Map: Nazi Documentation Center & Rally Grounds
NEAR THE FRAUENTOR, ON KÖNIGSTRASSE
NEAR THE FRAUENTOR, ON LUITPOLDSTRASSE
SOUTH OF THE RIVER, NEAR THE STATION
Map: Central Nürnberg Restaurants
NORTH OF THE RIVER, NEAR THE CASTLE
Nürnberg (“Nuremberg” in English), Bavaria’s second city, is known for its glorious medieval architecture, important Germanic history museum, haunting Nazi past, famous Christmas market (Germany’s biggest), and little bratwurst (Germany’s tiniest and perhaps most beloved). Nürnberg (NEWRN-behrg) was one of Europe’s leading cities in about 1500, and its large Imperial Castle marked it as a stronghold of the Holy Roman Empire.
Today, though Nürnberg has a half-million residents, the charming Old Town—with its red-sandstone Gothic buildings—makes visitors feel like they are in a far smaller city. Thanks to an enlightened city-planning vision that rebuilt the town in a modern yet people-friendly style after the war, and policies that ensured that lots of residents chose to live in the center, Nürnberg’s downtown is lively and inviting day and night.
Nürnberg is an easy add-on to any itinerary that includes Munich, Würzburg, or Rothenburg (each about an hour away by frequent trains), and a handy stop on the way to Frankfurt, Berlin, or Dresden. Keep in mind that nearly all its museums (except those relating to World War II) are closed on Monday.
For the sightseer, Nürnberg is a city of the First Reich (Holy Roman Empire sights in the Old Town) and the Third Reich (Nazi-period sights that lie outside the town center).
If you’re staying just one night (or day-tripping from elsewhere), follow my self-guided walk from the train station through the Old Town up to the castle, then visit the Nazi sites. If you have two days (most worthwhile if you have a serious interest in German history, especially the Nazi years), spend one day at the Nazi Documentation Center (and the nearby Rally Grounds) and the other in the Old Town, with time for its outstanding history museum (the Germanic National Museum).
Nürnberg’s Old Town is surrounded by a three-mile-long wall and moat, and, beyond that, a ring road. At the southeast corner of the ring is the train station; across the street, just inside the ring, is the medieval Frauentor gate. Sights cluster along Königstrasse downhill from the Frauentor to the small Pegnitz River, then back uphill through the main market square (Hauptmarkt) to the Imperial Castle (Kaiserburg). The former Nazi Rally Grounds are southeast of the center (easily accessible by tram or bus).
Nürnberg’s handy and helpful TI is across the ring road from the station, in the modern building just opposite the Frauentor (Mon-Sat 9:00-19:00, Sun 10:00-16:00, Königstrasse 93, tel. 0911/233-6132, www.tourismus.nuernberg.de). Pick up their free city map and the free See and Enjoy city-guide booklet (with updated sights hours and prices) and get information about bus and walking tours. The TI also books rooms (no fee) and sells transit passes and the Nürnberg Card (see below). The TI has a small branch office at #18 on the Hauptmarkt (Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00, also open Sun April-Nov and during the Christmas market 10:00-16:00).
Discount Day Pass: When you buy a ticket at any of Nürnberg’s city-run museums—including the Nazi Documentation Center, Nürnberg Trials Courtroom, Albrecht Dürer House, Toy Museum, and the City Museum—you can pay an additional €2.50 for a day pass that lets you visit all the others free of charge on the same day (www.museen.nuernberg.de).
Nürnberg Card: If you’re staying at least two days, this card is a good value and gets you into a much wider range of sights (€25/2 days, €5 for kids ages 6-11, sold at TI and most hotels, covers all local public transit and admission to all city-run museums, the Germanic National Museum, Imperial Castle, German Railway Museum, and more—plus small discounts on bus and walking tours).
By Train: Nürnberg’s stately old Hauptbahnhof—with a shiny new interior—is conveniently located just outside the old city walls and ring road. The busy station has WCs, lockers, ATMs, and lots of shops. You can get train information and buy tickets at the Reisezentrum in the main hall (center of building, long hours daily).
