A day for the BURGS

Family JUMP-PICTURE!!!  Catching (more than expected) air in the historic town of Rothenburg, Germany

On Monday we headed north from Munich to explore two historic "Burgs" of Germany: Nuremberg and Rothenburg.  Each are distinctly different, but both offer a great look at life in Bavaria.

The Nazi Documentation Museum on the Congress Grounds in Nuremberg.

Nuremberg is the second largest city in Bavaria and was home to much of the Nazi party's propaganda.  Just outside the city center lies the Congress Grounds, where Hitler held many of his large rallies and had planned to build the annual meeting location for the Nazi's.  Today the grounds lay in general state of ruins, but house a fascinating and very detailed look at the rise of the Nazi Party.  Its sole focus is to answer the question, "HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?"  In this aim it does a terrific job, and I highly recommend all visitors to the region visit here, despite the eery feeling one gets when descending on the area.

Going to a museum is a lot like being "on hold"

There were fascinating exhibits that really brought to life how Hitler took control of the country and slowly molded it into the evil empire he sought to create.

We then headed into the Old Town of Nuremburg, which is very well preserved and consists of a few long streets over the river.  There is a bustling market filled with fresh fruit and produce, and a number of very atmospheric restaurants.  The town is known for its woodworking (hosting a huge annual Toy Fair) but is also famous for its sausages, which happen to be the shortest in Bavaria.  The residents seem to argue that it is not about size, but about taste.  I have no comment about this, but we did have them for lunch (3 per bun!) and they were quite good!

The Market

The Johnson Sumo Photo Pose (registered trademark: Jim Johnson)

Those tasty little nuremburgers!

On the bridge in the Old Town, just across from the ancient Starbucks.

In the afternoon we headed to perhaps my favorite place in Bavaria, "Rothenburg ob der Tauber."  It is the best preserved medieval old town in Europe (my ranking, not anyone else's) and is situated at the end of the much-hyped Romantic Road.  The moment you drive through the city gates, you can just taste the ambiance.  I want to say that it just "oozes" out of every little cobblestone alley and along every quaintly adorned patio, but I might get accused of showing off.  Much of the city is pedestrian only, and days spent in Rothenburg are a mix of window shopping, cappuccino/wine sipping, and just letting yourself unwind.  I LOVE IT HERE!

Our hotel, recommended by our man Rick Steves, was INCREDIBLE.  If you have a chance and want something quaint, stay at the "Altfrankische Weinstube" with our new friend Mario!

The red roofed buildings make a beautiful photo...

... as do the striking shapes of the buildings themselves!

Christmas is HUGE here, with a grand market each winter and tons of Christmas stores.  Plan on getting lost in one of the stores here.  (This is just the inside entry way - it goes back about another 300 yards!)

My mom exploring the city walls.  The still intact stone wall runs for 1.5 miles around the town and is complete with slits for archers to shoot their arrows or to dump burning oil on someone. 

Posing with Rothenburg's (shouldn't be famous) SCHNEEBALLS.  These pastry's are like a weird half-cooked soft dough in the shape of a ball (or brain) and covered in chocolate or sugar.  There is a schneeball store about every 50 meters in town, but I still can't exactly understand why.

On even the quickest visits to the region, please plan on spending at least one night in Rothenburg - you won't forget it! 

Dusk in the beautiful city, as viewed from our hotel room.

~ J. Twice