Just three hours from the UK is the pretty, fairytale-like town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Germany’s Bavaria. Visiting this town has been compared to ‘walking into a Disney movie‘ – and there’s a good reason for this comparison.

When making the 1940 animated film Pinocchio, Walt Disney used this beautiful destination as the visual inspiration for the town in which Geppetto and Pinocchio lived. Rothenburg’s Plönlein, which translates to ‘small place by the fountain’, is perhaps the town’s most famous motif, and it’s this that inspired the animators at Disney. This medieval-era entrance to the Hospital District features a yellow half-timbered house and the two towers of the old city wall, which have stood since 1360.

Highlighting the Pinocchio link, Rothenburg‘s official website says: “The Plönlein is a real world star: For many people, the half-timbered house on the Plönlein represents the typical Rothenburg old town motif.

“Starting with Walt Disney classic Pinocchio(1940), its architecture is repeatedly copied by artists, architects and designers when it comes to depicting a typical medieval European backdrop.”

Alongside Pinocchio, Rothenburg’s Plönlein has also featured in the Tekken video game franchise and the Little Snow Fairy Sugar anime series.

To get to this beautiful Bavarian town, it’s a two-hour flight to Nuremberg Airport, and then an hour’s drive. Flights from London Stansted to Nuremberg cost just £30 for a round-trip with Ryanair.

After visiting the Plönlein, there’s plenty more to do in Rothenburg, from the iconic Town Hall, Blade Gate, Castle Garden, the Medieval Crime Museum, and the German Christmas Museum.

During the festive season, they also host the oldest Christmas market in Rothenburg, known as the Reiterlesmarkt, which offers traditional gifts and festive merriment.