Originally published on September 8, 2025
We had breakfast at the hotel in Freiburg, loaded up the car, and set off for Peggy’s favorite town—Rothenburg ob der Tauber. What should have been a 3.5-hour drive stretched past 4 thanks to road construction and a crash. At least Germany makes it easy with plenty of roadside stops for bathrooms and snacks. Most of the journey was Autobahn, where “no speed limit” really means no speed limit. I’m convinced that in German, “Audi” translates to “get the hell out of my way!”
Once we reached the old city, we parked outside the walls and walked in along the cobblestone streets. Our hotel, the Eisenhut, sits just off the main square, but it was too early to check in. So we wandered the familiar lanes—this being our seventh visit here—snapping photos and getting reacquainted. We climbed part of the medieval wall that still wraps around the town.
Rothenburg’s fortifications date back to the 12th century, and today you can still walk long stretches of the 2.5-mile circuit. Remarkably, the town escaped major destruction in World War II; in 1945, American forces agreed not to shell the historic center after a German commander ignored Hitler’s orders to fight to the end and surrendered peacefully.
Later, after checking in and dropping our luggage, we drove the car through Rothenburg’s picture-perfect streets (both beautiful and nerve-wracking), then circled back on foot for dinner at the hotel restaurant. Very good. And though I probably don’t need more pictures of Rothenburg, let’s be honest—that’s what I do.
