A walk around this small town on the Romantic Road is like a journey down the centuries. Its proud town hall, lofty towers and stout town walls, its churches and patrician houses bear witness to its history as a powerful free imperial town. Here history is not just dates, it is a vivid and still palpable experience. With its elaborate half-timbered buildings and imposing fortifications, the Rothenburg townscape is still much as it was in the Middle Ages.

The town walls with their battlements and mighty bastions form a protective circle around the precious relics of bygone ages. The Spitalbastei at the southern gate is particularly impressive. Its towers are not the only outstanding feature of St. James's Church; the interior is equally impressive, with three altars by Tilman Riemenschneider, the renowned woodcarver.

In the Crime Museum, visitors can see historical objects relating to the law, instruments of torture, drawings, documents and seals dating back seven centuries. The Christmas Museum illustrates the history of traditional German family Christmas celebrations and the Doll and Toy Museum features the history of playthings.