European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 24, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The romantic Road to it and beyond continued from Page 9 villages nearby were no More than a Hole in the German soil. The Hole is the Ries a massive Crater from a meteor Impact More than 15 million years ago. The towns protected from weather and marauders by the rim of the Crater grew like a fungus in the Hole. In time scientists reasoned that the Crater had a soil Topography similar to the Moon hence the Apollo Crew s pre lunar  with Rothenburg and Dinkel Buhl nor Lingen is the last in a Trio of walled cities on the romantic Road. Unfortunately nor Lingen is the least intact with Many 20th-Century eyesores eating away at the medieval facade of the fortress City. But in Many ways the walled City is still As magnificent today As it was when it was built. For example the 14th-Century  an almost perfect Circle with five Gates t1 towers and one bastion. In the Middle of the town the Daniel term dominates the Wagon wheel Street plan. Built out of volcanic Stone from the Crater the Tower is rough and rugged like the people who carved the Stone but maybe something in the Crater made the people of nor Lingen just a Little unusual throughout the town Are examples of an Odd sense of Justice and humor. For example a Halfway up the Tower visitors can find what appears to be a huge Hamster wheel. In the Good old Days convicts were put in the wheel to operate a medieval elevator in the Tower. A at the Rathaus or City Hall near a wide marketplace in the Center of town there is a Small space under the stairs where they used to hold prisoners. And in the Stone of a nearby building someone carved a Jester s face with the inscription nun sind uns Erzey or Quot now there Are two of us Quot meaning the Jester and the curious person staring at the carving. A nor Lingen was the place where 35 women were put to death in the 16th Century on suspicion of practising witchcraft and remnants of that tortuous period remain in the stad museum or City museum. The museum was once a self contained Hospital Complete with functioning Mills stores and a Church. Given Nordlinger s Odd characteristics and unique location it s surprising More visitors Don t Stop in the own. Unlike Rothenburg which has managed to gobble up most of the tourist Trade nor Lingen is quiet and Serene. Its surprises Are still fresh and unexplored offering tourists an alternative to staying in Rothenburg or the More banal Dinkel Buhl. After All even the astronauts stopped in nor Lingen on their Way to the Moon. An Entrance to nor Lingen another walled City. The giant Castle at Harburg a. Short drive from nor Lingen has never been taken in Battle top photo. This Entrance to nor Lingen Only has room for one Way traffic left. A woman photographs her daughter in a device outside Rothenburg s torture museum above. Stripes Magazine november 24, 1994