Revealing the famous Rothenburg Pinocchio connection, Plönlein and beyond!
When people think of Rothenburg, a town that has been sparking my imagination for the last 35 years or so, the first thing they often think of is the Rothenburg Pinocchio connection.
Naturally people who are headed for the historic German town want to know what the Pinocchio Germany connection is, and if they can find the little long nosed guy around town.
Here’s the short story, Rothenburg inspired Disney’s illustrators, and no, you really won’t find much of anything directly relating to the puppet here.
However, there are plenty of great landmarks around town that will definitely make you feel as if you’ve landed yourself in the famous animated Disney classic Pinocchio.
Keep reading to learn more as I set the record straight about the connection between the two and where you can “see” Pinocchio in Rothenburg!
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Table of Contents
THE Rothenburg Pinocchio connection
Rothenburg is known as the Pinocchio German Town. So, what is the Rothenburg Pinocchio connection anyway?
Let’s get down to it…the ONLY connection that Rothenburg od der Tauber has with Pinocchio is that the cute little village inspired the creators at Walt Disney. When making the 1944 Disney film Pinocchio, they modeled the village in the film after Rothenburg. That’s it. That is as far as the connection goes.
Here’s the full lowdown on the matter:
According to Wikipedia, Illustrator and concept artist Gustaf Tenggren based the village in Walt Disney’s Pinocchio on photographs and images of the town. They were seeking an old-world town look for the film and fanciful Rothenburg fit the bill.
“Tenggren’s famous scenes in Pinocchio are [loosely] based on photographs and images of the quintessential German tourist destination (itself a nostalgic reimagining) – the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.” –Fantasy Imaginaries and Landscapes of Desire Gustaf Tenggren’s Forgotten Decades
Is Pinocchio Italian or German?
The story of Pinocchio was Italian, not German! The very first book I ever bought was a 1946 copy of The Adventures of Pinocchio. I was around 8 or 9 years old at the time and living in Germany, just 20 km from Rothenburg.
Someone living in our apartment building was having a garage sale in the basement and I snatched it up because the illustrations really appealed to me. I’ve read it many times over the years!
Interestingly, the original story of Pinocchio took place in Italy, not Germany.
The book was written by Italian Author Carlo Collodi and tells the story of a Puppet. Pinocchio was originally published in a magazine in 1882 and then as a novel in 1883. The original was written in Italian and illustrated by Illustrator Enrico Mazzanti, who was also Italian!
The original was a little different than Disney’s version, not as saccharin sweet, and Pinocchio’s lessons a bit harsher. The setting was Tuscany and while the story had a decidedly Italian flare, Disney decided to go with a more traditional fanciful storybook style village for their movie.
Why model the animated film after Rothenburg?
Rothenburg and its fairy-tale appearance are a real-life fantasy straight out of the Middle Ages. The picturesque town sits on Germany’s Romantic Road route. It is surrounded by an enchanted forest and sits majestically overlooking the Tauber Valley, home to the Tauber River.
The old town walls, which once protected the old quarter from invaders, encircle timber-frame houses with gable roofs. Crooked streets wind through rows of half-timbered houses which line ancient streets. If this isn’t the perfect storybook village, I’ll eat my glass Cinderella slipper!
I put Pinocchio in Rothenburg
The most famous puppet in the world, Pinocchio is a true international star, but you won’t see much of him here. While I have seen a few long-nosed puppets sold in souvenir shops around town, there really isn’t a big interest in capitalizing on the matter.
Now that we’ve got the facts down, let’s have some fun! I’ve taken some of Rothenburg’s most famous buildings and added in the adorable little liar so you can see just why Disney chose my favorite German town for their storybook village!
You’ll learn a bit about the famous sites in the medieval town which was destined for fairy tale fame! Let’s call it “Pinocchio goes to Rothenburg!“
Plönlein, pinocchio haus rothenburg
Plönlein is the famous crooked little building in the heart of Rothenburg. This is one of Rothenburg’s most recognizable landmarks and is the one spot most often associated with Pinocchio. I assume the reason for its association is that it has a decidedly storybook appeal.
