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See this week's volksmarch events.

The weekend we’ve been waiting for is here: The annual Rothenburg ob der Tauber walk has arrived. We think this is one of the premier walking events in the world.

The Rothenburg club has set up six-, 11-, and 21-kilometer courses outside the city for Saturday and Sunday, as well as the 20th annual 11-kilometer old city walk on Saturday afternoon that will wind through the streets of Rothenburg. You also can walk the 12k permanent trail, the “Altstadtblick,” which offers a panoramic view of the old city. Something new this year is a Nordic walking route that is between six- and eight-kilometers long.

Start times are Saturday 7 a.m. until noon for the six-, 11- and 21-kilometer courses and then noon until 4 p.m. for the old city walk. Sunday’s times are 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. for the six- and 11-kilometer marches and 7 a.m. until noon for the longer 21k course. The prize this year is a candle that appears to have a design similar to the Weizenbierglass they’ve given the past two years. If you don’t want the candle, you can choose a B-medal beer glass as long as quantities last.

The start is in the sport hall and, as in every year we’ve been there, there will be food, music, assorted vendors — and a lot of volksmarchers.

We will arrive early Friday afternoon so we can walk around the city while the shops are still open. Later in the evening, we’ll meet the rest of our fellow Tri-Border Walking Club members at the place we always stay, Gasthaus Zum Schmölzer.

There are some very unusual sights in and around Rothenburg. In March 1945, Rothenburg was bombed and about 40 percent of the city was destroyed. It is remarkable how it has been rebuilt and restored. There are several towers and gates in and around the city. One of the most famous is the well-photographed Plönlein and Siebersturm. One of our favorite places to visit is St. Jacob’s Church. Inside is one of the huge, ornately carved altars made by master sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider in about 1500. You also have to find the Alte Schmiede. This is a centuries-old, triangle-shaped building that used to be a blacksmith’s shop. If the town hall is open, try to climb to the top of the tower to get a breathtaking view of the city and the Tauber Valley.

One place that is frequently visited and talked about is the Medieval Crime Museum. In it you’ll find instruments such as the torture chamber and various executioners’ axes, and you can even have someone take your picture while you position yourself in the stocks outside the entrance. Then there’s the Doll and Toy Museum on Hofbronnengasse, just off the Marktplatz. In the past, some museums along the old town gave discounts to those who presented a IVV start card. The amount of the discount varied from museum to museum.

Don’t miss the Käthe Wohlfahrt shop, where it is Christmas all year. On Saturday there will be all kinds of shops open in the morning and early afternoon. There are a few nice art stores where you can buy a nice lithograph of the city sights. These make nice souvenirs. Look also for stores that sell the Rothenburg Schneeballen. These balls of dough come in many flavors and taste pretty good as you work up an appetite walking.

As you wander around, make sure you walk along a portion of the wall that partially encircles the city. This will offer another perspective. If you’re there in the evening, the city is usually lit up for even more beautiful sights.

The city’s cobblestone streets can be hard on the feet and jarring for anyone riding in a stroller, so wear good walking shoes and be prepared to carry the little ones if it gets too rough. The trails can be steep and pretty slick in places if it is a frosty morning, so watch your footing. The start hall can get very crowded, and a small dog might get tripped over, so if you’re walking with a dog, try to get there early to beat the crowd.

Outside the city there is an old Roman double bridge that crosses the Tauber River. Nowhere else have we seen a bridge with two rows of arches, one on top of the other. When we did the permanent trail a couple of years ago, we went several kilometers outside the city and got a tremendous view of the old walled part of Rothenburg. As we worked our way back, the trail took us across the double-decker Roman bridge and into the city. There were several steep areas as well as stairs, so strollers could be challenged on the permanent trail.

Whether you choose to walk the trails outside this city or the Saturday old town walk within, plan to spend some part of your weekend in Rothenburg, the best-known walled city in Germany. With any luck, there will be at least a little bit of snow on the buildings to add to the “Wow!” factor. Even if you do only one volksmarching event while you are here in Europe, this is the one for you to attend.

Rothenburg is easily reached via Autobahn 7 and is near the intersection of A6 and A7. No car? No problem! The start hall is only a five-minute walk from the train station.

• • •

Saturday and Sunday, the Les Spiroux walking club will host a walk in Trois Ponts, Belgium. It starts at the football field R.R.C. Trois Ponts-Henri Moulin. Start the seven-kilometer route between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., the 12k trail between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. and the 21k walk between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. The walk closes at 5 p.m. In addition to IVV credit, you can pick up a sticker for your walking diaries.

After the walk, make the 11-mile trip to the Baugnez Historical Center. Located on the site of the Malmedy Massacre and across the street from the large star-shaped memorial, this museum opened about two years ago and has many excellent features. There are numerous dioramas, audio guides in English, a film about the massacre in English, and a gift shop with books in English. For more information, visit www.baugnez44.be.

We have walked in Trois-Ponts and visited the Baugnez Historical Center several times. We think it is a great combination of activities that make a very nice day outing.

Miscellaneous short notes about this week’s events:

• B-medals will be presented at the walk in Flacht, Germany. Last year organizers gave toy Porsches as the prize. If you’re lucky, you might be able to get the Porsche you’ve always wanted.

• After you walk in Kelheim, Germany, your start card will get you into the town swimming pool for free.

• The prize for completing the volksmarch in Banfe, Germany, is a coffee cup with a spoon that fits in the handle of the cup.

• If the Borso del Grappa, Italy, course is the same as in past years, it will include serious mountain trails for the longer walks.

E-mail volksmarch information to two.walkers@yahoo.com. Mail brochures to Bob and Lorraine Huffaker, CMR 460, Box 278, APO, AE, 09752.

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