Plönlein: Rothenburg ob der Tauber Travel Guide (4.7★)

Where the lane splits in two

Walk south from the Marktplatz down Obere Schmiedgasse and the street forks in front of you. Plönlein, meaning “little square”, is that fork. A tall, narrow half-timbered house fills the wedge between the two lanes. Behind it on the left, the cobbles rise to the Siebersturm, a stone gate tower. On the right, Kobolzeller Steige drops downhill toward the Kobolzeller Tor.

A small fountain stands at the corner, and the houses around it hold shops. It’s the most photographed view in Rothenburg ob der Tauber and one of the best-known street scenes in Germany. Plan on 15–20 minutes here, longer if you’re waiting for a clear shot.

Reaching the corner

The old town is compact and you get around it on foot.

• From the Marktplatz: roughly a five-minute walk south along Obere Schmiedgasse, which becomes Untere Schmiedgasse. Plönlein is at the bottom of it.
• From Rothenburg station: regional trains come in via Steinach. Walk west through the Rödertor and on to the Marktplatz, then carry on south.
• By car: cars are mostly kept out of the walled centre, so use the signed car parks outside the walls and walk in through a gate.

Look out for the occasional delivery van or resident’s car in the lanes. They’re narrow and paved with cobbles.

Getting the shot without a crowd in it

Plönlein is very popular. Tour coaches drop groups at the Marktplatz from mid-morning, and many of those groups walk straight here. Arriving early usually beats them. After the day-trippers leave, the evening is calmer too, and the lamps come on along the façades.

Some tips:

• Where to stand: the classic angle is from the uphill side on Untere Schmiedgasse, looking at the fork. Stand at the edge of the street, not in the middle of it.
• Residents: these are working shops and lived-in houses. Keep tripods off doorsteps and keep your voice down at night.
• Walk both lanes: go through the Siebersturm and you reach the Kobolzeller Tor bastion, with views over the Tauber valley. Then come back up Kobolzeller Steige, so you see the fork from below as well.
• Food: bakeries nearby sell Schneeballen, the town’s ball-shaped pastry. Small shops in the old town often prefer cash.

What else is close by

You can tie Plönlein into a short loop of the southern old town:

• Siebersturm and Kobolzeller Tor: both are a few steps from the fork and part of the town’s medieval defences.
• Spitaltor: keep going south past the Siebersturm to the town’s biggest gate complex. You can climb the walkway on the town walls near here.
• Marktplatz: the Rathaus and the Ratstrinkstube clock with its Meistertrunk figures are back up the hill.
• Burggarten: the castle garden on the western edge looks down over the Tauber.

At Christmas, the Reiterlesmarkt fills the Marktplatz and the old town gets much busier, Plönlein included. Night-watchman walking tours start from the Marktplatz in the evenings. Their schedule changes with the season, so check it with the tourist office on the square.