Introduction to Rothenburg ob der Tauber

117km (73 miles) NE of Stuttgart, 51km (32 miles) SE of Würzburg

If you have time for only one town on the Romantic Road, make it Rothenburg. Admittedly, if you arrive at Rothenburg's Hauptbahnhof, at the northeast corner of town, you may find it hard to believe that this is the best-preserved medieval city in Europe. Contemporary life and industry have made an impact, and as you leave the station, you'll initially see factories and office buildings. But don't be discouraged. Inside those undamaged 13th-century city walls is a medieval town seemingly untouched by the passage of time.

The only drawback to this gem is that it suffers from serious overcrowding, especially in summer. (The Rothenburg locals go so far as to put bumper stickers on their cars proclaiming in German, "I'm not a tourist -- I actually live here.") Ironically, Rothenburg, for centuries, was impoverished and forgotten. It was first mentioned in written records in 804 as Rotinbure, a settlement above (ob in German) the Tauber River. The town grew to be a free imperial city, reaching its apex of prosperity under Bürgermeister Heinrich Toppler in the 14th century.