Aaron, Arlie and I got in the van...the bus didn't stop in their village until ten so I had to go to the next village, and Aaron was to drop me off at the stop.
The windows were frosted over so after Aaron took care of that we were in our way. We were late...so I missed the bus, and the next one didn't come for two hours. We sped to the next village but I was too late for that one too. Aaron didn't have time to take me anywhere so I waited in a cafe for Emma to come. She took me to the station, and I was on my way. I felt like a total inconvenience, and even though it was their fault I missed the bus, I was wishing I had just stayed home.
But that all changed three trains later. Rothenburg was like a fairy tale. Castle forts, gates, and walls. Year round Christmas shops. Swords like Inigo Montoya's. It was charming and picturesque, even in the bleak of winter. I can only imagine how amazing it is when it's full of people, flowers, and green trees.
Rothenburg's heyday was from 1150 to 1400, and now it's really just a tourist town. A well-preserved, medieval, beautiful, old one at that!
This town was recommended to me by three different people so I couldn't not go.
Some fun Hollywood facts:
This town was the inspiration for the village in the 1940 Walt Disney movie Pinocchio.
It's the location for the Vulgarian village scenes in 1968 movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
It's sometimes mistaken as the town at the end of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the old one-1971).
Part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was filmed here! (I read online that it's the scene in which Grindelwald steals the Elderwand)
I planned seven hours for Rothenburg, but I was done in three! Not because there's not much to see...I could have sat on a bench in an alley for seven hours and been happy. I learned a lot about the city, and I'll be sharing the guide to the self guided walk I did in my next post.
Right when I arrived, I got to see the "puppet show" that goes every hour on the main square. It was like a ginormous cuckoo clock where the windows open and the creatures come out.
I did the walking tour to St Jakob's church. I went inside, and it costs €2 for an adult, but just €.50 for a student. Usually that means under 18 and you need ID but since the cashier lady didn't speak English I just gave her €.50 like I knew that was the price I was supposed to pay. She gave me my ticket and I went in. This church holds the Altar of the Holy Blood which is the best wood carving in all of Germany. It was magnificent!! Because of the paintings on the back of the main altar, we were allowed to walk all the way up to/around it-that's the first church that has allowed tourists past the choir seats so that was cool.
The walk continued on to the Castle Garden where the castle was many, many years ago (like 1300s). It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I stepped out from behind the town wall and my breath was literally taken away. I was in awe. There's the big entrance tower one side, a cliff that falls into the Tauber river on another, and then a view of Rothenburg and the town wall on another. Once again, it could have been my new favorite place in the world had it been spring/summer. It was so romantic and medieval and amazing.
I finished my little tour and looked in the Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas Shop. It was absolutely magical. Christmas trees, ornaments, lights, lights, lights, wood carvings, cuckoo clocks, dolls, villages, stuffed animals, and much much more! It was a Christmas wonderland with enough lights to require some sort of special electrical hook up. We're talking like...temple square Christmas beauty. This is the home of the German Christmas Pyramid that I've seen everywhere. My grandma had one which my dad now has..thank goodness because I don't have €300 to buy one.
After that, I climbed the steep stairs up a tower so I could walk the wall surrounding the city. It was surreal. I can't believe this place existed so long ago. It is a covered walk, and if you're six feet tall you'd bonk your head a few times for sure.There were many towers along the way and little windows to see through to the other side. There was a legit cannon in one of the towers. It was just awesome. I intended on walking the entire mile and a half perimeter, but the wall sort of ended momentarily and I couldn't find the start again because I got lost wandering one of the towers. I walked up the shopping street, through the flood of Asians (I was the only non-Asian tourist there today), and back to the city center for more pictures and souvenir shopping.
I visited the Imperial City Museum which had all sorts of weapons, armor, original statues, and paintings. It was inside one of the cute little homes so there were a few rooms that were set as they would have been back in the 1300's. There was a little window that was for giving food to the poor without being seen. There was an old pharmacy and "medical gadgets" such as a candlestick for the sick with a bell on it and a suppository inserter (that one was my favorite).
At this point it was 13:50, and the next train would be leaving at 14:06. The next train wasn't until 16:06 so I decided to book it and hurry to the train since I wasn't hungry or anything. I bought my souvenir magnet to add to my collection and literally to the train station. I made it and was warm :)
Three trains later I was back in Schweinfurt thinking I was all awesome for being back before dark. I waited for the bus and when it got there I was able to use my "I only speak English" phrase with the bus driver who only spoke German. It was awesome!! Except after that it took like ten minutes to figure out where I was going and how much to pay...there was another passenger that truly spoke only very little English and he helped me understand that the bus would not be stopping in my village...the 18:00 bus would, but the 16:00 bus that I was on would not. Soooo....I could either wait at the station for two hours or ride to a neighboring village and walk from there. If I had known that then I would have stayed in Rothenburg for two more hours. Such is life... I decided to get on the bus...€3.50 for a twenty minute ride. Transportation has really been the biggest expense here. It was 3 km (about 1.75 miles) from Heidenfeld to Hirschfeld. It took me about twenty five minutes to walk home. I got to watch the sunset. It was cold, but I liked the walk. The family is at a friend's house til later, so I had the house to myself. I had hot chocolate and "biscuits" as always, and then I made a lettuce and carrot salad. I miss vegetables. We did have peppers last night...I guess I just miss carrots.
I did the dishes and cleaned up the house, and then I took the nicest, warmest, most relaxing bath in the history of all baths. I got in my cozies and looked at my pictures from the day...all 137 of them. Sorry dad!!
I will post some pictures here but some will be on my next post as well. The pictures don't do this place justice...I hope I can remember how truly magical it was! It's The Princess Bride, Pinocchio, and Harry Potter. Disneyland, HP World, and many other places are built to attract tourists...this place is real...the town walls were really built to keep real people out and protect real people on the inside. It's a REAL place with real history and real magic.
I love Rothenburg!!!
Backup completed...
ReplyDeleteOh the nurse in you would love the suppository inserter!
You really are getting a nice broad experience on this trip...not just tourist stops but walking the streets and figuring out how the locals live...