Rick's Favorite Sleeps & Eats: Rothenburg
Sleeping in Rothenburg
(€1 = about $1.10, country code: 49, area code: 09861)
Rothenburg is crowded with visitors, but most are day-trippers. Except for the rare Saturday night and festivals (see "Festivals," above), finding a room is easy throughout the year.
Many hotels and guest houses will pick up tired, heavy packers at the station. You may be greeted at the station by Zimmer skimmers who have rooms to rent. If you have reservations, resist them and honor your reservation. But if you haven't booked ahead, try talking yourself into one of these more desperate bed-and-breakfast rooms for a youth-hostel price. Be warned: These people are notorious for taking you to distant hotels and then charging you for the ride back if you decline a room.
If you're driving and unable to find your place, stop and give them a call. They will likely rescue you.
Sleeping in the Old Town
$$$ Gasthof Greifen, once the home of Mayor Toppler, is a big, traditional, 600-year-old place with large rooms and all the comforts. It's run by a fine family staff and creaks with rustic splendor (small Sb-€38, Sb-€48, Db-€60–82, Tb-€97-102, Qb-€105-122, 10 percent off for 3-night stay, self- or full-service laundry, free and easy parking, half a block downhill from Market Square at Obere Schmiedgasse 5, tel. 09861/2281, fax 09861/86374, www.gasthof-greifen.rothenburg.de, info@gasthof-greifen.rothenburg.de, Brigitte and Klingler family). The family also runs a restaurant, serving basic meals in the garden or dining room.
$$$ Hotel Gerberhaus, a classy new hotel in an old building, is warmly run by Inge and Kurt, who mix modern comforts into 20 bright and airy rooms while maintaining a sense of half-timbered elegance. Enjoy the pleasant garden in back (Sb-€48–56, Db-€56–79, Tb-€94-99, Qb-€104-114, prices depend on room size, 2-room apartment with kitchen-€89/2 people, €120/4 people, 5 percent off and a free Schneeball if you stay 2 nights and pay cash, some non-smoking rooms, some rooms with canopied 4-poster Himmel beds, free Internet access, laundry-€4/load, Spitalgasse 25, tel. 09861/94900, fax 09861/86555, www.gerberhaus.rothenburg.de, gerberhaus@t-online.de). The downstairs café serves good soups, salads, and light lunches.
$$$ Hotel Kloster-Stüble, deep in the old town near the castle garden, is my classiest listing. Jutta greets her guests while husband Rudolf does the cooking, and Erika (SE) is the fun and energetic first mate who really runs the show (Sb-€50, Db-€75–90, Tb-€110, family rooms-€110–155, luxurious apartment with kitchen and balcony-€105 for 2 or up to €200 for 6, €3 extra on weekends, family deals, Heringsbronnengasse 5, tel. 09861/6774, fax 09861/6474, www.klosterstueble.de, hotel@klosterstueble.de).
$$ Gasthof zur Goldenen Rose is a classic family-run place — simple, traditional, comfortable, and a great value — where scurrying Karin serves breakfast and stately Henni (SE) keeps everything in good order. The hotel has one shower per floor, but the rooms are clean, and you're surrounded by cobbles, flowers, and red-tiled roofs (S-€21, D-€36, Ds-€46, Db-€49, some triples, spacious family apartment-€107/4 people, €128/5 people, kid-friendly, streetside rooms can be noisy, closed Jan–Feb, Spitalgasse 28, tel. 09861/4638, fax 09861/86417, www.thegoldenrose.de, info@thegoldenrose.de). The Favetta family also serves good, reasonably priced meals (restaurant closed Wed). Keep your key to get in after hours (side gate in alley).
$$ Hotel Altfränkische Weinstube am Klosterhof is the place for well-heeled bohemians. Mario and lovely Hanne rent six cozy rooms above their dark and smoky pub in a 600-year-old building. It's an upscale Monty Python atmosphere, with TVs, modern showers, open-beam ceilings, and Himmel beds — canopied four-poster "heaven" beds (Sb-€45, Db-€50–60, Db suite-€70, Tb-€70, prefer cash, kid-friendly, off Klingengasse at Klosterhof 7, tel. 09861/6404, fax 09861/6410, www.romanticroad.com/altfraenkische-weinstube). Their pub is a candlelit classic, serving hot food until 22:30 and closing at 1:00. Drop by on Wednesday evening (19:30–24:00) for the English Conversation Club (see "Meet the Locals," below).
