St. Jakob, Rothenburg
St.-Jakobs-Kirche49°23′ N 10°11′ E
St. Jakob is Rothenburg's Lutheran town church beside the Reiterlesmarkt, and it suits anyone who wants to see Tilman Riemenschneider's Holy Blood altar between market rounds. In December it opens 10:00 to 17:00, and November hours are short.
Photo Holger Uwe Schmitt · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
The church stands on the Kirchplatz, where part of the Reiterlesmarkt sets up its stalls. It took from 1311 to 1484 to finish, and the tourism service counts it among the town's top sights for Tilman Riemenschneider's Holy Blood altar, carved around 1500. The Rieger organ from 1968 is one of the largest in southern Germany.
December is the easiest month to visit, with the church open from 10:00 to 17:00. In November the window shrinks to 11:00 to 14:00, which can catch out early-season market visitors who arrive after lunch. In 2025 the church held organ concerts at 18:00 on the Advent Saturdays, a good way to close a day at the market.
Worth knowing
- Visit before 14:00 if you're in Rothenburg in November.
Quick answers about St. Jakob, Rothenburg
When is St. Jakob in Rothenburg open in December?
St. Jakob in Rothenburg ob der Tauber opens from 10:00 to 17:00 in December, according to the town's tourism service. In November it opens only from 11:00 to 14:00.
Where is the Riemenschneider altar in Rothenburg?
Tilman Riemenschneider's Holy Blood altar, carved around 1500, is inside St. Jakob on the Kirchplatz in Rothenburg ob der Tauber.