Röttingen, Romantic Road

First mentioned as Rutingen in 1103AD, the small town of Röttingen is known for its Franconian Festival, held every year for the last 30 years at Brattenstein Castle. The open-air theatre features musicals, operettas, theatre and bands.

Sometime after 1336AD, the town constructed its fortification wall around the town and over the next 300 years added 14 towers. Seven towers have survived, of which four are rectangular and three are round. The twin towers in the southwest corner of town are the most imposing. Four storeys high, each with its own façade, they are connected via a covered battlement. The Jakobsturm Tower is the oldest defensive structure in town. It was converted into holiday apartments and has since won several awards for the preservation of historic buildings. The last rectangular tower is best seen in autumn, when the foliage on the hanging vines turns a brilliant red. The circular towers, with few light openings, are made of stone and have conical roofs.  Only the twin towers and Jakobsturm are inhabited towers.

Röttingen is also known as the city of sundials. Scattered along a 1.2mi (2km) circular route are 25 different types of sundials. The idea came from Kurt Fuchslocher, a master locksmith who loved sundials and their simple mechanics. He set about creating sundials in various styles, which were added to Röttingen’s landscape in 1984.