To reach the Frauentor (the medieval city’s southern gate)—which is near most recommended hotels and is also the starting point for exploring the Old Town—follow signs for Ausgang/City down the escalator, then signs to Königstor/Frauentor and Altstadt in the underpass. When you emerge, the TI is on your right and the Frauentor tower is on your left.
To go directly from the station to the Nazi Documentation Center and the former Nazi Rally Grounds, follow the pink Tram signs in the underpass to the stop in front of the Postbank Center and catch tram #9 in the direction of Doku-Zentrum (leaves every 10 minutes).
By Long-Distance Bus: The city’s long-distance buses all congregate at the central bus terminal (ZOB), a five-minute walk from the Frauentor at Bahnhofstrasse 11.
By Car: A handful of public garages are located within the city walls (most around €15/day and well-signed); cheaper on-street parking is available if you’re willing to look for it in the neighborhoods that lie a 5- to 10-minute walk from the city walls.
Most of Nürnberg’s sights are in the strollable Old Town, but you’ll need to use public transit for the Nazi Rally Grounds and the Nürnberg Trials Courtroom, which are far beyond walking distance. Nürnberg has the typical German lineup of trams, buses, U-Bahns (subways), and S-Bahns (faster suburban trains). All work on the same tickets, which you can buy at vending machines (marked VAG Fahrausweise) on the tram platform or before entering the U- or S-Bahns, or on board (buses only). A single ticket (Einzelfahrkarte) costs €2.60 (good for 90 minutes of travel in one direction, including transfers). A short-stretch ticket (Kurzstreckefahrkarte) is a cheaper option (€1.80) for a short trip no more than three stops away. A day ticket is €5.40 (TagesTicket Solo, good for one calendar day or both Sat and Sun; the €9.40 TagesTicket Plus covers 2 adults and up to 4 children; day tickets also sold at TI). Everything in this chapter is within Zone (Preisstufe) A. Vending machines time-stamp single and day tickets, so you don’t need to validate them separately. For more information, see www.vgn.de.
Festivals: Two summer music festivals cater to different crowds in late July: Klassik Open Air is a series of free classical concerts and fireworks shows held at Luitpoldhain park, near the Nazi Documentation Center (www.klassikopenair.de), and Bardentreffen Nürnberg hosts all kinds of world-music acts right in the city center (www.bardentreffen.de). Two city fairs happen every spring and fall, also at Luitpoldhain park, with rides, traditional costumes, and the works (www.volksfest-nuernberg.de). The annual Christmas market (Christkindlesmarkt), with more than two million visitors each year, engulfs the Hauptmarkt (starts the Fri before the first Sun in Advent—November 25 in 2016, www.christkindlesmarkt.de).
Laundry: A Schnell & Sauber coin launderette with instructions in English is at Allersberger Strasse 89 (daily 6:00-22:00, until 23:00 in summer, near Schweiggerstrasse stop for tram #9, two stops from train station in same direction as Nazi Documentation Center; from tram stop, head 200 yards away from downtown along Allersberger Strasse to see launderette on left).
English-language tours of Nürnberg’s Old Town leave daily at 13:00 in peak season from the branch TI at Hauptmarkt 18 (mid-April-early Jan, €10, kids under 14 free, 2 hours, no reservation needed, buy ticket from TI or guide, www.nuernberg-tours.de).
This intriguing tour takes you deep into the sandstone cellars under Castle Hill to learn how the city protected most of its art treasures (plus some plundered from elsewhere in Europe) from WWII’s most devastating bomb attacks (see here). The bunkers are largely empty now, except for the photos posted at each stop of the tour. You’ll get some background on the pieces kept here, and hear a lot about the air raids and the citywide rebuilding process that followed. While most live guides give the tour only in German, the good included audioguide is in English (€6, daily at 14:30, Fri-Sat also at 17:30, 1.25 hours, buy tickets and meet at the Brauereiladen brewery shop—under the Nürnberger Altstadthof sign—at Bergstrasse 19, tel. 0911/2360-2731, www.felsengaenge-nuernberg.de).
