Strutting Through Stuttgart & Rotenburg: Germany Trip Part Three

So far our time in Germany has consisted of Oktoberfest in Munich and several day trips outside the city to visit Dachau Concentration Camp and Neuschwanstein Castle. Now it's time to pack our bags and head outside the Bavarian capital city as we make our way towards the Black Forest!

Thursday, September 26: Stuttgart & the Black Forest

Like every other trip I've planned, this morning started bright and early and went until late in the evening, making sure we made the most of our time in Southern Germany!

München Hbf ➡ Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof

We checked out of our hotel, and caught the S-Bahn train into town before switching over to the D-Bhan train headed to Stuttgart! A quick two hours later, our high-speed train made it to Stuttgart, where we headed to the Alamo Rent-A-Car booth to pick up our rental car for the rest of our time in Germany!

Black Forest: Schwarzwald

By 12:30 pm we were off in our Audi A5 rental, speeding down the autobahn towards the famous Black Forest! As we zipped through the mountains, we were amazed at the beautiful scenery. Even though it rained the entire day, we enjoyed scouting out all the tiny villages and German sights in this area. No wonder the Black Forest is such a big tourist attraction; it's beautiful!

Now here's where I admit that things don't always go as planned:

Bryan and I had planned to stop at Sommerrodelbahn Gutach, an outdoor toboggan ride in the heart of the Black Forest, for a little fun break from our day of trains and cars. For €4 each, we could have ridden the giant alpine coaster alongside tons of German kids and we were stoked to enjoy some outdoor fun...but the weather thought otherwise.

So here's proof that all the planning in the world doesn't mean smooth sailing all the time! Oh well! As we drove past the place, I tried to picture us zooming down the steep coaster- maybe next time!

Bistro Absolut

As we made it to the heart of the Black Forest, our tummies reminded us that it was 2 pm and we hadn't eaten anything all day. While Bryan navigated, I found a quaint little cafe for our lunch stop. Bistro Absolut was off the touristy path, filled with locals, and nobody spoke English. We knew we had found a hidden gem!

Cappuccinos, spaghetti squash pasta, a big bowl of chili, and a shared slice of Black Forest Cake (because, duh!) were the perfect choices for this dreary, rainy day! The cafe even brought us a chili plant to cut off the vine and add to our meal, if we wanted. Bryan loved this!

House of Black Forest Clocks Adolf Herr E. K.: Haus der Schwarzwalduhren Adolf Herr e.K.

Now with full bellies, it was time to continue our journey through the Black Forest! Now, the Black Forest is famous for two things: their cake and their clocks. We had already eaten a slice of Black Forest Cake, so the rest of the afternoon was dedicated to visiting all of the clock shops!

Our first shop of the day was Adolf Herr's main shop. This family has been in the clock-making industry for five generations and their craftsmanship was beautiful! I snapped a photo of this Neuschwanstein clock before seeing the "no photos" sign.

House of 1000 Clocks: Haus der 1000 Uhren Am Bach 17

Next up was the House of 1,000 Clocks, and their name is justified. This clock shop was packed full of unique clocks! I had told Bryan going into this trip, that I was open to buying a clock if I found the right one.

As we gazed at all the beautiful pieces, I kept thinking back to the clock Gram bought my mom when we visited the area in 2007. Of course, Gram let me pick out the clock for my mom, so I chose my favorite. Luckily Mom also liked it and had it hung in the kitchen of our house. Throughout our day, I just kept looking for a clock that matched my mom's! We never found the "perfect" one, so I'm hoping one day to just inherit my OG favorite!

World's Largest Cuckoo Clock: Weltgrößte Kuckucksuhr

Bryan had found the World's Largest Cuckoo Clock during his research for the trip. We timed it perfectly because right as we got out of the car, the clock struck 5 pm and we watched as the bird popped out and cuckooed!

See! It was perfect timing!

Triberg

Our journey through the Black Forest ended in Triberg, a town famous for cuckoo clocks and a main tourist attraction for those looking for a clock. This cute little town was easily walkable and filled with multiple shops selling all types of German souvenirs.

Haus der 1000 Uhren

Our favorite shop of the day was Haus der 1000 Uhren, a tiny clock shop. The owner of this store explained the making of cuckoo clocks to us, showed Bryan and I how they work and even explained the different parts of the wooden clocks.

