Rothenburg-Rudi’s Wall Walk

Rothenburg, Germany-

Rudi and I strolled along the stone walls of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, his little black nose twitching at every new scent and sound. The town’s fortifications, first built in the 1200s, still curve protectively around its timber-framed houses, offering sweeping views of red rooftops and resident’s tiny backyard gardens. 

The wall completely surrounds the town, with 42 towers and several huge gates that can lock the city up tight. This was necessary protection during medieval times. When I first moved to Rothenburg back in 1998, I often used the cover of the wall to protect me from the rain on my walks to the grocery store or laundromat. 

Rudi seems to sense things that I can’t. Or maybe it’s my imagination but as we paused near a lookout tower he seemed to consider how many generations had walked this same path. 

The wall and towers have remained mostly unchanged for centuries, even largely withstanding the bombing near the end of WW2. Sections have been rebuilt with donations of people from around the world and you can see the plaques of donors built into the stone walls.

With the summer sun warming the old stones, the quiet rhythm of the wall walk made it feel less like a monument, and more like a well-loved storybook brought to life.

After all that walking, (it’s 2 kilometers long), we headed for an outdoor cafe on the way home. The coffee here is always spectacular and so is the bakery. Rudi would love his own piece of Kuchen but he had to settle for small piece of pretzel.