Routes · Europe
Mexico City to southern Germany: Heidelberg and Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Mexico City → Heidelberg → Rothenburg ob der Tauber
A castle above the Neckar & a walled medieval town Best season (general guide): May–Sep, Dec (markets)
Southern Germany has some of the country's most romantic old towns. This route spends three nights in Heidelberg and three in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. From Mexico City you'll fly to Frankfurt, then take the train.
How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Heidelberg: day one, train from Frankfurt; day two, Heidelberg Castle; day three, Philosophers' Walk and the Old Bridge. Then spend days four to six in Rothenburg ob der Tauber: day four, train to Rothenburg; day five, walk the town walls; day six, medieval law museum.
Heidelberg lies on the Neckar river, below the red sandstone ruins of Heidelberg Castle. The castle, partly destroyed in wars, is reached by a funicular or a steep path.
Heidelberg University is the oldest in Germany, and students fill the old town's squares and pubs.
Across the river, the Philosophers' Walk climbs the hillside with views of the castle, the Old Bridge and the roofs below.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, on the Romantic Road, is a walled medieval town that survived largely intact. You can walk along its covered walls and look down into gardens and courtyards.
The town's Kriminalmuseum, a museum of medieval law and punishment, shows how justice worked in the Middle Ages. Bakeries sell Schneeballen, balls of fried pastry dusted with sugar.
May to September is the best season for walking. In December, Christmas markets fill the old towns.
Good to know: Trains link both towns, though Rothenburg needs a change. Arrive in Rothenburg in the afternoon and stay overnight, so you can see the streets after day visitors leave.
Germany's regional trains are frequent, and a day ticket for a state can cover several local journeys, so compare it with single fares before you travel. Rothenburg is busiest at midday when coach groups arrive; stay overnight to have the walls and lanes to yourself in the early morning and after dark. In Heidelberg, walk up through the old town to the castle rather than queue for the funicular on busy afternoons.
A night watchman's tour in Rothenburg, held in the evening, tells the town's history with humour.
Suggested outline
Mexico City
Heidelberg
A university town below a red sandstone castle.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
A walled town of towers and half-timbered houses.
"St. Jakob Kirche Rothenburg 2014.jpg" by Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Day by day
- Day 1 · Heidelberg — Arrive; train from Frankfurt· Mexico City → Frankfurt (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day, then Frankfurt → Heidelberg (overland)
- Day 2 · Heidelberg — Heidelberg Castle
- Day 3 · Heidelberg — Philosophers' Walk and the Old Bridge
- Day 4 · Rothenburg ob der Tauber — Train to Rothenburg· Heidelberg → Rothenburg ob der Tauber (by train)
- Day 5 · Rothenburg ob der Tauber — Walk the town walls
- Day 6 · Rothenburg ob der Tauber — Medieval law museum
- Day 7 · Rothenburg ob der Tauber — Travel home from Rothenburg ob der Tauber· Rothenburg ob der Tauber → Frankfurt (by train), then Frankfurt → Mexico City (by air)
A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.
Flights, leg by leg
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- Mexico City → Heidelberg (MEX → FRA) · Check today's price Search fares MEX → FRA · 3 Dec ↗
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Heidelberg
Nearest airport: Frankfurt Search fares · Frankfurt ↗
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