If you’re interested in seeing just the cellars themselves, consider the more frequent “Historic Rock-Cut Beer Cellars” tour, which takes you through more than a half-acre of passages burrowed right under the city streets (about a tenth of the city’s vast network). Originally dug in the Middle Ages to store beer, these cellars sheltered people, not art, during the WWII air raids. This tour ends with a brief sales pitch (and a tasting) from the host brewery, but you can easily skip out once you’re above ground (€6—includes tasting, Mon-Fri at 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, and 17:00, Sat-Sun hourly 11:00-17:00, tours in German except English tour Sun at 11:30, English audioguide provided, 1.25 hours, same meeting place and contact info as art bunker tour).
On either tour, underground temperatures stay cool year-round—bring a sweater.
These tours, which include some walking, leave daily at 10:00 (May-Oct and Dec) from the Old Granary (Mauthalle) at Hallplatz, two blocks up from the Frauentor TI (€17, buy ticket on bus or at TI, 2.5 hours, in German and English, tel. 0911/202-290, www.neukam.de).
A goofy little tourist train makes the rounds in the Old Town (€7, 40 minutes, live narration in German only, written information in English, schedule posted at fountain, leaves Hauptmarkt April-Oct about hourly 10:30-16:00, March and Nov weekends only, no trips Dec-Feb, www.nuernberg-tourist.de).
For a good and charming local guide, call Doris Ritter (€135/3 hours, tel. 0911/518-1719, mobile 0176-2421-5863, www.nuernberg-city-tours.de, doris.ritter@gmx.de). The Geschichte für Alle (“History for All”) association can set you up with good private guides who are enthusiastic about the town’s history (office open Mon-Thu 9:00-12:30 & 14:00-17:00, Fri 9:00-14:00, closed Sat-Sun; tel. 0911/307-360, www.geschichte-fuer-alle.de, info@geschichte-fuer-alle.de). Guides can also be booked through the TI (tel. 0911/233-6123, fuehrung@ctz-nuernberg.de).
Craftsmen’s Courtyard (Handwerkerhof)
Monument to German WWII Refugees
▲▲St. Lawrence Church (Lorenzkirche)
Near St. Lawrence Church: Tower House and Fountain
Holy Ghost Hospital (Heilig-Geist-Spital)
▲▲Hauptmarkt (Main Market Square)
City Museum (Stadtmuseum Fembohaus)
(See “Nürenberg” map, here.)
Many of Nürnberg’s top sights are conveniently clustered along a straight-line thoroughfare connecting the train station (Hauptbahnhof) with the main market square (Hauptmarkt) and the Imperial Castle (Kaiserburg). For a good orientation, take the following self-guided stroll, worth ▲▲. Plan on an hour, not including stops.
• Begin at the Frauentor (where you emerge from the Hauptbahnhof underpass).
This tower guards one of the four medieval entrances to Nürnberg’s Old Town. Of the three miles of wall that once surrounded the city, 90 percent survives. The sandstone was quarried locally, and you can still see the little dimples made by the construction tongs as they hoisted the stones into place. Many Central European cities tore down their walls to make way for expansion in the 1800s, and Nürnberg nearly did the same. Now the city is glad it didn’t: It’s better for tourism.
• Between the walls just next to the gate, you’ll see the entrance to the...
This hokey collection of half-timbered houses was built in 1971 to celebrate craftsmanship and to honor the 500th birthday of Nürnberg’s favorite son, Albrecht Dürer. Nürnberg didn’t have abundant natural resources or a navigable waterway, so its citizens made their living through trade and crafts (such as making scientific instruments, weapons, and armor). Dürer, arguably Germany’s best painter, was considered the ultimate craftsman.
While a bit kitschy, this courtyard—originally a holding zone for carriages waiting to enter the “free imperial city”—is good for picking up a medieval vibe as you enter the Old Town. It’s packed with replicas of medieval shops, where artisans actually make—and, of course, sell—leather, pottery, and brass goods. In the Middle Ages, this area between the walls was not a medieval mall but a Passkontrolle—a customs and security checkpoint zone where all visitors had to register before they could enter the town.
