Travelling to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria
By Car, Bus, or Train to Germany’s Most Romantic Medieval Village
Mar 7, 2009
Romantic, wall-encircled Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a top sightseeing destination for travelers to Germany. This small medieval village is a very popular stop on the Romantic Road vacation theme route that cuts through Bavaria. Although slightly off major modern trade routes, transportation to Rothenburg ob der Tauber is easy by car, train, or bus from other major centers in Germany such as Frankfurt am Main, Heidelberg, Nuremberg (Nürnberg), and Munich (München).
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a very popular day-trip destination but sleeping over – whether in an expensive old town hotel or a cheaper guesthouse in the modern parts of town – really allows visitors to appreciate the romantic beauty of this medieval town without being swamped by thousands of day-trip tourists.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber on the Romantic and Castles Roads
Tiny Rothenburg ob der Tauber was once the third largest city in Germany and a very important trade center. However, changing trade routes meant that since the Thirty Years’ War in the early seventeenth century this once prosperous city was too poor to rebuild in more contemporary styles. As a result, Rothenburg is now a beautiful example of late medieval architecture and a very popular tourist destination.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is at the crossing of two of Germany’s most popular holiday-themed routes:
- The Romantic Road (Romantische Straße) is the best-known German vacation route. The Romantic Road connects many enchanting sights mostly in Bavaria from Würzburg with its UNESCO World Cultural Heritage listed Baroque Residence Palace to the Disney-like, Neo-Romanesque Schloss Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian Alps.
- The Castles Road (Burgenstraße) is equally popular and passes by many historic castles, fortresses, and palaces from Mannheim via Heidelberg, Rothenburg, and Nuremberg to Prague in the Czech Republic.
Driving to Medieval Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Driving to Rothenburg ob der Tauber is easy – the small town is just 5 km (3 mi) off the Autobahn A7. Driving times from Frankfurt is around 1h45 and from Munich 2h20.
When traveling by car, Rothenburg ob der Tauber is an easy day trip from either Frankfurt or Munich, or a very pleasant stop when traveling between these two cities.
By Train to Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Germany
Rothenburg ob der Tauber can easily be reached by train. However, Rothenburg is off the main line meaning at least one transfer is required. Total traveling times for generally hourly trains to Rothenburg ob der Tauber are from:
- Frankfurt am Main Hauptbahnhof – 2h30 to 3h00
- Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) – 2h45 to 3h15
- Würzburg – 1h10
- Nuremberg (Nürnberg) – 1h10 to 1h50
- Munich (München) – 2h30 to 3h30
- Heidelberg – 4h00
By Europabus EB190 to Rothenburg ob der Tauber
The Europabus Line EB190 is the easiest way to travel to Rothenburg ob der Tauber when using public transportation. The Europa Bus, operated by Deutsche Touring and Eurolines, travels daily from April to October from Frankfurt via Würzburg to Rothenburg ob der Tauber and along much of the Romantic Road via Munich to Füssen near Schloss Neuschwanstein Castle.
The southbound bus departs daily from Frankfurt at 8 am to reach Rothenburg at 10h40. The northbound bus leaves Füssen at 8 am (Munich at 11 am) to reach Rothenburg at 4 pm.
Note that the schedules and routing of the Europabus EB190 have changed drastically in 2008. Previous timetables and routings are now completely out of date.
See also Driving to Rothenburg for more details on getting to Germany’s most romantic town by car and By Train to Rothenburg ob der Tauber for information on rail options.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
