rothenburg ob der tauber

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is one of those perfect medieval towns that seems frozen in time. Located in Bavaria, this walled city offers visitors a chance to step back several centuries with its colorful half-timbered houses and cobblestone streets. The well-preserved old town looks like it came straight out of a fairy tale - which is probably why it served as inspiration for the village in Disney's Pinocchio.

The town's history dates back to the 10th century, and it miraculously survived World War II almost completely intact. During the war, American Assistant Secretary of War John McCloy prevented the town from being bombed after remembering its beauty from a visit in his youth. Today, visitors can walk the complete town wall, visit the Medieval Crime Museum, or explore St. Jakob's Church with its famous altar created by Tilman Riemenschneider.

One of the most interesting things about Rothenburg is its Christmas tradition. The town hosts a famous Christmas Market (Reiterlesmarkt) that's been running since the 15th century. Year-round, Käthe Wohlfahrt's Christmas Village keeps the yuletide spirit alive with thousands of traditional ornaments and decorations. Many tourists don't realize that the town's famous specialty, the Schneeball (snowball), is a pastry made from strips of shortcrust dough formed into a ball shape and covered with powdered sugar or chocolate.