Is this the PERFECT Christmas town? In Rothenburg, Germany, a medieval gem that inspired classic Disney children’s films, from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to Pinocchio

Imagine the perfect party scene, and it’s likely to look something like this: cobbled streets, the gabled roofs of half-timbered houses weighed down by a thick blanket of snow, and a tall Christmas tree in a town square commemorating with Decorated with hundreds of twinkling lights.

And this is exactly what the German town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber really looks like at this time of year.

This pocket-sized Bavarian town has the best-preserved medieval walled city in the country. Rows of red clapboard half-timbered houses line the ancient streets, safely surrounded by a thick stone wall and guarded by six gates and 42 imposing towers. Almost all of the Upper Town Walls are walkable – a two kilometer stretch that rewards visitors with uninterrupted views of the old town and the Tauber Valley beyond.

The name of the city means “Red Fortress over the Tauber”.

Sleep within the old city walls and enjoy breakfast overlooking the valley at the charming, family-run Burg-Hotel.

B&B double rooms start from £160 per night (burghotel.eu).

Alternatively, just a stone’s throw from the Galgenturm is the Hotel Rappen, a cozy and comfortable property dating back to 1603. B&B double rooms start at £70 a night (hotelrappen.de).

Rothenburg is so enchanting that it has been used as a film set (including the 1968 musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) and has inspired countless Disney classics – stand in line for photos of Plonlein, a mustard-coloured house that serves as a model served to Geppetto at home in Pinocchio. .

Above is the Plonlein house in Rothenburg, which served as the model for Geppetto’s house in Pinocchio

Long history: Rothenburg has inspired countless Disney classics, including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Pinocchio (above)

Despite its fairytale appearance, Rothenburg is a thriving community, and has been since its founding in 1274. Today, around 2,500 people live within the old city walls, and many live and work in the centuries-old buildings as they once were. . did hundreds of years ago.

Of course, trading in the 21st century looks a little different. Shops now sell everything from delicious local sausages and sweets to ‘lighthouses’ – ceramic models of typical Bavarian houses holding candles, which are especially popular at Christmas when Rothenburg really comes to life.

Not only does this city seem like the perfect place to celebrate Christmas, it’s also where many of the Christmas traditions we enjoy today originated.

The best way to get a taste of the Christmas spirit is to visit Käthe-Wohlfahrt, a family business with the world’s largest selection of German Christmas decorations. The store – identifiable by the cherry red vintage car full of gifts parked outside – stocks around 20,000 beautifully crafted and painted ornaments.

Decorative Christmas bows, like the one pictured above, were used by miners as a symbol of hope during the long winter months, Katja reveals

Many of these come from the nearby Ore Mountains, including the brightly colored wooden Nutcracker kings that have become synonymous with Christmas, and the decorative Christmas arches that date from the late 18th century and served as a sign of hope for miners during the long winter months.

Above the shop is a museum dedicated to the history of Christmas decorations, from the earliest trees decorated with fruit, nuts and cane to the baubles of today.

Other fun exhibits include the history of the first advent calendar, another regional creation, and the angel Christkindl, who is responsible for delivering presents on Christmas Eve in Germany (here, red-faced Santa doesn’t jump down the chimney).

Katja visits Käthe-Wohlfahrt (photo), a family business with the world’s largest selection of German Christmas decorations

The Christmas festivities only begin on the first Sunday in Advent when the Reiterlesmarkt, the town’s famous market, opens and sells traditional crafts, local food and hot mulled wine.

In Rothenburg, however, locals avoid the British tendency to mask the taste of cheap red wine with a spoonful of sugar and a bunch of spices and instead use Frankish white wine.

A scalding hot glass is best tasted at the poo of joker Albert Thurauf, whose family has been making wine for four generations. They also have a bar on the main square as well as Glocke, a hotel and restaurant with rich Bavarian cuisine. In the basement is a cellar with candlelight, with barrels, where Mr. Thurauf hosts wine tasting evenings.

Upstairs is the Reiterlesmarkt, Rothenburg’s famous market selling traditional crafts, regional food and hot mulled wine.

During her trip, Katja tries a local sweet snack called snowballs (photo)

Bavaria may be best known for its beer, but the Franconian region in which Rothenburg is located has been growing vineyards for over 1,300 years and producing some excellent wines.

A Christmas custom that has been celebrated in Rothenburg for centuries, but hasn’t really caught on in the rest of the world, is the local snowball treat.

Dozens of these large, round, crunchy pastries, topped with a generous amount of powdered sugar, are stacked precariously high in bakery windows across the city. Originally reserved for special occasions, snowballs are now available year-round.

Taste the best at Friedel Bakery, a family business and one of the oldest bakeries in town, making snowballs since 1882. During the holidays they pump out up to 3,000 a day.

Come to Rothenburg in the New Year and while the Christmas market is closed, many of the other festive traditions remain. It really is a city where you can eat, drink and be merry all year round.