Walled wonder: Rothenburg, Germany has plenty of history

Story by Kari Sleight/Frontiersman publisher

In the heart of Bavaria's Romantic Road, between Munich and Frankfurt, lies the charismatic walled town of Rothenburg.

In its heyday, from 1150 to 1400, Rothenburg was the crossing point of two major trade routes: Tashkent-Paris and Hamburg-Venice, and was Germany's second-largest free imperial city. The wall surrounding the city is well preserved and just more than a mile long.

The wall today is a focal point for tourists, as well as a major landmark.

Celebrations are a part of German life, and Rothenburg hosts two major community festivals each year.

Whitsun takes place seven weeks after Easter and locals dress up in medieval costumes to celebrate Mayor Nusch's Meistertrunk victory.

In 1631 the Catholic army overtook the Protestant town and was about to pillage the village when, as the legend goes, Mayor Nusch offered to drink a three-liter tankard of wine in one gulp in exchange for the town's freedom.

The commander of the Catholic army eagerly agreed to the challenge, sensing a clear victory. The mayor drank the entire contents of the tankard in one gulp, saved the town from certain destruction and promptly slept for three days straight.

The second festival, the Imperial City Festival, is the second weekend in September, complete with fireworks, and celebrates 700 hundred years of German history.

Although the history and architecture of Rothenburg are reason alone to visit this medieval town, the local people who reside in this city make the visit extra special.

While souvenir shopping in a charming little store just off Market Square, we struck up a conversation with owner Anneliese Friese, and her sons Frankie and Berni who help run the shop.

Full of helpful information, they were more than willing to share their personal knowledge of the history of the town, the sort of information you won't find in the tourist information books.

Their hospitality extended to a dinner invitation at a local restaurant and to take part in a meeting of their English Conversation Clu,b where we were able to share banter with a delightful mix of Rothenburgers and a few tourists, which quickly became the highlight of our visit.