geocalia
Day itinerary · 49.38° N · 10.18° E
Train from Frankfurt, the Town Hall tower above the market, the Crime Museum, lunch at the Reiterlesmarkt stalls, the Tauber valley, Schneeballen and dinner with Franconian wine at Zur Höll.
Part of Rothenburg ob der TauberRomantic RoadChristmas markets of Europe
The plan
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
train to Würzburg, regional train to Steinach and a short train to Rothenburg; check the connection on bahn.de
during the market it opens daily from 10:30 · €4 cash
€10.50 per adult
lunch at the stalls on the Marktplatz; opens at 11:00
W3 loop of 4.1 km; get back before dark, around 16:30
Original Schneeball, €2.50
Obere Schmiedgasse 7, 91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber · +49 9861 938563
in Frankfurt around 22:30; check the last train on bahn.de
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
At Advent Rothenburg sets up the Reiterlesmarkt, its Christmas market, on the Marktplatz and the surrounding streets, among half-timbered houses. This Saturday you do it all by train and on foot from Frankfurt: you climb the Town Hall tower to see the market from above, call in at the Crime Museum, eat at the market stalls, go down to the Tauber valley in the last light and have dinner with Franconian wine at Zur Höll, said to be the oldest house in the town.
Frankfurt has direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, and a long-distance railway station at the airport. From Frankfurt to Rothenburg you go by train to Würzburg, a regional train to Steinach and a short train to Rothenburg: about two and a half hours. Rothenburg station is about ten minutes' walk from the wall. If you prefer the car, it is about two hours on the A3 and the A7, and the plan by car works at any time of year.
7:30 · Train to Rothenburg. Two changes, at Würzburg and at Steinach. Check the day's connection; on Advent weekends the trains are full.
10:30 · Town Hall tower. During the market it is open every day from 10:30. It is 220 steps; at the top you see the stalls being set up in the square. €4, in cash.
11:15 · Crime Museum. On Burggasse: the history of justice, from laws to masks of shame. Allow an hour and a quarter. €10.50 for adults.
12:45 · Reiterlesmarkt. Return to the Marktplatz and eat something at the stalls. On Saturday it is open from 11:00 to 20:00 and entry is free.
13:45 · The Tauber valley. Leave by the Kobolzeller Tor and follow the waymarked W3 loop, 4.1 km: the double bridge, the mills, the Topplerschlösschen and the climb to the Burggarten. In December it gets dark early: be back before 16:30.
16:00 · A Schneeball. At Diller's café, on Obere Schmiedgasse, as the market lights come on.
17:30 · Dinner at Zur Höll. The wine tavern on Burggasse opens at 17:00. Order Franconian wine by the quarter-litre and the Fränkische Brotzeit or a dish of the day.
19:45 · Train back. In Frankfurt around 22:30.
If you want the Christmas market and the town without driving, yes. With children it works until dinner: the valley, the tower and the Schneeballen suit them; the museum has harsh exhibits for little ones. If you can, sleep in Rothenburg and stay to see the market at night without watching the train clock.
Where to eat
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
What to order: the Schäufele, roast pork shoulder with Klöße and sauerkraut, or the Sauerbraten with Lebkuchen sauce, with a Franconian house wine.
What to order: a quarter-litre of dry Franconian Silvaner with the Fränkische Brotzeit or, if you are hungry, the Teufelsspieß.
Takeaway and markets
Map
With where to park at each one.
Getting there
When to go
A Saturday between 20 November and 23 December 2026, with the Reiterlesmarkt open and the Town Hall tower open daily. In 2027 the market is announced from 19 November to 23 December. Zur Höll is closed on Sunday, which is why this is a Saturday plan.
Tips
If it is for the same day, by phone only, on +49 9861 4229.
The tower does not accept cards and at the stalls it is the most convenient.
It is a country path and in December it is cold and gets dark early.
Questions
In 2026, from 20 November to 23 December; on Sunday 22 November it is closed. In 2027, from 19 November to 23 December.
Because Zur Höll is closed on Sundays and on Saturday the market is open until 20:00.
About two and a half hours, with changes at Würzburg and Steinach.
Yes, about two hours by motorway; park outside the wall.
More plans like this
geocalia.com/en/germany/bavaria/rothenburg-ob-der-tauber/itineraries/rothenburg-advent-day-from-frankfurt
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/germany/bavaria/rothenburg-ob-der-tauber/itineraries/rothenburg-advent-day-from-frankfurt
