Rothenburg ob der Tauber

About

Seeing Rothenburg ob der Tauber's forty-two gates and towers etched against the unspoiled countryside from a distance, you'd swear you were looking at the Fifteenth Century through field glasses. Inside, the town's almost completely intact walls and carefully-preserved half-timbered houses truly do bring visitors back in time. But the past isn't all pretty buildings. Stop by the Medieval Crime Museum to see the horrific reality of medieval correctional methods lovingly detailed in the vaults. A whole department is dedicated to witchcraft and witch-hunting in Bavaria. Back in the light of day, the Town Hall Tower beckons with its fine views of the town and the idyllic surrounding countryside. A walk around those intact town walls is also a temptation to fully surrender to.