Bryan and I learned that the pinecone-shaped weights at the bottom of the clock determine how frequently a clock can work before needing to be reset. The bigger the weights, the longer the clock can work without being reset. Most of the clocks we saw had smaller weights that required resetting every day. Others could go up to a week before needing "a pull" to continue working.

We also saw many clocks that were battery-operated. Their weights were just for decoration; instead, they used C-batteries to run and only needed to be changed once a year. These clocks were convenient, but lacked the traditional colors and designs that make the cuckoo clocks world-renowned!

We didn't buy a clock this time; with prices ranging from €250 to several thousand dollars, I'd rather have a clock that has sentimental value to me. (Hint, Hint Mom!)

Livisit Bergapartments

Eventually, we did leave the Black Forest and made our way back into Stuttgart, where we checked in to our apartment rental for the next few days! Home away from home!

Friday, September 27: Voltzfest

Friday was the opening day for the world's second-largest beer festival: Stuttgart's Cannstatter Wasen Voltzfest! Remember when I said Bryan wanted to ring in his 30th birthday at Oktoberfest? I took his suggestion and said "Hold my Beer!" this is going to be his best birthday yet!

Indisches Indian Restaurant Vinayaga - Stuttgart

But before I could take this man to another beer festival, I needed to feed him. Nothing is worse than drinking on an empty stomach!

Since we were staying outside the main city, there weren't many food options within walking distance, but Indian food is always a hit! Indisches Indian Restaurant Vinayaga even had a lunch buffet for €12, so we really did win!

We then headed back to our apartment hotel to take a cat nap. We were preparing for a long night out!

Cannstatter Wasen

Then it was time to don our Dirndl and Lederhosen for a third time this trip- don't judge us- and make our way to the fairground! After some confusion over Google Maps and meeting a cute older German couple along the way, we made it to Cannstatter Wasen and were ready to find a seat and get a beer!

Easier said than done! We walked into two tents that were ghost towns; nobody was sitting down and all the tables were reserved at 5 pm..and it was 4 pm now. We also noticed nobody anywhere had a beer in hand...this is strange.

Grandls Hofbräu Zelt

So we decided to try the Grandls Hofbräu Zelt tent, where we saw a line forming to get inside. Ok good. Line= people=fun times. After translating a sign out front and getting a pat-down at the entrance by security (that was new) we were finally in a tent with people! That German sign out front roughly translated to "opening ceremony!"

At this point we didn't care if a table was reserved at 5 pm, we wanted to experience an opening ceremony! So we popped a squat at an empty table and waited. A waiter came by and explained that beer wouldn't be served until the first keg was tapped during the opening ceremony at 4:30, so we ordered a half-liter of white wine to share. I mean, we knew we weren't going to understand anything being said during the opening ceremony, so may as well get the party started!

And the party did start! We were eventually joined by four middle-aged men (two of whom spoke some English) and by a whole gaggle of German university students! Lucky for us, the group who reserved our table never showed up! At 5:30 pm, the men we sat with tore off the reservation sign and claimed it for our group! Woohoo!

We spent the entire night in the Grandls Hofbräu Zelt tent with this group! We sang, we drank, we talked about college life, and listed off the few German words we knew:

beir= beer

prost= cheers

ausfahrt- exit (for highway ramps) - we only learned this one because it looked funny! Every highway exit we passed Bryan and I would shout "Ahh fart!"

We even added a new party song to our international playlist- we may not know the words to anything but the chorus, but you have to admit, it's catchy! And it's a real banger when you are standing on a bench in a beer tent jumping around with a bunch of Germans that DO know the words!

This night was amazing! Being inside a beer tent for opening night was memorable, to say the least. Packed with people, drinks, and tons of laughter, Volksfest was great because it felt more authentic. Almost all the music was German and we felt outside our comfort zone by being the only "foreigners" within eyesight.

The only songs in English were the ones I filmed in these clips:

Eventually, we did have to stumble our way out of that packed tent and make our way home. Bryan needed some food so we ordered loaded fries and a bratwurst to split: true German drinking foods!

This was a truly memorable night! I won't lie: I was nervous visiting Voltsfest just the two of us. Oktoberfest was easier because we had Meghan and Peyton along with us, and we were sure to meet plenty of English speakers. Volksfest was something else entirely, in the best way possible! I love that Bryan is down to experience new things with me! It may be out of our normal comfort zone, but at least we get to do it all together!

Saturday, September 28: Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Saturday started later than every other day of this trip. We needed that rest after our long night!

