Rothenburg
Hello all!
We are currently in Rothenburg, Germany!
I have got to do a description of the place!
Imagine old German buildings, some as old as the 1300’s – or maybe older, about 5 stories tall, lined with lights, facing a town square filled with Christmas market stalls full of wares. Each stall is lined in evergreen boughs wrapped in more white lights. The smell in the cold air is somewhat cinnamon and baked goods. A faint orange smell is added with the mulled wine served at about every seventh stall. A big Christmas tree lights the center of the square with children playing games in its lowest branches. A Christmas market gate in an alley leads to more areas of stalls with a merry-go-round for children in the middle. Around another X-mas tree, pround owners of well-trained large dogs have the dogs doing tricks such as sit and stay for those standing nearby watching. A couple of other small streets are lined with stalls. One such street is an arcade, a somewhat covered street, and is crammed with people in winter wear, standing close together and drinking mulled wine to keep warm. In other areas of the city, especially on the main streets, small Christmas trees, about 3 feet tall, with lights, stand on lamp stands above or nearby entry doors to shops or peoples houses, or about every 15 feet. The city towers, from about the 14th century or earlier, are lit up as well. It is all an amazing sight.
Tim and I arrived on the 12th and, after a small walk through the town to get to our pension room, and gawking at the old buildings and general “mood” of the city, did some errands. Then it was time to visit the Christmas market. We deliberately waited until it was dark to get the full experience. We have visited Christmas markets in Vienna and Munich but this market was better. Not because it had more stuff, but because it had different stuff. The other markets, while being very cool, seemed to have the same stall every sixth stall. These at this market seemed to be all different. Glass blowers making bulbs, childrens wooden puzzle games, hats scarves and mittens, these are just a few of the different “wares” sold here. It was fun to visit them all. Then we went to the “night-watchmans tour”. A guy, dressed up as a night watchman of old, walked us as well as many others through the town, telling us about its history. He was extremely knowledgeable and extremely funny.
On the 13th, we went to the Crime and Punishment museum. It told us of medieval torture and punishments used on people. Look out, they didn’t put up with anything back then. Women were forced to wear an iron mask of shame (it came in different shapes depending on the crime) for nagging or gossipping. Men weren’t exempt. They had a host of shame masks for not paying their debts and other crimes. Bakers were put in a cage and dunked under water for every half ounce their loaves of bread were under OR OVER the required weight. Drunkards had to walk around the town wearing a barrel with a hole through the bottom of it for their head to go through…sometimes even weights were added to it. If two women were given to fighting with each other, they were both locked into a connected “neck violin”. This wooden thing locks around their necks and their wrists. It would stay on until they resolved their differences. There were many other cruel and painful punishments displayed (not on any real people or anything) but I don’t have the time to describe them all here.
We went to the top of the town hall tower. It was a great place for a view of the whole medieval city. I mean medieval in the sense there are no modern buildings within its walls. We went to St Jakobs church. It has beautiful wooden carvings in there. Possibly the best wooden carvings we have seen yet. We walked part of the wall ramparts at night. It was gorgeous! The view of the old-time roofs, towers and steeples was magnificent! You could imagine yourself to be a medieval night-watchman yourself since there were few cars, no modern sounds and the whole town seems to be asleep. All was quiet. We then went to a restaurant to meet up with a group called the English Conversation Club. We found out about this club meeting from Rick Steves Guide book. It was really fun to talk with the locals. They all spoke English to varying degrees and all seemed to be our age or older.
Today, the 14th, we plan to visit another museum, walk around the walls during the daytime for the countryside views and get various errands done so we can continue on to Salzburg tomorrow.
Write more later,
Dan
Tags: Christmas Markets, Europe
timdan2
Tim and Dan,
Thanks again for the great updates! It’s great to hear about the European Christmas markets. It’s bringing back some great memories for me. I remember visiting Rothenburg but their Christmas markets weren’t set up when I was there. Sounds beautiful. Have fun in Salzburg. Any plans to ski in Austria since you missed out in Romania?
Happy Holidays!
Mark
Hi Tim & Dan,
Thanks so much for your great blogs. We love reading them. Sometimes, we can almost see the expressions on your faces, hear your comments and your laughs. So glad you are having such a wonderful time.
Love and Miss You,
Mom and Dad