Hotel Eisenhut

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

ABOVE: The main lobby of the Hotel Restaurant Eisenhut was once a private chapel.

Rothenburg, Germany has many excellent hotels and guesthouses, but the traditional top choice--and the hotel with the most celebrated history--is the Hotel Restaurant Eisenhut in the Herrngasse, just off the Markplatz in the center of town.

The Eisenhut occupies four connected patrician houses that were built in the 15th and 16th Centuries. George Andreas Eisenhut turned the original building into a wine tavern in 1876, and his son-in-law enlarged the inn into a hotel. Today, the hotel is owned by Dr. Hans J. Pirner, the great-grandson of the founder, and is managed by the gracious and capable Jochem F. Eylardi.

Guest rooms and suites

As in many older European hotels, no two rooms at the Eisenhut are the same, and accommodations vary from spacious suites to cozy singles. The decor also varies, with some rooms being furnished in a relatively modern style and others with antiques.

The Hotel Eisenhut was nearly full when I visited, so I was given one of the smallest rooms: a single named the "Atelier" that was tucked under the eaves and had skylights instead of windows. Although the room couldn't be termed luxurious, it had an extremely comfortable bed and a well-equipped bathroom, and it was furnished with a nicely matched assortment of genuine antiques. Cleanliness and service were impeccable: the maid even placed a small cloth next to the bed during the nightly turndown service, so that I wouldn't have to step directly onto the floral carpet when I got out of bed in the morning.

Dining and drinking

The Eisenhut has a pleasant bar-café where a pianist plays in the evenings; next door are several dining rooms that serve imaginatively prepared international and Franconian cuisine. In summer, you can have lunch or dinner on a terrace or order Bavarian dishes in the hotel's Löwenbräu beer garden.

The hotel's buffet breakfast is outstanding (don't miss the rolls with sunflower seeds). It costs extra, however, so allow time for a leisurely breakfast unless you want to pay 15 euros for a quick cup of coffee and a slice of toast.

For more information, see:

Hotel Restaurant Eisenhut
The hotel's Web site has an online reservations form. Before booking, check the "Packages" page for special offers.

Also see the following pictures:

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