Yesterday was a very long (and HOT) day. We left the boat and drove for an hour along the “Romantic Road” to get to Rothenberg. Much of this area of Germany was spared from Allied bombing in WWII and, hence, many of the lovely villages survived. To stimulate more tourism, the Bavarians/Franconians decided to promote driving along this 350 km highway between Wurzburg and Fussen. Rothenburg itself is a walled gem of a town, having been declared a Free Imperial City in 1274. While its fortunes waxed and waned throughout its history, preservation was a major priority and today it shows – the city walls remain intact, the buildings are beautiful, and the tourists are plentiful. If I had anything negative to say, it was that it felt somewhat like a theme park. Having said that, the city survives by tourism and the do an excellent job at it. After spending most of the day there, we went into Wurzburg, the site of the Residence, a beautiful (partially rebuilt) palace that was built between 1720 and 1744 that boasts the largest ceiling fresco in the world. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The other thing that is pretty cool here is the plethora of vineyards – with their vines going in vertical versus horizontal rows. I would think that would potentially cause more erosion, but apparently not. Anyway, we left Wurzburg and headed to Werthheim.
Outside the Gallows Gate (yup, that’s where they were), heading into the gardens. BTW, you may see a “mask” between the two towers. If invaders tried to attack this way, they would pour poop onto them from the holes there (they couldn’t afford flaming oil!).
A nice view looking down into the Tauber Valley.
I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.
