First stop: Rothenburg, Germany

OAfter picking up our rental car in Frankfurt, we headed southeast to the well-preserved medieval city of Rothenburg. Along the way, we passed by windmills that reminded us of home!

Our hotel was within the city wall, so we had a dramatic entrance into Rothenburg.

The first thing we did was head out for a Rothenburg Town Walk, which we had downloaded from a Rick Steves podcast. It was a comprehensive overview of the city that really helped us get our bearings. It began in Market Square, less than a block from our hotel, where Town Hall is located.

The former City Councilors' Tavern (now tourist info center) has an astronomical clock which displays figures from 1631 every hour from 10AM -10PM daily.

We climbed the 200 steps to the top of the old town hall's tower for a bird's eye view. It was a pretty tight squeeze in spots, but well worth it!

We took a break to sample the local wine. Not bad!