Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a shopping mecca for many visitors to Germany, and we want to share some of our favorite souvenir ideas from our time in Rothenburg. Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a small medieval town along Germany’s Romantic Road. The little town offers picture perfect medieval views, but it can also be overrun with hordes of tourists, especially in December and during the Summer months.
While there are a number of interesting things to do in Rothenburg that should not be missed, this post will focus on shopping in Rothenburg. In all honestly, neither Ethan nor I are big shoppers when we travel, but we happened to be in Germany at the same time as two loved one’s birthdays and a wedding so we ended up needing to do a bit of shopping during our time in Rothenburg. During our hunt for some perfect gifts, we discovered a lot of interesting shops and stores.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber offers just about every German trinket and souvenir you can think of from cuckoo clocks and beer steins to German cookbooks and postcards. However, we’ll share our thoughts on some things that are either specifically unique to Rothenburg ob der Tauber or items that there was a particularly good selection of in Rothenburg.
Table of Contents:
Top Souvenirs from Rothenburg ob der Tauber
We focus our list of souvenirs on things that are more unique to the town, but you can of course still purchase common souvenirs like magnets, shopping bags, t-shirts, and postcards.
Buy an original etching or print of Rothenburg ob der Tauber
One of our favorite shops we discovered in Rothenburg ob der Tauber was the Ernst Geissendörfer Art Shop. It has been around since 1908 and offers a wide selection of prints and original etchings, many of these featuring scenes of Rothenburg and other German cities.
We enjoyed our time learning about how the etchings are created from Frau Geissendörfer as we were unfamiliar with this traditional process. The etchings and prints range widely in price and many of the more expensive are not on display so just ask if there is something in particular you are interested in seeing.
I purchased a colored print of Rothenburg here as a gift for a friend, and regret not buying one for myself as well. You can find this shop on the corner of the Market Square at Obere Schmeidgasse 1. You can also check out the Galerie Zum Burgtor which is a gallery of etchings from multiple artists located at Herrngasse 22.
Stock up on Christmas decorations
You can celebrate Christmas in Rothenburg even in July! It is almost impossible to walk around the town and miss the giant Käthe Wohlfahrt flagship Christmas Village souvenir store. Walk pass a giant nutcracker soldier and follow the sounds of Christmas tunes to find yourself in a Christmas fantasy land that offers just about every type of Christmas ornament and tree decoration imaginable.
If you aren’t interested in tree decorations, you can also find nutcrackers, music boxes, table top decorations, table linens, candle holders, nativity scenes and a number of other Christmas related decorations offered at both the giant Christmas Village (Herrngasse 1) and the smaller Käthe Wohlfahrt “Christkindlmarkt” (Herrngasse 2) across the street.
Franconian Wine
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a good place to check out the local Franconian wine. Franconian wines are known for their unusual bottle shape (short and round) that is known as a “Bocksbeutel”. You can sample Franconian wine at most of the restaurants and pubs in Rothenburg, and the annual wine festival takes place in mid-August. If you like it, you can buy and ship some of these stubby bottles back home.
The Night Watchman’s Tour DVD
Like most visitors to Rothenburg, we took the hour-long Night Watchman’s Tour, which is a funny yet informative evening walking tour focused on the history of Rothenburg. If you enjoy the tour, but are still interested in finding out more about the history of Rothenburg, you might consider buying the DVD sold by The Night Watchman (a.k.a. Hans-Georg Baumgartner) at the end of each tour for $15 that contains information from the tour plus additional information on the history of Rothenburg. These can also be purchased at his online shop.
Children’s Toys, Games, & Teddy Bears
Several shops in Rothenburg sell German games, puzzles, dolls, and teddy bears. In particular, we noticed at least two places devoted almost entirely to teddy bears. If you are traveling with children or want to pick up some gifts for some kids back home, you’ll have a lot of options to choose from in Rothenburg.
Some places to check out are the whimsical Käthes Spielzeugladen (a.k.a. The Magic Mushroom at Grüner Markt 9) which sells a variety of German toys and games, and two places that specialize in cuddly teddy bears: TeddyLand (Herrngasse 10) and Teddys Rothenburg (Obere Schmiedgasse 1 ).