At the back of the courtyard, step through the old gate and out onto a bridge over what was the moat. The bridge marks one of four entries into the medieval town. Admire the double eagle over the entry—a reminder to all who approached that this was a free city under the direct control of the Habsburgs, who were the Holy Roman Emperors. Look over at the mighty, round Frauentor tower. It was originally square, but was made round after the development of better cannons (so balls would glance off rather than hit it head-on). Imagine cannons lined up under the eaves of the tower, set to defend the city.
• When you’re finished poking around the courtyard, head into town (with the train station at your back) along...
Though it had always been one of the four primary entrances to Nürnberg, this street became the city’s main drag only after the train station was built in the early 20th century. It’s lined with key sights, several recommended hotels and restaurants, and some wonderful Gothic and Neo-Gothic architecture.
Nürnberg hit its peak in the 14th century. In 1356 Emperor Charles IV issued a decree from Nürnberg called the Golden Bull, which regularized many aspects of imperial government. From then on, throughout the Middle Ages, German emperors were elected in Frankfurt, crowned in Aachen, and were supposed to hold their first Imperial Diet (a gathering of German nobles and VIPs) right here in Nürnberg, though not all bothered to follow through on such democratic and inclusive notions.
Nürnberg’s low point came during World War II. By the end of the war, 90 percent of the Old Town was destroyed. Damaged buildings were repaired in the original Gothic style. But some structures were beyond repair. Instead of replicating these exactly as they had been, or replacing them with modern-style buildings, postwar Nürnberg architects compromised. Look 50 yards down the street to #71. This is a good example of the city’s “traditional modern” ethic of rebuilding in a modern style while preserving the medieval city’s footprint and using traditional building materials (such as native sandstone). The blemishes on the older sandstone buildings all around are patched bullet scars from 1945.
Ahead, on the left, is the small Clara Church (Klarakirche). Step inside—first into a candlelit spiritual decompression chamber, and then into the modern and peaceful nave. The rear door leads to the old cloister area—a tranquil oasis and another good example of how the city retooled with respect for its history as it rebuilt. In the Middle Ages, Nürnberg had nine monasteries like this one. When the Reformation hit, Nürnberg turned Lutheran, and most of its monasteries were converted into practical municipal buildings such as hospitals and homes for the poor. As the monasteries fell, so did Nürnberg’s importance: The city was now Lutheran, but the emperors were still Catholic. They moved the increasingly frequent Imperial Diet meetings—once Nürnberg’s claim to fame—to more Catholic-friendly Regensburg. (Today, this church is an “ecumenical free church”—meaning it’s neither Lutheran nor Catholic and welcomes worshippers of all stripes.)
Just after the church, above the recommended Istanbul Restaurant, look for Mary on the second-story corner. Statues like this grace houses all over Nürnberg.
• Continue down Königstrasse to Hallplatz, where the pedestrian stretch begins, and stop at the metal arch on the left. This is the...
This minimalist metal doorway remembers the German refugees of World War II and the hospitality of the Bavarians who took them in. Walk through the doorway and find a metal plaque in the pavement 30 steps beyond. It lists regions to the east once populated by Germans. In the years after the war, nearly a third of Bavaria’s population was made up of German citizens who had fled west—or who’d been expelled from lands lost in the east. As a new generation of Germans comes into its own, memorials like this reflect a delicate challenge: to remember those who suffered in the war without forgetting that Germany was the aggressor.
• If you want to visit the excellent Germanic National Museum (described on here) now, detour left at Hallplatz and walk 200 yards. Otherwise, continue down the main drag and check out the...
Medieval Nürnberg had 11 of these huge granaries to ensure that residents would have enough food in case of famine or siege. The grain was stored up above in the attic (behind all those little dormer windows, which provided ventilation). Today, the cellar is home to a lively beer hall, Barfüsser. There are better places to eat in town, but pop in for a look or a drink.
