Last evening I watched a delightful program, on public TV, touring some German, Swiss, Italian & French cities all decked out for Christmas. It was interesting & joyful. I felt like a kid looking at all of the glitz, bright shiny colors & impeccable workmanship of the ornaments. I could almost smell the cheeses, sausages & beers. If you get a chance, check it out. The Show: Rothenburg We come now to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. This famous tourist town is a medieval gem, as well as a year-round Christmas town due to the success of the Kathe Wolfhart Christmas Store, which started in Rothenburg. We see the well-preserved medieval buildings decorated for Christmas and learn of the towns history. We walk the wall that surrounds the town. We see the charming horse cart passing through the most photographed intersection in Rothenburg, and a view from the top of the Town Hall. We visit with Harald Wohlfahrt in his fabulously decorated Christmas store, Kathe Wohlfahrt, designed to resemble a Franconian village on a snowy day. He tells us how the store, started by his refugee parents, developed because of the interest of American servicemen and women serving in Germany after World War II in obtaining the unique wooden Christmas decorations made in the Erzgebirge region of Germany. Mr. Wohlfahrt tells us about the traditions of the music box, the nutcrackers, the pyramids and the smokers, as we see these beautiful decorations inside his store. We watch the school children decorating the Christmas trees in front of the Town Hall for the opening of the Christmas Market that night, gasp as the giant Christmas tree in the center of the square is lit to start the Christmas Market, and wander among the booths with their decorations, Gluhwein and regional food. For more information on visiting Rothenburg and its Christmas markets, visit Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 13:44:58 +0000
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