Originally published on September 9, 2025
After my early morning walkabout, I met Peggy back at the hotel and we settled in for breakfast. It was quite the spread—an exquisite German hotel breakfast with hot foods like little pancakes and bacon, plus the more traditional meats, cheeses, and that irresistible assortment of German breads.
Fueled up, we set out again to wander Rothenburg’s cobblestone streets lined with half-timbered buildings. Rothenburg really feels like the king of Germany’s storybook villages. We stopped at St. Jacob’s Church to admire its famous carved wooden altarpiece by Tilman Riemenschneider, completed in 1505 and considered one of the greatest works of late Gothic art. Afterward, we walked another stretch of the old town wall, originally built in the 13th century to guard the city.
That’s when the skies decided to remind us that fairy tales also come with a little drama—rain began to fall, sending us scurrying back to our hotel. Even in the drizzle, Rothenburg’s charm didn’t fade; if anything, the wet cobblestones made it look even more like a painting.