Pattonville, Germany

The first stop was Pattonville, Germany, where Gram lived from 1958-1961 when her dad was stationed overseas! Growing up I always heard Gram's stories of riding on the back of scooters and blowing a whistle to round up all her friends. Since Pattonville was just 20 minutes outside of Stuttgart, Bryan and I figured we could swing by and take some pictures to send to her!

Now, Gram said the place has changed a lot since she was there, but seeing her old stomping grounds brought back all kinds of memories! I wonder if Bryan and I will ever make it back to Rota when we are older to relive our old duty station!

After our reminiscent trip to Pattonville, it was time to hit the open road! And this meant the Autobahn. Bryan checked off another bucket list item: he hit 100 miles per hour on the famous German highway! Of course we needed a picture or it didn't happen, so here's Bryan enjoying the Autobahn and a picture of the speedometer as he hit 165 km/hr (roughly 102.5 mph!)

Hotel Am weissen Turm

We took that Autobahn all the way from Stuttgart to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. We found parking outside the city gates before tossing our bags over our shoulders and stumbling our way down the cobblestone streets of Rothenburg to our hotel in the middle of the city, Hotel Am weissen Turm.

Talk about a quaint hotel! This place was spacious and decorated in true, old-time fashion! The best part was the view: our room overlooked the medieval streets below!

Market Square: Marktplatz Rothenburg ob der Tauber

With the entire day ahead, we enjoyed wandering the streets and taking in the sights of this old town! Originally settled in 970 AD, the town started as a small farming village. By the 1200s, Rothenburg was awarded the title of "Imperial City" due to its strategic location on the Silk Road. Rothenburg was a bustling trade town connecting Asia to the earliest parts of Western Europe, while also connecting trade routes from Scandinavia with the rest of Southern Europe!

Over the city's long history, Rothenburg has played an important role in political, religious, and historical contexts. One thing that has remained the same: Rothenburg's unique Medieval buildings and stone walls.

I had to include a few pictures from my first visit to Rothenburg with Gram! In the picture below, Gram is standing in Marktplatz Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the same place I'm standing in the last photo above! Picture quality may have improved since then, but the memories haven't dulled at all!

It's a fairytale setting, I tell 'ya!

Bäckerei Striffler

Much like a lot of this trip, Rothenburg holds a special place in my heart since visiting with Gram back in 2007. To this day, Gram still says Rothenburg is one of her favorite places in the world, so I had to bring Bryan and reminisce on my first memories here with Gram!

When I told Gram I was coming back to Rothenburg, she said I had to eat a "sneezeball" in her honor! Rothenburg's famous pastry, schneeball, is a fried dough ball covered in powdered sugar. As Bryan and I wandered the city streets, we found Bäckerei Striffler, the bakery known for producing the original Schneeball!

It wasn't as good as I remembered, but that may be because I let Bryan choose the cinnamon sugar option and not the one smothered in chocolate.

Spital Gate: Spitaltor

Our adventure continued as we stumbled upon the Spital Gate of the outer wall. We climbed into the tower filled with cannons and powder keg storage from the Medieval times, and wandered along the outer wall's edge overlooking the protected city!

Röderturm

As we walked the wall, Bryan and I picked out "our house," the light blue house with the amazing yard below! I couldn't help myself from snapping photos at every turn!

Later we learned that Rothenburg was bombed during WWII by the Americans, destroying part of the city's wall. A second attack was supposed to happen, but an American general had seen photos of Rothenburg from his parents and voiced his concerns for the ancient city. His argument saved the city from further destruction.

After the war, the city didn't have the funds to rebuild the damaged wall. Instead, they sent requests to all major world newspapers asking people to donate money for the wall's reconstruction. Those who donated large sums had their names and hometowns carved into stones along the rebuilt portions of the walls. As Bryan and I made our way around the wall, we enjoyed pointing out these stones and seeing what places we have visited: Asheville, NC and Tokyo, Japan were both spotted!

After making it halfway around the city walls, we needed a break from all the rocky steps up high, so we headed back into town for more sightseeing! You can't turn a corner without wanting to take more photos of the stunning cityscape!

German Christmas Museum: Deutsches Weihnachtsmuseum

We also visited the German Christmas Museum shop. Calling this place a store is an understatement to the vastness of this place. Filled with thousands of ornaments, Erzgebirge Pyramids, and nativity sets, this shop even had a 20-foot Christmas tree inside!

