Romantic Road - Part 2

Unsurprisingly the road up to Rothenburg on der Tauber is a little on the cold side, but it has been well cleared so the drive is not too bad. The forecast says the snow is clearing and sun is on the way so we wait until the following day to explore the town.

Similar to Nordlingen, Rothenburg is a medieval walled town. And it also has appeared in a movie (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang). The main difference between the two towns is that Rothenburg has arguably the more compelling architecture, and thus is a far more popular tourist destination. Eager to avoid the crowd congestion in the main square we duck into Ratsstube for a traditional German lunch, before having a stroll around.

Once again I take the opportunity to climb some steps for a view and from the top of the Rathausturm I can see beyond the perimeter of the city walls. The panorama is little more colourful this time too, with the sun shining down on the impressive buildings in the market square.

The snow may be gone, but the temperatures have continued to descend, and after an overnight average of -7, our short journey up to Wurzburg is taken at a very steady pace, but again the roads are in good condition.

The striking red and white church of Mariankapelle overlooks the Christmas markets on the main square of Wurzburg. It begins to snow so we do the logical thing and grab a warm drink and a sheltered seat to watch strangers struggle with the conditions.

It's a pleasant, relaxed town but certainly not as picturesque as the ones we have just visited (mostly due to the fact that it was heavily hit during World War 2). However as we return to the hotel to take more satisfactory shelter from the elements, we admire the sight of the Marienburg castle up in the hill from the Old Main Bridge (so called because it's on the river Main rather than being the 'main' one, and also because it's old).

As we are heading into a busy travelling period, we decide to take it easy at the hotel on our second day in Wurzburg, as we prepare to take on Czechia.