Rothenburg Christmas Market: Day to Night

Ohhhh Rothenburg ob der Tauber...how you fill me with joy every time I visit your walled city! Ladies & gents, I present you Rothenburg, Germany at Christmastime. As if this place could get any more adorable, seeing it at Christmas just about did me in. Every inch of this quaint Bavarian town was covered in evergreen and twinkle lights...sending vibes of holiday cheer radiating through its colorful cobblestoned streets. It's kitschy enough to make you think Christmas was born here. Heck, maybe it was? Either way, Rothenburg still reigns supreme as one of my most favorite towns in all of Germany.

During 'My Big Fat European Family Vacation' in the spring of 2012, D and I shared this fun town with my entire family. When I mentioned to my parents that Rothenburg also had a Christmas market, my mom practically begged us to see it. D and I had never visited at Christmas, so it was a no brainer! We arrived in Rothenburg around lunch time. The town was bustling, but not as much as many of the other Christmas markets we visted that week. After grabbing a quick Swabian lunch, we weaved our way in and out of Rothenburg's decorated marktplatz and shopped 'till we dropped in Germany's largest Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas store. While Rothenburg's Christmas Market (dubbed "Reiterlesmarkt" after an old Teutonic legend) isn't the biggest we've visited, it is one of the cutest (in my opinion, at least). The main bunch of Christmas market stalls can be found in the Marktplatz just below Rothenburg's Rathaus (Town Hall). Another section of the market is hiding within the courtyard of the town hall and just outside of St. Jacob's Church. If you're looking for a traditional Rothenburg treat to try, Schneeballen can be found in almost every bakery around town. They're basically balls of sweet dough covered in various flavored chocolates and toppings. Nothing fancy, but seeing as they were invented here, they're worth a taste! Of course, as with visiting any Christmas market in Germany, don't forget to grab a mug of glühwein and keep the mug as a souvenir of your visit! All the cool kids are doing it. :)

My Big Fat European Family Vacation: The Road to Bavaria

Breathtaking. Beautiful. Picturesque. Awe-inspiring. Commanding. Cathartic. Intoxicating. 

All of these words perfectly embody my thoughts about Bavaria...and I'm sure I could say a thousand more words and it still wouldn't be enough to describe the things I saw those 4 days. Never ever in my life have I visited a place so rich in nature and culture than this little region of Germany. It's easily my most favorite part of our family vacation, and that's saying a lot. There were a lot of cool parts of our vacation, but something about Bavaria just screams Germany. It's one of those places that when you think about what Germany might look like, this is what you envision. I know I did. Bavaria hits it right on the money. Every stinking little detail. Ahhh, I love it. There are no words, just love. Like hearts popping out of my eyeballs kind of love. Like if I could marry a geographical region, Bavaria would be it kind of love. Bavaria rocks.
Did I make myself clear?
Good. 
Moving on...
After taking a trip to Rothenburg ob der Tabuer (i.e. the CUTEST little German town I'd ever visited) for our 4 year anniversary last year, my mom kept saying, "When we come to Germany, I want to go there!" Done and done, mamacita. Thankfully it was on our way to Garmisch-Partenkirchen where we were to spend 4 glorious days among the German and Austrian Alps. Truth be told, I probably would have made a detour there anyway. It's that lovely. We arrived in Rothenburg, the most well-preserved medieval walled town in the Franconia region of Bavaria, around 10am and lollygagged (it's a word, I swear) for a few hours, making stops only to eat bratwursts and take a ridiculous amount of pictures. And while I'm posting photos, I'll introduce you to the fam...since you'll be seeing ALOT of them over the next several posts. 

 

After stuffing our faces and introducing the fam to the wonders of the Flammkuchen (Alsace version of a pizza), we all hopped back into the car to finish the last leg of our journey to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. I stole a few of the cousins photos from the drive (Thanks, Linds!)...it's hard to drive and take pictures at the same time. People kind of don't like you to do that apparently. It's also hard to pay attention to road signs, and oh, ya know, keeping the car on the road when you see the friggin' Alps out your window.

{And...cue the whole angels singing, jaws dropping, world stopping kind of thing}

I knew this place was a big deal, but I had no idea it was going to be this amazing. I'm pretty sure there were lots of collective sighs and "WOW's!" being said by all parties as we drove through the gate. For those of you who don't know, Edelweiss Lodge & Resort is a Military Family/DOD Personnel resort located in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany and is only accessible to US military ID cardholders and their families. It's the spot adored by soldiers on deployment R&R's, vacationing OCONUS families (military living overseas), and retired veterans exploring Europe. Normally, I'd shy away from a place like this. My life is consumed by the military and I basically swim in a sea of camouflage on a daily basis. When I'm vacationing in Europe, I want to be as far from the military as possible. Here though, there are no uniforms (usually), no sub-par military issued living quarters, and no DFAC style cafeteria meals. It's exactly what resort vacationing should be. They've got rooms with amazing views, guided tours to numerous attractions, AND they speak English! Can I get an AMEN?!? I'm telling you right now, this place is magical. The ultimate "No-Thinking" vacation destination for Americans who want a little taste of home while still submersed in Germany. No wonder military families come from all over Europe to stay here. Now, less talk, more pictures! Here are some photos of our walk around the resort as the sun was setting. Can I just go back there now, please? 

Photographic proof that my dad, did in fact, enjoy this vacation. Believe me, that's a BIG deal! He's such a stinker! :)

So, there you have it. My caravan of vacationing Americans finally made it to Garmisch, safe and sound. I hope you guys don't think these photos of the Alps are as good as it gets here. Oh no. I'm far from done. And it gets better...much better! Come back tomorrow for photos from our trek up to the majestic Zugspitze, otherwise known as the highest point in all of Germany! We also may or may not have gotten the parents to paddle boat around Lake Eibsee. What a sight to behold.

Bis morgen, Freundes!

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Ok. I know. This trip happened like aggggesss ago. And by ages, I mean July of last year. But seriously, a girl forgets things sometimes. And then she remembers them again. It happens. So, here you go. A recap of our 4th anniversary trip to THE cutest medieval town in all of Germany...

Rothenburg ob der Tauber!
{Lots of photos...consider yourself warned.}

Our hotel! 

Stay here, it's fabulous. They even put a tiny bag of Haribo gummie bears on our pillows at night. Pretty much as German as it gets.

Historik Hotel Gotisches Haus

Fairytale view from our window

 Beautiful Rothenburg, "The red fortress above the Tauber River"!

 We had the most memorable dining experience of our lives at this restaurant in Rothenburg. You can read about it in a guest post I wrote here for Jessica Lynn Writes.

The best Käse Spätzle I've ever put into my mouth.

D outside of the Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas store. That place was like Christmas on crack.

We made a pit stop at the Criminal Museum. It should have been called the torture museum...the photos below will explain.

The view just outside the walls of Rothenburg.

Had to refuel before starting our 1.5 mile walk along the city wall.

Toppler Castle

And thus begins our walk around the wall of Rothenburg...

This place is like a dream!

Dinner on night 2...more spätzle and a swiss steak!

Mein Bier und David's Bier.

Final attraction for the weekend...the Night Watchman's Tour of the city!

The Marktplatz {town square}.

Sigh. I never wanted to leave this place. I'm completely enchanted by Rothenburg. It's a German "must-see." Can't wait to bring my family here this summer!

Auf Wiedersehen, Freunde!