$$ Pension Elke, run by the spry Erich Endress and his son Klaus, rents 10 bright, airy, and comfy rooms above the family grocery store (S-€25, Sb-€35, D-€38–46, Db-€58–62, prices depend on size, extra bed-€15, 10 percent discount with this book when you stay at least 2 nights, no CC, reception in grocery store until 19:00, otherwise go around corner onto Alter Stadtgraben to first door on left and ring bell at top of stairs, near Markus Tower at Rodergasse 6, tel. 09861/2331, fax 09861/935-355, www.pension-elke-rotherburg.de).
$$ Hotel Café Uhl offers 10 fine rooms over a bakery (Sb-€30-35, Db-€50–65, prices depend on size, third person-€18, fourth person-€13, 10 percent discount with this book and cash, non-smoking rooms, parking-€3/day, reception in café, closed Jan, Plönlein 8, tel. 09861/4895, fax 09861/92820, www.hotel-uhl.de, info@hotel-uhl.de, Paul and Robert the baker SE).
$$ Gästehaus Flemming has seven tastefully modern, fresh, and comfortable rooms and a peaceful garden behind St. Jakob's Church (Sb-€45, Db-€55, Tb-€75, no CC, Klingengasse 21, tel. 09861/92380, fax 09861/976-384, Regina SE).
$$ Gästehaus Viktoria is a cheery little place right next to the town wall. Its three rooms overflow with furniture, ribbons, and silk flowers, and lovely gardens surround the house (Db-€45–50, Tb-€60, no CC, breakfast served at nearby Hotel Altfränkische Weinstube, a block from Klingentor at Klingenschütt 4, tel. 09861/87682, Hanne SE).
$$ Gästehaus Raidel, a creaky 500-year-old house filled with beds and furniture all hand-made by Herr Raidel himself, rents 14 large rooms with cramped facilities down the hall. The forlorn ambience and staff make me want to sing the Addams Family theme song — but it works in a pinch (S-€20, Sb-€35, D-€38, Db-€48, Tb-€71, no CC, Wenggasse 3, tel. 09861/3115, fax 09861/935-255, www.romanticroad.com/raidel, gaestehaus-raidel@t-online.de, Herr Raidel SE).
$$ Gasthof Marktplatz, right on Market Square, rents nine tidy rooms with 1970s-era wallpaper and unenthusiastic staff (S-€21, D-€38, Ds-€43, Db-€48, T-€50, Ts-€57, Tb-€62, no CC, Grüner Markt 10, tel. & fax 09861/6722, www.gasthof-marktplatz.de, Herr Rosner SE). The maddening town hall bells ring throughout the night.
$ Pension Pöschel is friendly, with seven bearskin-cozy rooms in a concrete but pleasant building with an inviting garden out back (S-€20, D-€35, Db-€45, T-€45, Tb-€55, small kids free, no CC, Wenggasse 22, tel. 09861/3430, pension.poeschel@t-online.de, Bettina SE).
$ Frau Liebler rents two large, modern, ground-floor rooms with kitchenettes and hardwood floors (Db-€40, no CC, breakfast in room, off Market Square behind Christmas shop, Pfaffleinsgasschen 10, tel. 09861/709-215, fax 09861/709-216).
$ Hostel: Here in Bavaria, hostelling is limited to those under 27, except for families traveling with children under 18. The fine Rossmühle Youth Hostel has 184 beds in two buildings. The droopy-eyed building (the old town horse mill, used when the town was under siege and the river-powered mill was inaccessible) houses groups and the office. The adjacent hostel is mostly for families and individuals (dorm beds-€17, bunk-bed Db- €40, includes breakfast and sheets, dinner-€5.10, self-serve laundry-€4, Internet access, entrance on Rossmühlgasse, tel. 09861/94160, fax 09861/941-620, www.djh.de, jhrothenburg@djh-bayern.de). Reserve long in advance.
