Rothenburg ob der Tauber is one of Europe’s most loved medieval walled cities. Spared during World War II due to its historic value, the city is picture postcard perfect. German looking turrets rise above the high wall. Walking along the wall, it is easy to get lost in time and place, thinking of soldiers in armor running into place on the wall, peering through the slits in the wall, ready to shoot arrows at an approaching enemy. The cobblestone streets of the city are bounded by pastel half-timbered buildings. They run in every direction for block after block. Each view is better than the one before. Dated, many of the buildings sport 1300 signs. Many earlier. Walls are painted with imagery here and there and wrought iron black and gold signs hang from brackets on buildings to indicate businesses within. It is easy to get lost looking at German antiques and products sold within. An amazing Christmas store sold wood carved German style Christmas decorations, some room size and costing in the thousands of dollars.

Rothenburg’s Lutheran Churches are beautiful. St. Jakob’s contains one of the finest wood carved altars in Christendom. From ancient times, this church contained one of Catholicism’s greatest relics–a vial said to contain a drop of Jesus’ blood shed on the cross. It is still in the now Lutheran Church, on the altar. It is easy to get lost in thought meditating on the scene of Jesus carved into the altar.

But getting lost was our friend Rhonda’s sweater. We went from place to place where we had visited, looking in vain for that sweater. After some time retracing steps, Rhonda said we should just stop looking. I could tell from the look on her face that something was wrong. Upon further questioning, Rhonda admitted that she had just looked in her shopping bag and discovered her sweater–it was never lost, just forgotten. WEG

Rothenburg City Gate

Typical Rothenburg Buildings

St. Jakob’s Lutheran Church Wood Altar with the Sacred Blood

Beautiful art in St. Jakob’s Lutheran Church, Rothenburg

Walking the Wall in Rothenburg

A view from one vantage point in Rothenburg on the wall across the valley to another