Rothenburg
Trip Start
May 10, 2008
1
9
18
Trip End
Jun 15, 2008
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
St Jacob's Church, despite being rather Spartan (as Protestant churches tend to be) contained some stunning artwork. The church is famous for its altars, especially the early sixteenth century Heilig Blut Altar (Holy Blood Altar) on the first floor. Carved from wood, it depicts the Last Supper with Judas at the centre of the table. Apparently this is highly unusual as that scoundrel is more often than not the sinister figure seated at the far end of the table just in front of the men's convenience. A piece of rock crystal above the altar is said to contain a drop of Christ's blood, though this has not been verified by DNA testing.
The Marketplatz (Market Place) was surrounded by very old, very colourful buildings the largest of which was the Rathaus (Town Hall). A pleasant walk down Hermgasse took us to the Burggaten (Castle Gardens). King Konrad III built a castle in Rothenburg in 1142 which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1356. Stone from the collapsed castle was used to build the city walls which can be walked upon to this day. From the southern end of the gardens one gets a panoramic view of the valley, the Doppelbrücke (Double Bridge) and the walls of the city.
By the time we left the gardens we were ready for beer and food, however there were no cafes or restaurants to be seen. We had almost resigned ourselves to thirst and hunger when we spotted a sign outside a building with an arrow directing us to a beer garden inside. Few other tourists noticed the sign and we found ourselves sharing a beautiful courtyard with a single American couple who were as entranced with the setting as we were.
Once back in the main square I climbed two hundred and twenty steps to the top of the Rathausturm, the tower above the Rathaus. My aged legs were aching by the time I reached step two hundred and twenty and it was only thanks to my highly developed leg muscles and preternatural youthfulness that I was able to haul myself through a small hole in the roof and onto the walkway which circled the tower. The views of the town and surrounding countryside were worth the effort, though I was afraid that I would drop one of my many cameras or be blown over the fragile railing to my death.
We were reluctant to leave Rothenburg and hoped that we would encounter similarly beautiful towns over the next few weeks.
