Thursday, June 29th ~ Afternoon
One of the many things I love about river cruising is that most of the shore excursions are included in the price. This afternoon’s excursion to Rothenburg was the exception and it had a fee of 69 Euros ($75 USD) per person.
In my opinion it was well worth the fee and one of my favorite stops in this part of Germany.
The official (and very long) name of the city is Verwaltungsgemeinde Rothenburg ob der Tauber which is German for “Red castle above the Tauber”. This well-preserved medieval town is located along the Romantic Road of Germany in the Middle Franconia district of Bavaria. Today it is one of only three towns in Germany with her city walls completely intact.
Looking out the window of our modern, new motor coach, enroute to Rothenburg, the scenery did not disappoint.
We started off with a short walking tour where our guide showed us some of the highlights inside the walled city.
Friendly note: Each of the pictures can be clicked on to see more details.
walked back on our free time to see the interior.
Our guide led us to the center of town to the main square where we were then given a couple hours to explore on our own. Steve and Brenda opted to stay in the square for a bit and listen to “The Ambassadors of Music” concert.
Germany is well known for their Christmas markets, and the Käthe Wohlfahrt shops are amongst the favorites. We thought that we might pick up a new holiday ornament to add to our collection, but nothing in particular spoke to us. It was still fun to get a feel for what they offered.
Besides toys and Christmas decor, Bavaria is also known for their beer, beer steins, and Black Forest cuckoo clocks
Next we walked out to the tip of the nose (according to the map above), to look at the views and garden outside the walls. When walking through the tower gates we could admire the shapes, curves and angles.
another different perspective.
Just wandering the streets in Old Town was a treat and we were so glad that we had free time to explore.
St. James (St. Jakob in German) is a Lutheran church. Originally it was Catholic and is on one of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Built between 1311-1484 and consecrated in 1485. More of the exterior is shown above/earlier in this post.
It’s western gallery (upstairs) contains the famous Holy Blood altarpiece which was carved in 1500-1505. The Last Supper tableau is interesting: it’s an unusual case where the central figure is actually Judas, and not Jesus himself.
An uneventful bus ride back to the ship and our Captain was waiting to raise the gangway and depart.
around 35 and his father had also been a river boat Captain.
We had just enough time for a quick shower and a fresh change of clothes before heading to the lounge for drinks, port talk and then off to dinner.
We most sincerely appreciate it when you “like”, “share”, “comment”, “subscribe”, and/or invite your friends to follow along.
Gratitude Moment: Today I’m grateful for the opportunity to go on two quite different tours in two distinct cities. I especially enjoyed visiting Rothenburg. I think it would have been a shame to have been so close and missed seeing it.
A Note From Abroad 
Joanne, your photo of Rothenburg, with the colorful homes, large fountain and the reflection captured—- is breathtakingly magical.
“Going out into the gardens” looks like the most beautiful painting!
Again, your skills are elevated beyond measure.
It’s nice seeing what we missed during this part of the day.
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Thank you Brenda! That fountain reflection picture is one of my favorites from our trip. This area of Germany exceeded my expectations from a “photo op” standpoint. It is impossible to see it all when we are only at a location for a few hours, but I think we both made great use of the time we had. I’m so thankful that we got to take this river cruise and make these incredible memories together ❤️
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Dear Joanne,
Since I got your blog link from Ellie, I am following your recent trip to Europe and river cruise, and I have enjoyed it very much. The way you describe in such a detail with pictures about your adventures, places, events, foods, etc. it gives me a feeling that I am also travelling with your group. Albeit I cannot smell the aroma and the taste of the beautifully presented foods and beverages. I hope one day the internet technology advances to such degree that you can also include the aroma and the tastes of the foods in your blog! 😊
Until then, wish you, Tim, Brenda, and Steve many more joyous travel adventures in the future.
Bijan
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Hello Bijan and welcome! Thank you so much for your wonderful and kind remarks. Wouldn’t that be fabulous to be able to add both smell and taste. I love that idea ❤️
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I just love the wonderful sense of perspective in your photos Joanne. As well as your creative selection of content.
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HaHa, Mike if you only knew some of the awkward positions I get into, and the number of times Tim has to help me back up, just so I can “get the shot”, you would have a good laugh.
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The highlight for me among the photos is the stork’s nest(!) which, at first glance, I thought was a tree growing from the roof! FABULOUS!
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Thank you ❤️ Just a moment before I took this picture there had been two storks in the nest. Unfortunately they left before I could get the shot.
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You have it in the memory recesses to be called upon when you see that nest.💥
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What a fabulous city which has no doubt been captured in your stunning photos! Thank you for sharing this wonderful destination.
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Appreciate you stopping by! ❤️
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There was a lot to see, thanks for sharing the extra tour. I am a car guy, so loved the Christmas truck. I know, all that history we saw, I am impressed with an old truck!
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John, I think it is great that you noticed the truck. We each have things that catch our eye. ❤️
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I’ve never been to this part of Germany and it looks lovely in the summer! You have so many beautiful picture here Joanne, I especially like feature photo 🙂
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Thank you! I think this part of Germany would have quite a different look and feel in November and December when the famous Christmas Markets are the big draw.
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I am fascinated by the many colors of houses . They just make me feel joyful. Are there shops at the bottom and living quarters at the top?
Thank you for sharing your European trip with me and your many followers.
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Lavern, I think you are correct that some of the shops have homes or apartments over them. Thank you so much for following our journey ❤️
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Ditto on every single comment that was already made! You do such a wonderful blog!!!
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Thank you, thank you, thank you 😊
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