Rothenburg ob der Tauber会是我心里一个永远的美好。
我会永远记得，把车子驶入古城的那刻，石板路咯哒咯哒的声音……
我会永远记得，在大地还未苏醒的早晨，巷弄间穿梭游荡的时光……
我会永远记得，在夜幕低垂的寒夜，守夜人带我们穿越中古世纪……
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| 驾车到Rothenburg ob der Tauber，远远就可以看见这美丽的古城 |
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| 等优美去酒店询问泊车规矩 |
check in完毕，服务生带我们到我们的房间去。房间古意怏然。我们的双人房是各有各的空间，我的单人床就在窗旁，可以看见屋外后巷。优美的则有个天窗，是各有各的风情。两个各自的空间中间则是洗手间，有个浴缸，正适合寒夜里泡热澡。
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| 德国的老酒店，都爱用这种沉甸甸的老钥匙 |
一番梳洗完毕，我们赶紧趁天还未暗下来，快点儿出去溜达溜达。Rothenburg ob der Tauber很小，方圆不过两三公里，所有的景点也都集中在古城，因此游览Rothenburg ob der Tauber只需全程步行即可。
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| Schneeballen |
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| Schneeballen是这里的特产，优美买了几粒吃着 |
黄昏过后，人群逐渐散去，小镇恢复了宁静，一幅淳朴无争的淡然。红顶的小楼、精致的橱窗、一道又一道拱门，带我们回到过去。
华灯初上，室内的温暖黄灯与户外的寒冷形成强烈的对比。你可以轻易想象，门后、窗后，轻声细语闲话家常的，一家人围在一起吃着晚餐的，捧一杯茶读着书的……
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| Plönlein是这古城最著名的“明信片景点” |
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| Rothenburg ob der Tauber是属于圣诞的 |
晚餐后就是我们晚上的重头戏：A city tour with Night Watchman （英语的Nightwatchman Tour in Rothenburg是每个星期五和星期六晚上八点，在市集广场的市政厅正门前汇集。参与巡游无需预约，直接去市集广场跟大部队就可以啦！）
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| 试剂广场前还没开始亮灯的圣诞树 |
Nightwatchman巡游是Rothenburg ob der Tauber的传统，很久以前，Night Watchmen是执法、确保居民安全的。今天，他的任务是带你回到过去，以幽默风趣的方式介绍中古世纪的Rothenburg ob der Tauber。我们随着他在城里的几个重要街道上走，随着他走出古城去到Castle Garden，然后穿过几个城门再回到城里。跟随着他穿行在夜幕里，穿过一条条灯火微明的小巷子，听他讲这座城市的历史和故事……据他所说，Rothenburg ob der Tauber是罗马帝国统治时期的自由城市，它商贸繁荣曾盛极一时。当时是德国第二大城市，然而， 在德国的30年战争期间，它渐渐沦为不重要的城市，成长停滞，自17世纪开始没什么大改变，因而保留至今反而成了德国其中一个保留得最好的，有城墙的中世纪古城。
他也为我们讲诉了关于这古城如何在第二次世界大战保留了下来的故事，我懒惰细诉，在Travel?Yes Please的blog抄了下来：
The reason why the city was only 40% destroyed is a story so unlikely that one could easily misinterpret it as fiction.Rothenburg was bombed by Allied forces on March 31, 1945. However, it was an overcast day and the entire medieval city was not visible from the air. The allied forces were able to destroy 40% of the city, including 306 houses, six public buildings, nine of the town’s ancient towers and more than 2,000 feet of the historic wall. Yet, much of the historic centre endured.After the bombing campaign ended, the Allied Army was scheduled to invade and destroy the city. However, these plans were thwarted by Assistant Secretary of War, General John McCloy.McCloy had a fondness for Rothenburg, because his mother had once visited the city. She brought back a painting of Rothenburg which hung in the living room and was always telling McCloy stories about how wonderful the city is. It was this love for Rothenburg that led McCloy to instruct General Jacob L. Devers to negotiate with the Germans rather than continue to bomb.The night before the scheduled invasion, American General Devers met with the Nazi officer in charge of defending the city. They negotiated until it was agreed that German soldiers would leave the city in return for an American guarantee that the city would be spared further bombing. McCloy was later named a patron and honorary citizen of Rothenburg in gratitude.
隔天，我们在天刚微亮就开始在古城内走。一切还未苏醒，城里一片恬静。古老建筑坚守着浪漫的情调。它的一砖一瓦、一草一木，都随着光阴的脚步与这座小镇慢慢融为一体。
我们决定再随着前一晚Nightwatchman Tour的路线再走一遍，去认真的看看城门和Castle Garden。
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| The Burgtor (Castle Gate) |
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| 城外的田野风光 |
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| 另一个极受游客欢迎的活动，就是在附近的田园骑单车 |
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| Zur Höll是这古城里最高老的建筑物 |
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| 那些树，怎么长得那么有故事 |
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| 少数早早开门做生意的面包店，不过没得堂食 |
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| 门前一树花，诗一样 |
直到早上九点，我们才开始看见一家已经开门做生意，又有得堂食的面包店。由于我们又冷又饿，也不挑，进去点了食物和咖啡再打算。食物和咖啡都马马虎虎，但至少我们暖了身子。
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| 好可爱的萝卜点缀这萝卜蛋糕 |
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| 看！多惬意！ |
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| 临走前，来了一小片一瞬间的阳光 |
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| 告别•依依 |
即使是个这么短暂的小住，我们还是深深爱上了Rothenburg ob der Tauber 。要是大家有机会，喜欢漫游，到这小古城住上几晚吧。
德国小镇一日游:
Other itineraries:
2017 - Germany: Upper Middle Rhine Valley One Day Tour (Stay tune)
2019 - China: A Weekend in Hong Kong (Stay Tune)
2019 - Thailand: Bangkok 4D3N (Stay tune)
