The name "Rothenburg ob der Tauber" is German for "Red fortress above the Tauber". This is so because the town is located on a plateau overlooking the Tauber River. As to the name "Rothenburg", some say it comes from the German words rot (red) and burg (burgh, medieval fortified settlement), referring to the red color of the roofs of the houses which overlook the river.
It is well known for its well-preserved medieval old town, and is part of the popular Romantic Road through southern Germany.