The Incredible town of Rothenburg

Day 10: UBrigshausen to Furth, near Nurnberg.

The last time I slept near some horses was on Day 1 of my attempt of The Offas Dyke (you can read about that here) and my goodness were they noisy throughout the night. Thankfully last nights neighhhhbours weren’t so noisy. That meant we slept well in the quiet little spot we’d parked at last night.

We managed to get up early this morning and were sat having coffee by 7:30AM. Then both making full use of the shower facilities offered at the site. It’s funny, we have a shower and I don’t mind showering in Doris. It’s a wet yourself, soap yourself, rinse yourself kinda job. So when you get the chance to have unlimited hot water running down your body, it feels like heaven.

The mornings plan was to get up and get on the road early so we could catch the town of Rothenburg ob Der tauber before the forecasted rain set in around lunch time. After a relatively uneventful drive, as they all are over here in Germany. With the roads being so good and easy to navigate it makes travelling between one town and the next really easy.

Rothenburg ob er Tauber

We arrived and managed to park Doris safely just out of town at the small fee of €4.40. After a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs on toast we were ready for a couple of hours exploring this beautiful town.

Rothenburg ob der tauber, which easily translates to above the river, is a medieval town draped in history and with remarkable beauty. It’s cobbled streets, half wooden buildings, fresh smelling bakeries and beautiful side streets all line within an impressive set of walls. The town has some of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen.

The town was built in 1170. Stood centre of the town was St James’ church and the marketplace. The walls and towers were to be built later on in the 13th century. It later became one of the top 20 largest cities for the Holy Roman Empire.

During the World War it was a significant place for Nazi Ideologists as Rothenburg was the epitome of a ‘German Town’. In March 1945 German Soliders were stationed here to defend the town. However, 16 bombs were dropped over the town. Killing people, destroying buildings are tearing down town walls. A US Secetary of war knew the historic importance of Rothenburg and commanded it not to be struck from the air.

Instead he commanded 6 men on a mission to get the Germans to surrender the town. The men made it safely into Rothenburg and spoke with the commander in charge. Telling him that if there were not to give the town up, within 3 hours the town would be bombed and destroyed. The Germans left and saved Rothenburg from the airstrikes.

Despite the weather not being on our side this town was still one of the best looking towns I’ve ever been into. Small cobbled streets with beautiful decorated buildings either side. It was photo opportunity around ever corner. After a couple of hours wandering the streets, we ransacked the local bakery and headed back to Doris.

Doris back on the move

Unfortunately the weather dictated the rest of the day. With no let up in rain from around 1PM it meant there was not much exploring to do. Instead we drove over towards Nurnberg, found our camping location for the evening and stayed put. Only venturing out to pick up some dinner and some drinks.

I spent the afternoon reading, A Walk in the Woods, and I’m still absolutely loving it. I’m interesting in doing a long distance thru-hike. Bill Bryson’s stories and tales are a wonderful insight into what potentially lies ahead for such a trip. If you’ve not read any of his books, do so. His writing and humour are very engaging and I’ve enjoyed it all thus far.

Tomorrow there is a small break in the weather so we hope to cycle into Nurnberg and then we’re heading in the direction of the Czech Republic. We’ve got awesome things pencilled in for the coming week, lets hope for a break in the weather.

Tonights camping location: Furth, near Nurnberg. (CamperContact: 25579)