Rothenburg ob der Tauber

One of the more popular spots to enjoy the Christmas holiday, Rothenburg ob der Tauber is everything you want in a medieval winter fairy tale. Its hard not to fall in love with the adorable walled city, and since we arrived to an early snowfall, coating the colorful wood-framed buildings white, Rothenburg certainly gave us the holiday memories we were looking for.

We came for the Christmas, and so we lived it up at the market stalls and shopping. We also made sure to drink plenty of gluhwein, hot cocoa, and also have some warm and comforting German food at the homey Gasthof Goldener Greifen.

Our hotel, Gästehaus Raidel Garni, was simple and comfortable, with a nice continental breakfast. With the decor, it felt like we were inside a doll’s house with the decor.

The market and shopping streets are really the main event in Rothenburg ob der Tauber – despite the touristy nature of it, we had a lot of fun. We found a delightful toy store outfitted in enormous toadstools, and we were sure to try a schneeball, which was not amazing (very dry), but fun to sample, nevertheless.

Charming town views

At night you can sign up for the Night Watchman’s Tour, a 1 hour trek on the watchman’s rounds, learning about the city way back when in an amusing way. Although we didn’t take the tour (it was very cold and snowy out and the one we saw was in German), we were doing our own improvised walking tour, and kept running into the group.

Climbing the city walls is another fun activity. Exploring beyond the walls meant a chance for us to really enjoy the snow, which we don’t get too much at home. The name of the city translates to “Rothenburg on the Tauber” – being on the river Tauber, you can tour around beyond the city walls, which was great for my morning running and also some afternoon snowball fights.

If you get too cold, the St. Jakob’s Church is lovely and worth a peek inside. I was especially interested in the Makonde carving from Tanzania called “The Christmas Boat” made of ebony with the long section carved from a mpingo tree trunk. In the rear is the manger with Joseph, Mary, the baby Jesus and a small sheep (you can’t see it in my picture). Jesus’s disciples are sitting in the boat and an angel is blowing the trumpet.

Würzburg

We made a stop in Würzburg on the way to the airport, to have lunch and walk around the city a bit. Situated on either side of the Main River, into the city you can the towers of St. Kilian Cathedral while from the river you can see the Marienberg Fortress and the Old Main Bridge. We didn’t go inside either, but would have liked to if we had a few more hours to wander around.

Frankfurt

Though not technically Bavaria, Frankfurt is often the entry point to Bavaria, and for us it was no exception. And the city has many sparkling markets and tasty treats to entertain anyone looking for a very German Christmas. I got a snowy evening when I first arrived, and the city looked beautiful blanketed in white and sparkling with lights.

I had a few days in Frankfurt for work, and was able to also see a lot of the city during a morning or afternoon run. I got some lovely sunny days to really soak up Frankfurt.

Another really great thing to do in Frankfurt is eat – but I’m not talking all pretzels and schnitzel. I’m talking great ramen at Takumi Frankfurt, chewy handmade noodles at The Noodlemaker, some of the best bao I’ve ever eaten, certainly the best I’ve had for only 5 EUR inside a metro station, at Feinschmecker 好味道, and delightfully spicy thai at Toh Tong. I am still salivating over these meals, and of being in a bigger city with authentic and affordable restaurants, like Frankfurt. One very German, and in fact very Frankfurt local gastronomic taste I had was apfelwein (apple wine), served hot and which I enjoyed very much – plus I brought home a cool mug.

What a wonderful long weekend exploring this area of Germany and soaking in all the Christmas spirit. Getting to take our time exploring the area, snacking, shopping, and just relaxing while seeing the traditions of season is always such a great experience.