Round The World: Rothenburg ob der Tauber

My hostel

I always imagined Europe to be small. You know, the kind of countries that can fit into South Africa 10 times over and there would still be room for a bit of desert. I always imagined that any train trip in Europe (besides maybe Barcelona to Zurich) would take about 3 hours. But I have to say the trip from Prague to the tiny town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Germany has convinced me otherwise.

Getting to Rothenburg took about 6 hours by train and 5 different trains. The changes between trains were a bit of a trial. 4 minutes to change platforms and everything! That says a lot about the German trains working to the minute (and they really did). So finally I was on my last train – a quick 30 min hop to Rothenburg and glancing around at all the other passengers on the train with me.

A view of the town

There was a small American girl sitting somewhere behind me with an accent that couldn’t be ignored who kept asking “Father, when will we arrive?” And then going on about how beautiful and fairy tale the holiday was going to be. She was so in awe of the holiday that it really made me smile.

Also, there were a couple of men in their 50’s who were jovially chatting in German and I ended up somehow (I can never quite remember how I end up joining random conversations), butting in and joining them in the conversation. They were also heading to Rothenburg. When I asked whether it was a business trip or holiday, one of the men reached into his luggage and dragged out a velvet red floppy medieval hat. He promptly plopped it on his head and struck a pose. I have to admit I giggled a bit at this and through a bit of broken English I managed to find out that Rothenburg was having a festival the weekend I was in town. The timing was perfect as the festival had started the evening before I arrived and was ending the day I left town.

The town square with the town hall

I think to understand the festival you have to understand three things – Rothenburg, while it used to be important, is a tiny town; second, it was spared the destruction of war and so is a perfectly preserved medieval wonder; third, the story goes that the town was saved due to a man who could drink an excessive amount of alcohol. Everybody celebrates this occasion (generally by trying to follow his example). The shops I came across were none of the normal brands. The signs for the shops were not the neon flashing things you find in a city, but were intricately made metal hangings set out over the shop front as in the olden days. It was the type of town you could imagine rounding a corner and meeting a knight on a big horse with lots of armour or maybe just a simple farmer pulling a wagon of potatoes and carrots.

View of the town square from the top of the town hall

The festival was a historical festival and everyone from babies and toddlers to old men with beer bellies were dressed in full medieval costume, from hair and hats to shoes. There were parades and people dancing, various groups playing music for beer or for fun. There were little boys running after each other with wooden swords, half chickens being slow cooked over open fire pits, wagons, horses, parties popping up around every corner, a lot of beer drinking and of course – a lot of mostly German tourists.

The Shepherd's dance

So I explored a town all dressed up as if it really was still in the Medieval days. I watched a play all in German about the saving of Rothenburg, including a re-enactment of the drinking of about 3.5 litres of alcohol at one go. They had however changed the beverage from wine in the old days to beer now. I watched the parades, climbed towers, walked along city walls and visited the beer garden for good steak rolls cooked over an open fire. Yum…

Fancy dress

There was also the shepherd’s dance which was about 30 minutes or so of dancing performed in costume. It was the type of place I would have loved to share with people. But just as I was starting to feel lonely, I met a German woman and went geocaching with her.

And after that, I met a Taiwanese lady at the hostel who spoke English and we ended up touring my last day in Rothenburg together. We wondered the streets and city wall and visited the Medieval law museum (if you can call it law – it was rather harsh) and took a walking tour of the town together in order to get the whole story in English.

The re-enactment of the saving of Rothenburg

Rothenburg began as a castle in 1142 and developed into a town that by the 15^th centruary was one of the most important towns in the area. The full story of the saving of Rothenburg happened during the 30 year war in Europe 1618 to 1648. Rothenburg was a Protestant town and was surrounded and taken by the Catholic armies. All the protestant important people were put in jail. But a clever housekeeper came and offered the Catholic leader wine in a special glass – enough to hold about 3.5. litres. The story goes that the Catholics were so impressed with this gift that they indicated that should one of the protestant leaders be able to down the whole glass of wine, Rothenburg would go free. The mayor took up the challenge and thus saved Rothenburg.

Pinchian and I ended the day after the closing ceremony of the festival at the beer garden. They mixed us a light larger (half alcoholic and half not). Have to say I think that was the best beer I’ve had ever.

Rothenburg was amazing at that moment in time – I was sitting next to a Taiwanese woman who was learning how to teach Mandarin while in Germany and we were toasting German beer in English amoung people who were in medieval dress! I love the way travel works! I was in Germany experiencing its culture and learning about Taiwan at the same time.