Rothenburg Shopping Discount Tip
You can get discounts at many of the Rothenburg ob der Tauber shops if you have the latest Rick Steves’ Germany guidebook. A couple of the local shopowners explained to us that they have known Mr. Steves for years and have been listed in his guidebook since he first started his guidebook series. Discounts generally range from 5% to 10% off your purchase.
So there you have it, our list of the top souvenir and gift ideas from Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany. If you have any questions or have some other suggestions, we’d love to hear them! Also, don’t miss some of our other articles about our time in Rothenburg.
susan sargent Post author
My German mother and I took the journey of a lifetime back to Germany w/my two grown children who are now Aerospace Engineers. I am asking for anyone to help us. We bought 3 pieces of pottery. All handmade. One was a mug w all hand painted scene of Rhottenburg, the other beautiful butter dish and the third item a family sign in brown w/out name on it.
I must have another butter dish. Very long story, but I need the shop name. It is in Rhottenburg. Had many items and all handmade Thank you so very much
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Susan,
First, I would double check that you know which town you bought it in as “Rhottenburg” is not a town in Germany that I know of, but there are several Rothenburgs, Rotenburgs, and Rottenburgs in Germany. If you know it is Rothenburg ob der Tauber, then I’d consider taking photos of the item(s) you bought and then calling or emailing shops in town that you think may have been the ones you visited to see if they have the same or similar items.
I don’t know of course where you would have purchased it, but you may be talking about Töpferei Seifert in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. They do sell pottery and other products similar to what you are describing and they can also ship products worldwide. If you have no leads, I would start there and if you are able to describe or show them a picture of what you purchased they should know if it was from their store or give you recommendations for other stores that sell pottery in Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Good luck!
Jessica
susan sargent Post author
Oh I appreciate you so much. I will do that. It is so important to get another butter dish. I may have to come there that is how important it is. It was Rothenburg ob Der Tauber
Florence Whisler Post author
I have two etchings in color. One is an old women with her vegetables in an old basket. The other is an old man with his basket full of vegetables. I bought them in 1963 when I was there. The pictures are signed by the artist. I can not read his name. He was a very old man and perhaps not living when I bought the pictures in 1963.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Florence, Sounds like a couple of wonderful souvenirs. The Ernst Geissendörfer shop in Rothenburg opened in 1908 and Ernst Geissendörfer lived until 1993 so it may be an etching by him. If you do a search online with his name you can see images of his other etchings to compare. You can also check the online gallery of this art store for etchings by other artists. If you contact the gallery they may be able to help you. Best, Jessica
Bonnie Post author
I am looking for the shop with the Koh brand tealight votives. They are very colorful and some have village scenes on them. The store was on the main road you come to when entering the town through the gate where the buses drop off I believe.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Bonnie, I am not sure which store you saw the candles in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, but I would contact the Koh company and ask them if you are looking for the store name. From their website, I don’t see that they have any stores listed in Germany, but they do have a European Tour collection that looks like the candle votives you are describing so you can probably just order them online or by phone. There website is: https://www.kohliving.com.au Best of luck, Jessica
Amna Mohamed Post author
I have just returned to the USA from a wonderful vacation in Germany and Austria. We stayed for a few days in Rothenburg (a fairy-tale town) where I bought four, small, wooden ornaments which are suspended from a spiral wire that allows them to dance up and down. My grandaughter loves the one one I gave her and I would like to get a few more for her birthday. Please tell me the name of the shop from which I can buy these ornaments.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Anna, I am glad that you had a wonderful trip to Germany and bought some great gifts in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. I am afraid I am not sure which store you would have bought the ornaments from as there are several in the town that sell them, but one guess would be Käthe Wohlfahrt. I would check out their website to see if you see the ornaments online (http://www.christmasfromgermany.com/) or give them a call – they actually have store location in the USA as well. Best, Jessica
Fran Graben Post author
I am trying to find some coffee cups I bought in a long time ago. They came from a chocolate shop. Is it still there? Do they have a website? Thank you
travelcats Post author
Hi Fran, I have no idea, and that could be a lot of shops. I would start by searching for the name of all the shops that sell chocolate and then give them a call or email them. If they don’t have websites, you can ask for their email and email them a photo of the coffee cups so they know which ones you are talking about. Good luck in your search. Best, Jessica
Jane Halsey Post author
I am trying to find the name/website of a lovely gift shop owned by a nice lady named Angela. She sells hand painted wooden figures as well as pewter ornaments and many other Christmas decorations. Thanks.
