The Ultimate Travel Guide to Rothenburg, Germany:

History of Rothenburg ob der Tauber (A 2,000-Year Timeline):Due to a series of devastating Town Hall fires in the Middle Ages, many of Rothenburg’s earliest historical records were lost. However, the pieces of history that survived—and the ruins archeologists continue to find—paint a fascinating picture of power, war, and survival.

The Celtic Roots (600 AD): The Tauber River Valley was first settled by Celtic people over 2,000 years ago. You can still find sections of the ancient Celtic Wall (Keltenwall) along the river’s western banks today! While little is known about this early era, archeologists recently found a folding chair from the Dark Ages in a grave on the outskirts of Rothenburg, dating to 600 AD, proving that this area still holds ancient secrets waiting to be uncovered.

The Uncrowned Emperor (1142): In 1142, King Conrad III (who was directly related to all 18 previous Holy Roman Emperors going back to Charlemagne) built a massive royal castle on the western ridge of the valley. The Hohenstaufens’s “Red Castle” gave the village its name, and a powerful settlement quickly formed around it by 1170.

The Free Imperial City (1274 to 1400): Because it sat directly at the crossroads of two massive European trade routes (The Thuringian Castle Road and the Romantic Road), the village gained incredible power. It was elevated to the status of a Free Imperial City in 1274 by the Habsburg Dynasty. By the year 1400, Rothenburg had grown to 6,000 residents, making it one of the ten largest towns in the Holy Roman Empire and the second-largest in Germany, behind only Cologne!

The Legendary “Master Draught” (1631): During the bloody 30 Years’ War, the Catholic Count of Tilly descended on the Protestant city of Rothenburg to quarter his 40,000 troops. Legend has it that Tilly told the villagers he would spare the town only if someone could drink a 3-liter tankard of wine in a single gulp. Mayor Nusch took the challenge, chugged the wine, and saved the town! (This event is still celebrated today with the “Master Draught” festival!). In reality, the troops stayed through the winter, repeatedly occupying the city and leaving it completely depleted of wealth.

Frozen in Time (1802 to Today): Because the 30 Years’ War left Rothenburg utterly bankrupt, the city couldn’t afford to tear down its old medieval buildings to modernize. This lack of money unintentionally created a perfectly preserved time capsule! By the late 1800s, strict preservation laws were passed. It was this sheer, historical beauty that ultimately saved the city from being completely leveled by American artillery during WWII. Today, thanks to worldwide donations that repaired the bomb damage, it stands as one of the most magical places on earth.