Rick Steves Can't Help But Love This Super Touristy European Destination

Europe is full of picture-perfect destinations and magnificent landmarks that demand to be included on a traveler's bucket list. Spots like the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum in Rome, the caldera of Santorini, or the mesmerizing Disney-like Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria are gorgeous, iconic, and staples of travel Instagram accounts all over the world. For European travel expert Rick Steves, Rothenburg ob der Tauber is one such spot. Despite being "well on its way to becoming a medieval theme park", though, Steves swears that no other fairytale town "holds a candle to the king of medieval German cuteness." His appreciation makes this touristy destination even more remarkable.

Steves is usually quick to point out the biggest tourist traps in Europe. For example, Steves describes the Cornish town of Clovelly as "a one-street knickknack town selling useless goodies" and advises visitors to Barcelona to avoid La Boqueria Market at all costs. These indelible destinations are, when actually visited, usually little more than overrated, overcrowded tourist traps, where you spend hours queuing for a fleeting glimpse, partially obscured by hundreds of other people trying to get the same photograph. But sometimes, the most famous, touristy destinations, like Steves' Rothenburg, still manage to hold onto their charm and undeniable attraction, making it worth braving the crowds for a visit. 

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, as its name suggests, is situated on the banks of the River Tauber, in northern Bavaria, about 60 miles east of Nuremberg. The nearest international airport is Nuremberg, around an hour and twenty minutes by car. Rothenburg ob der Tauber also has a train station, which provides connections to Nuremberg, Munich, and Heidelberg.

Rick Steves first visited Rothenburg ob der Tauber in the 60s as a young backpacker, when "the town still fed a few farm animals within its medieval walls." Although today "its barns are hotels [and] its livestock are tourists," Steves still believes that the town has retained its beauty and charm. It is undeniably gorgeous, an exquisitely preserved slice of medieval Germany. It's made of cobbled streets, half-timbered houses, and historic bridges spanning the river, surrounded by ancient, immaculate city walls.

While you could spend an entire day just wandering the streets and soaking up the incredible atmosphere, there are a few must-see attractions, according to Rick Steves. The Medieval Crime and Punishment Museum is an attraction that can be hard to look at but impossible to look away from. At the other end of the spectrum, St. Jakob's Church is a medieval dream, containing "the one must-see art treasure in Rothenburg: a glorious 500-year-old altarpiece by Tilman Riemenschneider, the Michelangelo of German woodcarvers."

As you might expect from such a picture-postcard place, Rothenburg really comes alive at Christmastime, and is an exceptional place for a winter vacation. Steves describes it as "one of Germany's best shopping towns," with amazing Christmas markets, wonderful (albeit overwhelmingly kitsch) boutiques, and enough ornaments to fill several trees. There is also the fantastic German Christmas Museum, which, despite being situated above an ornament shop, is "much more than a ploy to get you to spend more money." The collection includes a loving exploration of Christmas celebrations throughout history, with amazing old-timey Christmas cards and Advent calendars among the highlights.

For Rick Steves, Rothenburg's charms are not confined to the chocolate box beauty within the city walls. A great way to get away from the tourist crowds is to head out into the delightful Tauber Valley, "to hear the birds and smell the cows." Steves suggests the trail from Rothenburg's castle gardens to 600-year-old "Toppler Castle." It was the 15th-century summer home for the town's mayor, and still just as impressive for a vacation home. The trail then follows the river all the way to the quiet village of Detwang, another charming medieval gem with a beautiful church and another surprisingly impressive Riemenschneider altarpiece.

Rick Steves also recommends staying overnight as a way to "avoid the hordes of Rothenburg's day-trippers." In stark contrast to the overcrowded days, by night the streets tend to be peaceful and empty, and Steves swears you'll hear "the sounds of the Thirty Years' War [that] still echo through turrets and clock towers." He also suggests taking a walk around the ancient city walls at sunrise or sunset to enjoy the warm, lazy sunlight creeping over the exquisite architecture of the town, melting its way into the nooks and crannies like thick treacle.