If you are staying just outside the old town center, making the Lopsinger Gate part of your morning…read morewalk is an absolute must. Walking from my hotel into town through this historic structure felt incredibly magical every single day. My absolute favorite part of the walk is the adorable pig statue located just outside the gate, a fun nod to the local legend of the brave pig that saved the town from an invasion centuries ago. He makes me smile every single morning, and I've even taken to mentally greeting him as I pass by. Depending on the time of day and what I had going on, I loved having the flexibility to either stroll right through the main ground-level archway or climb the stairs to walk across the elevated ramparts. Best of all, when I am out and about alone, I felt completely safe exploring this beautiful area by myself at any hour. It is beautifully preserved, full of local character, and a perfect introduction to Nordlingen.

The Löpsinger Tor secured the important trade route to Nürnberg and on to Leipzig during medieval…read moretimes. The old tower was built before 1388, but it was demolished in 1592 and rebuilt in the style of the Deininger Tor in the following two years. The foundation stone was laid on March 6, 1593. This tower stands 42 meters (138 feet) high, and the current roof hood was constructed in 1770. In 1837 a sundial was installed. The City Wall Museum has been housed here since 1987 on six levels -- a rich and interesting defense museum with numerous exhibits on the history of the Nördlinger City Wall. The Nördlinger City Wall is the only city ​​wall in Germany that has a completely preserved, walkable and partially covered battlement. It encircles the entire medieval old town of Nördlingen and can be walked continuously over a length of 2.6 kilometers. The city wall includes five gates with four gate towers (Baldinger gate tower collapsed in 1703), eleven other towers and two bastions. It's always so much fun to walk around these medieval towns imagining how the life must have been lived within these walls. Incidentally, there are two other walled towns around here--Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Dinklesbühl. Nördlingen is less commercialized, therefore, it is quieter, and you'll find less tourists.