travelcats Post author
Hi Jane,
I do not know the name of this store, but you can try emailing the Rothenburg ob der Tauber tourism office with as much info and description of the owner/shop/products as you can and see if they can help you find out the name and contact info. The email address is info@rothenburg.de
Good Luck!
Jessica
Melissa Post author
I wish I had this guide when I went last year! I completely forgot about clocks when I went over to Germany so when I came back and I did’t have one for my husband….he was a little disappointed haha. Found a spot though that I could order them from (http://www.bavarianclockworks.com/)…not the same as buying them in store but if you get desperate to get one, there’s options. Can’t wait till I can go back here, was such a neat city!
Richard Roth Post author
Need to purchase Rothenberg baseball caps
travelcats Post author
Good luck and enjoy your time in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. I know that there were hats in some of the clothing and eclectic gift shops, but not sure if there were baseball hats specifically.
Fabian Post author
What is shown on the picture above is not really a german Weihnachtsbaum (Christmas tree) but more like what a typical german imagines a typical american xmas tree to look like. They’re catering to their customers ….
travelcats Post author
Hi Fabian, the tree in the picture is not for sale, it is just a giant tree for decoration in the store. The stores sells a wide variety of Christmas decorations, many look very much like my German grandmother’s ornaments while many resemble typical American ones. Actually as you probably know, the original German trees were decorated with food (fruits, nuts) and wax candles – not very safe today!
Cynthia Chisum Post author
We were in Rothenberg last October….do you know the name or location of the linen shop there? I loved it so much!
Thanks.
travelcats Post author
Welcome Cynthia! We loved our time in Rothenburg and I remember a couple of places selling linens. I don’t know the names or locations, but you could probably e-mail the Rothenburg tourism website folks and they could tell you: info@rothenburg.de If you find out, please come back and share the info with us so other readers can have that info too!
Meghan Post author
I was in Rothenburg a few summers ago and loved it! It was overrun with tourists, like you said, but it was just so much fun that the hordes of people didn’t even bother me. It was July, but I bought Christmas presents for everyone. Did you guys get to try a schneeball while you were there? Those were so tasty!
travelcats Post author
Yes, we did each have a schneeball! I thought they were OK, but Ethan really liked them. We had the plain sugar ones, but Ethan wanted to go back and try the chocolate covered ones:)
Erica Post author
Your posts are always so helpful! I cannot wait to buy Christmas decorations in Germany, many of the decorations I grew up with are from Germany so I can’t wait to have my own! 🙂
travelcats Post author
I am glad this was helpful and it’s so nice to bring back good memories from childhood.
Kate Post author
The Christmas shop! It looks so beautiful, normally I would disapprove of anything Christmas-related and not in December but it just looks so pretty.
I’m adding Rothenburg (not just because of the shop!) to my list of places to hit in Germany before I leave next year! Thanks for the heads up on where to get a discount 🙂
travelcats Post author
Yes, I think Rothenburg (and some of the other stops along the Romantic Road) are really must-sees. Stay tuned for future posts on our time to Rothenburg–the part we didn’t spend shopping for gifts:)
Dee Post author
Oh my, this would be very helpful for people who need a guide to souvenir shopping in Rothenburg! I’d certainly bear it in mind if I ever find myself in those parts. I especially loved the Christmas Village souvenir store! Christmas in July? I want in!
travelcats Post author
Thanks for stopping by Dee! Yes, we actually got a bit lost in the festive Christmas Village store as it is so large!