Between Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Heidelburg, which town should I visit?

Question

I will have less than a day to spend there as I'll be traveling by train between Munchen and Frankfurt.

I'll will have seen plenty of large German cities as well as Dachao concentration camp, and Schloss Neuschwanstein and would like a very "German" old town type full of charm and not to overwhelming to see the main sites in an afternoon.

I'll have a Eurail Pass so is it even possible to get to Rothenburg via train? If not then is their a bus route?

Thanks and Danke

Answer 1

Check http://www.bahn.de/international/view/en... for train time-table! English site. However, i don't think that there is a straight connection between Rothenburg o.d.T. and HeidelbErg.

Rothenburg o.d.T. is the kind of maximum "old german town" you can see - however i don't like it that much since this is a tourist trap in my eyes.

PS: It's "Dachau" and not "Dachao" - this info might help you to get arround. ;-)

Answer 2

Heidelberg is nice becau se it has a castle right near the shopping area.

**beware, the castle has ALOT of steps

i learned it the hard way*

Answer 3

Rothenburg is actually pretty much in between frankfurt and munich, where as Heidelburg is way on the other side of the country....so there is that to take into account.  

I really liked Rothenburg, and went to the criminology museum twice.....very interesting.  I loved the wall date stamped 1215 for the sheer history of it.  This town I feel seems Disney-ish because it hasn't changed much.  I took a tour with a German/American tour guide that filled the group in about the history.  Great church here as well.  

Although I would not count out Wurzburg, also somewhat in-between F. and M., and has a bahnhof, with a busbahnhof right outside to take you where you want to go.  There is The Fortress, and The residance, and a couple of churches full of history.  Some very famous Tilman Remanschneider scupltures, and a few stories to go along with them.  A model of the town after the bombing during WWII, very interesting.

Email if you have specific questions.  I have been to both places you mentioned, and lived in Wurzburg.

Answer 4

Heidelberg is a great place and bigger than Rothenburg. I just was in Rothenburg 2 weeks ago. It is nice, but in Heidelberg you can do more than in Rothenburg.

Answer 5

Heidelberg. For several reasons.

The "train" to Rothenburg is a bus.

Although Rothenburg is very quaint, it is not very authentic.  It's rather disney-Germany.  I'd do Dinkelsbuhl or Nordlingen first.  For old German charm I much prefer Bernkastel-Kues, Bacharach, Goslar, and Quendlinburg, all of which are out of your area.  

Rothenburg is cute - and I've gone to the trouble to go there, but it's very commercial.

Bitte, bitte

Answer 6

Heidelberg! It's my home and it's the best place ever.

Answer 7

Heidelburg,  It is amazing.  The view from the castle is awesome and the downtown area is very cool.  Try eating at the Beer Museum they have awesome food or at least they did a few years ago.  Hope you have fun!!