the buildings inside could be from the Middle Ages. No McDonald's to be found here! And few cars are allowed to drive within the walls, so it really is like stepping back in time.
We had dinner at the Gasthof Goldener Greifen, which was perfectly German. I had some delicious dumplings in a creamy mushroom sauce!
In the evening we went on the Night Watchman Tour which I highly, HIGHLY recommend! It was only an hour long and took us through the main sights of Rothenburg and a bit of the history. The city (including the castle and fortress) was built in the 11th century and was undefeated until 1631 during the Thirty Years War. As the legend goes, however, Rothenburg was only conquered because one of their own soldiers accidentally blew up the tower storing the explosives! Bad luck for that guy. At this point the people were so poor that they couldn't modernize their city as time went on, which is why Rothenburg looks like it's trapped in the Middle Ages. Which is lucky for the Night Watchman, as he told us, because that's what brings all the tourists!
This guy was great and added a lot of humor to the tour. As we walked by a particular bar, he said, "The name of this place means 'Hell' in German. So if someone tells you 'GO TO HELL,' you should listen to them! It's a good recommendation!"
Because most tourists come to Rothenburg for the day and then leave, the evenings are very quiet and pleasant. The shops were closed but just enjoying the beautiful architecture was enough.
We stayed overnight at Pension Flemming, which was conveniently located within the walls of the city but was still affordable. And our room was adorable. I fell asleep with the window open, listening to the sounds of an outdoor opera from a nearby street!
In the morning we did more walking around, enjoying all the flowers that decorate the gorgeous buildings.
We walked along the wall surrounding the city, where we got some awesome views of the rooftops!
We went into a souvenir shop that was ADORABLE inside:
saw a whole soccer team disappear into an alley...
and did a lot of posing!
And then something amazing happened... We ran into Molly from the Poor Sophisticate! She was so sweet and bubbly and was dressed adorably! It was so exciting talking to her, oh my goodness. She lives in Germany with her cute dog and cute husband!
Oddly enough, they appear in a couple pictures I took before we met!!
That's all for Rothenburg! I am planning to upload a bunch more of the pictures onto Flickr if you are interested in seeing EVEN MORE.... Next Germany post is coming up soon!
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