Welcome to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, or "Red Fortress above the Tauber River," where medieval charm is around every cobbled corner. A self-ruling city in the Middle Ages, this walled Bavarian town once flourished with 6,000 inhabitants, the Holy Roman Empire"s second-largest city at the time. The growth of Rothenburg ob der Tauber slowed in the 17th century, preserving its original character.