Want more details? Plonlein Guide
Gerlachschmiede Blacksmith’s house
I imagine this whimsical little house would make the perfect location for Geppetto’s home. You’ll get a great bird’s eye view of it from the old 14th century town wall, the perfect place to avoid the midday crowds that descend upon the old town center. That’s right, uninterrupted views of what Disney illustrators considered their perfect movie backdrop!
You’ll find my name on the city wall!
As you explore the elevated two-mile trail that winds along the city wall look for the plaque with my name on it! Want to know where to find it? Send me a message and I’ll email you a pdf map!
The Castle Garden
Rothenburg once had a majestic castle. Today, in its place is the lovely Rothenburg Castle Garden, a fanciful gate stands at the entrance.
Zur Hoell
Step into this 1,000-year-old gem of a restaurant for some local food, Franconian style! You’ll be delighted by the local cuisine choices like tasty local sausages, crispy roasted pork shanks, and creamy sauces with chanterelle mushrooms!
Market Square
The main square or market square is home to the Rathaus (town hall), with its rich history. This is also the location of the clock tower which presents visitors with a whimsical mechanical show several times per day.
The town’s famed market square is also the meeting place for the Night Watchman’s Tour. The Night Watchman leads lantern lit tours around the old town at twilight. It’s one of the top things to do in Rothenburg after dark!
Medieval Crime Museum
One of my favorite things to do in Rothenburg is explore the medieval punishment museum. The criminal museum has an impressive collection of all things related to crime, punishment, and torture. My favorite authentic artifacts are the creepy shame masks and the REAL iron maiden!
Käthe Wohlfahrt’s and the Christmas Museum
Käthe Wohlfahrt store is home to the world’s largest collection of German Christmas ornaments. Inside you’ll discover festive Christmas displays, a towering Christmas tree, and wooden Christmas decorations like colourful wooden nutcracker kings, Christmas pyramids, and decorative candle arches, many of which are made in the nearby Erzgebirge Region
Above the store is a Christmas Museum with fun displays covering festive traditions, the story of the first advent calendar, traditional Christmas items, present-day baubles and more!
In front of the store you’ll find the famous cherry-red vintage car, often referred to as the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car.
The town is magical during the festive season around Advent. Rothenburg’s Christmas Market presents the perfect festive scene. The area doesn’t get a lot of snow so while you likely won’t find thick blankets of snow, you’ll often experience snow dusted cobbled streets!
The whole town is alight with twinkling lights, festive greenery, and the smells of roasting nuts and sausages intermingled with spiced wine and gingerbread! Chalets where you can shop for traditional crafts spring up around town.
You may be interested in: What to Buy at the German Christmas Markets
Gotisches Haus Hotel
My favorite hotel in Rothenburg is the Gotisches Haus Hotel. This 700-year-old hotel has fantastic old-world decor and has hosted crown princes. You can read all about Gotisches Haus, or check prices now on Booking.com!
Watch the Movie
I’ve got to admit, this ridiculously adorable movie is one of my all-time favorite Disney films. The quaint village, a sleepy old town with crooked streets, is as pretty as a picture. You can watch the full movie here! Here’s the movie trailer but if you want to watch the full movie you can watch it at Daily Motion.
Frequently Asked Questions
about the Pinocchio ob der Tauber connection and more!
What German town inspired Pinocchio?
That would be the wonderfully higgledy-piggledy village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber! While the story of Pinocchio is actually Italian and the book’s setting is in Italy, the artists at Walt Disney modeled the town in the Disney classic movie after Rothenburg.
Was Harry Potter filmed in Rothenburg?
Yes, while we are on the subject of popular children’s flicks filmed here, we might as well address this one too. Another popular inaccuracy about Rothenburg is that Harry Potter was filmed there. Not so. Aerial filming was done in Rothenburg for the Deathly Hallows movies. However, the footage did not make it into the final edit.
conclusion
Now you know Rothenburg’s connection to Pinocchio, and while the rest of the world may think this is the town of Pinocchio, you know better! I had fun with this article and creating these fun illustrations from photos that I’ve taken around Rothenburg. I hope it’s been a fun read for you, and hope I’ve been able to introduce you to some of Rothenburg’s best landmarks.
I have lots of articles that include helpful information about Rothenburg to help you plan your next trip!
