We took Rick Steves' advice and got "medievaled in Rothenburg," as we wound our way down the Romantic Road to Bavaria.

It's a tourist mecca, but for good reason, and we thoroughly enjoyed the day we spent there.

Here are some scenes of the town's picturesque square...

...and, as in any medieval town, there are lots of stylish towers.

...a closeup of some of the flowers that grace many of the buildings...

We climbed the Rathaus (City Hall) Turm (tower)...

...and got some spectacular views of the city, through its elegant windows...

We climbed at least part of the way up another tower, the Röderturm, which is on the east side of the city, right in the middle of Rothenburg's medieval wall, the city's biggest claim to fame.

It's the best preserved wall in Germany, in spite of suffering some damage in World War II. You can learn about that part of the town's history in a small museum in the Rödenturm.

Although we were a little tired by the end of the circuit, we were able to walk the whole wall (just over a mile circumference, according to our Rick Steves' guidebook).

Here are some shots that give you an idea of what the wall, and the wall-walk, is like...

...and here are some more photos from our wall walk, for the most part in the order they were taken:

Here's a view from one of the Röderturm windows...

...and some more views from this part of the wall...

I don't think those are real storks nesting on that roof...it's more likely to be symbolic statuary. A stork nest on your roof is supposed to bring good luck to the house...

You can see a more detailed walking tour of the town, with lots of historical information, on this family history website.

We stopped for some other sights along the wall, most notably the somewhat unsettling Kriminalmuseum (Criminal museum)...

...as well as the lovely Castle Garden and St. James' Church, much more agreeable locations...

...and of course, Sally found some pigeons to feed...

Somewhat worn out, but also quite charmed by Rothenburg, we bid it „Auf Wiedersehen” to it and its wall and continued on our way down the Romantic Road.