Rothenburg ob der Tauber Travel Guide

Rothenburg is a prime tourist destination because of its well-preserved history. Go and stay the night; tourist buses fill the place to the brim during business hours, but in the evenings and early mornings it is a fairly quiet town and that's your time to be out exploring.  The castle gardens are especially lovely in the evenings.  I like Rothenburg as a place to recuperate from jet lag. The slow pace allows you to relax and catch up to European time, but there is plenty to see.

In Rothenburg ob der Tauber you should definitely take the Nachtwächter tour. You can take the tour in English which I suppose is nice, but if you have some grasp of the German language, do take the tour in German! The guide is more than great. He's a born storyteller and he makes you wonder why they haven't come to snatch him away for the movies... 

Arrive early or stay overnight if you can, to avoid the busloads that arrive from 10:00 onwards. Work out which direction the sun is shining and walk the walls with the sun behind you for the best views of the town. Later int he afternoon/evening, walk down to the 'double bridge' below the town to the west for some great views back to the ramparts.