Käthe Wohlfahrt - Weihnachtsdorf

Another famous shop was the Käthe Wohlfahrt stores that were sprinkled all over the town. I learned that this German company is famous all over the world for their Christmas decorations, and their homeport is right here in Rothenburg!

Inside the shop was a 20-foot Erzgebirge Pyramid that rotated and displayed the nativity scene in full motion! These classic German nativity pyramids remind me of Gram's house at Christmastime; I guess that's another family heirloom I plan to inherit someday!

Check out that dentist ornament and figurine we spotted in the Christmas shops! They look just like Bryan!

Weinstube Löchle

For dinner, we enjoyed a traditional German meal at Weinstube Löchle. The pumpkin soup I had was amazing, and Bryan's pumpkin butter steak with mashed pumpkin & potatoes was to die for! We really jumped headlong into fall flavors!

We agreed this dinner was one of the best we have had in Europe- even if the wood-burning stove gave off so much heat I ended up doffing my jacket and in only my tanktop! This place was warm and the food was good!

The Night Watchman Tour

One thing Gram and I did not get to do when we visited years ago was the Night Watchman tour. Led by a true Rothenburg local, this tour transported you back to Medieval times through his stories of protecting the city while it slept.

Alongside 100+ English speakers, we followed the Night Watchman through town as he shared about times of plague, harvests, and heartbreak for the city. It was a great experience and well worth the €9/person price tag! This man made bank tonight!

Sunday, Sept 29: Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Plönlein

Sunday morning began with a quiet walk through town before the day tourists arrived in the city. This quiet time provided a perfect photo of the Plönlein. This area of the walled city is the most photographed spot in Rothenburg and may look familiar: this spot inspired the setting of Walt Disney's film, Pinnochio! Who knew I was taking Bryan on a full Disney-inspired trip through Germany!?!

Ivy‘s Deli

For brunch we stopped at Ivy's Deli for some delicious French Toast and traditional German toast, strammermax. The food was colorful and tasty and our view was great too!

Blade Gate: Klingentor

Bryan decided we couldn't leave until we walked the entire fortified wall, so we headed back up high to take in more of the walled viewpoints! I'll admit, the views from the wall don't disappoint! Bryan even caught himself humming the Game of Thrones theme song as he imagined this wall like that of Jon Snow at Castle Black (If you know, you know!)

Cafe Einzigartig

The long walk around the city walls meant it was coffee time, so we stopped at Cafe Einzigartig for some cappuccinos and shared a tomato panini. AKA we weren't quite ready for our time in Rothenburg to be over, so we extended our trip with coffee.

Premier Inn Nuernberg City Nordost Hotel

Rothenburg was an amazing end to our southern Germany trip! Since we were flying out early on Monday morning, I booked us at our favorite Nuremberg hotel by the airport for an easy day tomorrow.

Pizzeria El Salvatore - Nürnberg

We dropped off our rental car at the airport before picking up a pizza near our hotel and calling it an early night. Our 5:45 am flight tomorrow is going to come early!

Monday, Sept 30: Homeward Bound!

There's a reason you don't see a single picture from our Monday trip home...it was a stressful one!

Airport Nürnberg

Much like our last trip through Nuremberg, we booked the Ryan Air flight at 5:45 am direct to Sevilla. The local trains don't begin until 4:30 am and the earliest train reached us at 4:54 am. While we were getting on the train for the airport, I got a notification that our flight was boarding.

Oh crap.

So we ride the 2 stops to the airport and split up: Bryan drops our checked bag and I head to security. Lucky for us, God was watching out for us, as the security lady ushered a group of us into the speed lane. We hurried through the airport and boarded our flight as the final two passengers.

That was a close call! We are all about saving time in the airport, but I never want to cut it that close ever again! Had that security lady not ushered us into the quick lane, we would have definitely missed our flight.

It all worked out in the end and were back home by 12:30 pm to enjoy an afternoon of laundry and puppy cuddles! Don't worry though, Hugo and Reynolds enjoyed this time with Jessi the most because Jessi was also watching Mille! Since Meghan and Peyton were traveling at the same time, Mille, Hugo, and Reynolds enjoyed long afternoons of playdates together in the yard!

See, they didn't miss us at all:

I have to say this was a top-tier trip for us! With both of us turning 30, I love that we are maximizing our opportunities while living abroad and experiencing so much of the world together. And we did it! We hit THIRTY-FOUR countries by our 30th birthdays. I can't wait to see what the next 30 years look like.

--Katie