Castle Garden

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany

The Castle Garden in Rothenburg is the site where the royal family of Hohenstaufen established its imperial castle in 1142. King Conrad III reigned over his kingdom from here, but was the only ruler who actually used Rothenburg Castle. As his sons died relatively early, the castle quickly lost its importance, but not before it had formed the seed for the germination of the town.

Starting from the castle, the settlement spread over the hill, until it had become one of the ten largest towns in the Holy Roman Empire by the year 1400, with a population of over 6,000. An earthquake destroyed the castle complex in 1356 and the stones of the ruins – a valuable commodity at the time – were used to build the city walls. Only the Chapel of St. Blaise was renovated after the quake. However this building was not originally a chapel, but rather the 'Upper Ducal House', probably the conference building where the king received his guests. The building was dedicated as a chapel after the renovation and now serves as a memorial to the fallen of the two World Wars. The Chapel of St. Blaise is also the site of the memorial to the pogrom of 1298, the original of which is in the Imperial Town Museum.

After entering the Castle Gardens, the visitor will be drawn to the wonderful view of the southern part of the town and the Tauber Valley to the left, as well as the Double Bridge and the Kobolzeller Church.

Another interesting feature of the Castle Gardens are the geometric flower beds from the 17th/18th century with eight sandstone figures representing the four seasons and the four elements.

If you look into the valley having passed through the gardens, you will see a bright blue tower, known as the Topplerschlösschen, the House of Mayor Toppler. Built in 1388, it was built by the powerful Mayor Toppler for his own pleasure. Previously surrounded by water, the castle is where he met with dignitaries such as King Wenzel. There is also a memorial to Toppler in the Castle Gardens. Since September 2010, the park is also adorned with a column in memory of the royal house of the Hohenstaufen dynasty.

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Address

Alte Burg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany
See all sites in Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Details

Founded: 1142
Category:
Historical period: Hohenstaufen Dynasty (Germany)

More Information

www.tourismus.rothenburg.de
www.hotel-goldener-hirsch.de

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


St. James' Church (0,4 km)
Franciscan Friary (0,2 km)
St. John's Church (0,2 km)
St. Peter and St. Paul's Church (1,3 km)
Tauber Bridge (0,4 km)


Neumünster (49,6 km)
Old Main Bridge (49,7 km)
St. Mary's Chapel (49,8 km)
Würzburg Residence (49,3 km)
Würzburg Cathedral (49,6 km)
St. Mary's Church (49,5 km)
Marienberg Fortress (49,5 km)
St. Michael Church (43,1 km)
St. George's Minster (35,7 km)

User Reviews

Josip Rosandić (22 months ago)
I recommend visiting in spring or in summer for the best experience. Either way, you are treated with awesome panorama views, plenty of benches to sit on and lots of hiking trails in and around it. Very relaxing experience and worth your time .
Kishore Surendra (23 months ago)
A good place to relax, with a nice view of the Tauber(river) below. But I didn't find the garden unique, it's similar to pretty much every other castle garden I've visited so far.
Mike Dvorscak (2 years ago)
This is in the oldest, most historic part of the city. And even in the winter it's worth visiting. There are some really breathtaking views that you can see from here. You can see much of the rest of the city, as well as the valley below. Looks very beautiful at night. Great spot to get some panoramic shots or pictures for cards to send back home.
Melissa Mona (2 years ago)
this place was beautiful to wander around. the views are breathtaking and is plenty large enough to accommodate many people.
Alyssa Becker (2 years ago)
A lovely garden, with extraordinary views. A great place to enjoy some rest and quiet while busy vacationing or touring through Germany or Europe. Have a picnic, read a book, or enjoy a conversation with your loved ones.
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