Sleeping outside the Wall
The first two places are a hundred yards outside the wall on the train-station side of town (less than a 10-min walk from the center) and are among the nicest rooms I recommend in town. The third is a rustic adventure below the town in what feels like a wilderness.
$$$ Hotel Hornburg, a grand hundred-year-old mansion with groomed grounds and 10 spacious, tastefully decorated rooms a two-minute walk outside the wall, is a super value (Sb-€49–64, Db-€69–95, Tb-€90–110, ground-floor rooms, non-smoking rooms, family-friendly, avoid if you're allergic to dogs, parking-€2/day, bikes for guests-€10/day, exit station and go straight on Ludwig-Siebert Strasse, turn left on Mann Strasse until you're 100 yards from town wall, Hornburgweg 28, tel. 09861/8480, fax 09861/5570, www.hotel-hornburg.de, hotelhornburg@t-online.de, friendly Gabriele and Martin SE).
$$$ Gasthof Rödertor offers 15 decent rooms in a quiet setting one block outside the Rödertor tower. This guesthouse has an inviting breakfast room with a farmhouse flair, a popular beer garden, and a restaurant dedicated to the potato (see "Evening Fun and Beer Drinking," below). Guest rooms in an annex inside the wall are slightly cheaper (Db-€65–80, Tb-€70-105, Qb-€90-125, kids sleep free, 10 percent discount with this book and cash, Ansbacher Strasse 7, tel. 09861/2022, fax 09861/86324, www.roedertor.com, hotel@roedertor.com, Frau Teutscher and her daughter Katie SE).
$$ Pension Fuchsmühle is a B&B in a renovated old mill on the river below the castle end of Rothenburg. The place is a work-in-progress, with kids and a linoleum-floor feel, but if you want a rustic, countryside experience, it's great. Alex and Heidi Molitor rent six rooms and take good care of their guests (Db-€45–55, Tb-€67-75, Qb-€75-85, prices depend on length of stay, non-smoking, healthy farm-fresh breakfasts, piano, free bikes for guests, free pickup at station, across the street from Toppler's little castle at Taubertalweg 103, tel. 09861/92633, www.fuchsmuehle.de, fuchsmuehle@t-online.de). It's a steep but pleasant 15-minute hike from the Fuchsmühle to Market Square. The Molitors provide flashlights for your return after dark.
Eating in Rothenburg
Most restaurants serve meals only from 11:30 to 13:30 and 18:00 to 20:00. All places listed are within a five-minute walk of Market Square. While all survive on tourism, many still feel like local hangouts. Your choices are typical Franconian or ethnic.
Traditional Franconian Restaurants
Restaurant Glocke, a Weinstube (wine bar) popular with locals, is run by Rothenburg's oldest wine-makers, the Thürauf family. Their seasonal menu is complemented by their family wine, served under an atmospheric, big-beamed ceiling. The menu is in German only because the friendly staff wants to explain your options in person. Don't miss their €4 deal to sample five Franconian wines (€10–15, Mon–Sat 10:30–23:00, Sun 10:30–14:00, vegetarian options, Plönlein 1, tel. 09861/958-990).
At Zur Goldenen Rose, Reno cooks up traditional German fare at good prices, as Henni stokes your appetite (Tue 11:30–14:00, Thu–Mon 11:30–14:00 & 17:30–20:30, closed Wed, Spitalgasse 28; leafy garden terrace out back open in sunny weather).
Extremely picturesque and touristy, Baumeister Haus, tucked deep behind a streetside pastry counter and antlered dining room, fills an inviting courtyard with people who don't understand a German menu (€8–15, daily 8:00–23:00, closes earlier off-season and when slow, a few doors below Market Square, Obere Schmiedgasse 3, tel. 09861/94700).
For cellar dining under medieval murals and pointy pikes, consider Bürgerkeller, where Herr Terian and his family pride themselves in quality local cuisine and offer a small but inviting menu and reasonable prices (€7–14, daily 12:00–14:00 & 18:00–21:00, near bottom of Herrngasse at #24, tel. 09861/2126).
Reichs-Küchenmeister is a typical big-hotel restaurant, but on a balmy evening, its pleasant tree-shaded terrace overlooking St. Jakob's Church is hard to beat (€8–16, daily 11:00–22:00, non-smoking room, nouveau German menu, some veggie choices, Kirchplatz 8, tel. 09861/9700).
