Germany Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Castle Gate

A beautiful view, featuring the Castle Gate and the Castle Tower.

Historical background information:
Due to the 1356 Basel earthquake, the old castle as the nucleus of Rothenburg city didn’t remain intact for posterity, although the amount of damage the earthquake did to the building is a controversial issue among researchers since the then already advanced decay of the castle can’t be reliably assessed. The Castle Gate and the Castle Tower were built after this natural disaster to keep the west city entrance safe from invaders. There used to be a moat in front of the gate, and you had to use a drawbridge, on which only the running grooves at the tower are still recognizable, to access the castle area. The romantic-looking gate system, serving as a substructure for the Gardener´s House since the 17th century, was examined archaeologically in 2007 for the first time.

You will need to shoot quite wide if you want to include the Castle Tower completely.

There are five main parking areas (P1-P5) around the city walls, providing space for roughly 1,000 vehicles and quick access to the old town. In my opinion, the fee of € 5,50 for a day ticket is quite reasonable.

For more information about other great Rothenburg photo locations, the history of the photographed buildings, and additional remarks about the postprocessing feel free to have a look at my recently published article on my website:
https://www.bilderschmied.com/tips-rothenburg-beyond-the-ploenlein