Hotel Restaurant Klosterstüble, deep in the old town near the castle garden, is a classy place for good traditional cuisine. Rudy's food is better than his English, but head waitress Erika makes sure communication goes smoothly. The shady terrace is nice on a warm summer evening (€10–15, daily 11:00–14:00 & 18:00–21:00, Heringsbronnengasse 5, tel. 09861/6774).
Bohemians enjoy the Altfränkische Weinstube am Klosterhof. This dark and smoky pub is classically candlelit in a 600-year-old building (€5–11, hot food served 18:00-22:30, closes at 1:00, off Klingengasse at Klosterhof 7, tel. 09861/6404). Drop by on Wednesday evening (19:30–24:00) for the English Conversation Club (see "Meet the Locals," below).
For a light meal — indoors or out — try the beautifully restored Altstadt-Café Alter Keller, a local favorite, central but without the crazy crowds. Its walls are festooned with old pots and jugs, and Herr Hufnagel, a baker and pastry chef, whips up giant meringue cookies and other treats (Wed–Mon 11:00–20:00, Sun until 18:00, closed Tue, Alter Keller 8, tel. 09861/2268).
In the valley along the river and worth the 20-minute hike is the Unter den Linden beer garden (daily in season with decent weather 10:00–22:00 and sometimes later, self-service food and good beer, call first to confirm it's open, tel. 09861/5909).
Ethnic Breaks from Pork and Potatoes
Lotus China is a peaceful world apart, serving good Chinese food (€8 plates, daily 11:30–14:30 & 17:30–23:00, 2 blocks behind TI near church, Eckele 2, tel. 09861/86886).
Pizzeria Roma is smoky because it's the locals' favorite for €6.50 pizza, pastas, and Italian wine. Service can be slow (Thu–Tue 11:30–24:00, closed Wed, also has schnitzel fare, Galgengasse 19, tel. 09861/4540).
You'll find a Turkish place on Schrannengasse and a Greek restaurant just outside the wall opposite Spitaltor.
A supermarket is near Rödertor, just outside the wall (Mon–Fri 8:00–20:00, Sat 8:00–16:00, closed Sun, on left as you exit wall).
Evening Fun and Beer Drinking
Beer Gardens and Discos at Rothenburg's "Bermuda Dreieck": For beer-garden fun on a balmy summer evening (for dinner or beer), Rothenburgers pick Gasthof Rödertor, just outside the wall through the Rödertor gate (May–Sept daily 17:00–24:00, look for wood gate). Their Kartoffeln Stube inside is dedicated to the potato (€6–10, daily 11:00–23:00, tel. 09861/2022). Two popular discos are just down the street: Black Out (Ansbacher 15, in alley next to Sparkasse bank, open Wed and Fri–Sat 22:00–3:00, closed Sun-Tue and Thu) and Club 23 (around corner from bank on Adam Hörber Strasse, open Thu–Sat from 22:00, closed Sun-Mon, tel. 09861/933-045).
Wine Drinking in the Old Center: Trinkstube zur Hölle ("Hell") is dark and foreboding, but they offer thick wine-drinking atmosphere with lots of locals and a short menu until late (a block past Criminal Museum on Burggasse, with devil hanging out front, tel. 09861/4229). Mario's Altfränkische Weinstube (see "Traditional Franconian Restaurants," above) is similarly atmospheric. Wine-lovers enjoy Restaurant Glocke's Weinstube (recommended above); for €4, you can sample five of their Franconian wines — choose dry or half-dry (Mon–Sat 10:30–23:00, Sun 10:30–14:00, Plönlein 1, tel. 09861/958-990). You're welcome to enjoy just the wine without eating.
Meet the Locals
For a rare chance to mix it up with locals who aren't selling anything, bring your favorite slang and tongue twisters to the English Conversation Club at Mario's Altfränkische Weinstube am Klosterhof (Wed 19:30–24:00, Anneliese from Friese shop and Hermann the German are regulars; see restaurant listed under "Traditional Franconian Restaurants," above). This group of intrepid linguists just celebrated their 1,000th meeting in 2003.
Excerpted from the 2004 edition of "Rick Steves' Germany, Austria & Switzerland" guidebook, available from our Travel Store.