Continue down pedestrian-only Königstrasse. Check out the Brezen Kolb stand, which sells pretzels local-style: as sandwiches with butter and cold cuts—never with mustard.
Look ahead to the street just beyond and across from the big church, notice another fine example of “traditional modern” architecture, and feel the energy of this healthy urban center. This drag used to have more cars and trams than any other street in town. But when the U-Bahn came in the 1970s, this part of the street became traffic-free.
• After another two blocks, you’ll see...
This once-Catholic, now-Protestant church is a massive house of worship. It was never a cathedral because Nürnberg never had a bishop (a fact locals were very proud of—a bishop would have threatened their prized independence). The name Königstrasse (“King Street”)—where you’ve been walking—is a misnomer. When royals processed into town, they actually preferred to come through the west gate, so they could approach this church’s magnificent facade head-on.
Cost and Hours: €1 donation requested, Mon-Sat 9:00-17:00, Sun 13:00-16:00, www.lorenzkirche.de.
Self-Guided Tour: Stand in front of St. Lawrence’s west portal, its main door. Flip around and imagine the Holy Roman Emperor parading—right past Starbucks—toward this tremendous Oz-like church.
Study the 260-foot-tall facade (completed c. 1360). Adam and Eve flank the doors (looking for a sweater). In the first row above the left door are two scenes: an intimate take on Jesus’ birth on top, and the visit from the Magi on the bottom (with the Star of Bethlehem shining from above). Over the right door are the slaughter of the innocents (with a baby skewered by a Roman sword—classic medieval subtlety), and below that the presentation of Jesus in the temple and the flight to Egypt. Above those scenes is the Passion story (from left to right: trial, scourging, carrying the cross, Crucifixion, deposition, entombment, Resurrection, and, above that row, people rising from their graves). In the next row up, the saved (Peter—with his huge key—and company) stand on the left, while the sorry chain gang of the damned (including some kings and bishops) is shuttled off literally into the jaws of hell on the right. Above it all stands the triumphant resurrected Christ, with the sun and moon at his feet, flanked by angels tooting horns to announce Judgment Day.
• Step inside (enter around right side).
The interior wasn’t completely furnished until more than a century after the church was built—just in time for the Reformation (so the Catholic decor adorned a now-Lutheran church). Most of the decorations inside were donated by wealthy Nürnbergers trying to cut down on their time in purgatory. Through the centuries, this art survived three separate threats: the iconoclasm of the Reformation, the whitewashing of the Baroque age, and the bombing of World War II. While Nürnberg was the first “free imperial city” to break with the Catholic Church and become Lutheran, locals didn’t go wild (like Swiss Protestants did) in tearing down the rich, Mary-oriented decor of their fine churches. Luther (who, despite some flaws, was still very cool for his time) told the iconoclasts, “Tear the idols out of your heart, and you’ll understand that these statues are only pieces of wood.”
Suspended over the altar, the sculptural Annunciation is by a Nürnberg citizen and one of Central Europe’s best woodcarvers, Veit Stoss. Carved in 1517, it shows the angel Gabriel telling Mary that she’ll be giving birth to the Messiah. Startled, she drops her prayer book. This is quite Catholic (notice the rosary frame with beads, and a circle of roses—one for each Hail Mary, and with a medallion depicting the “Joys of Mary”). The dove sits on Mary’s head, and God the Father—looking as powerful as a Holy Roman Emperor—looks down. The figures are carved from the wood of linden trees. The piece survived the Reformation covered in a sack, revealed only on special occasions. Around back, enjoy more details—Mary’s cascading hair, and the sun and the moon. Nearby, the altar painting at the very front of the church (behind the altar) shows the city of Nürnberg in 1483 (before the city’s square towers were made round).
To the left of the altar, the frilly tabernacle tower is the “house of sacraments” that stored the consecrated Communion wafer. After the Mass, leftovers needed a worthy—even heavenly—home, and this was it. The cupboard behind the gold grate was the appropriate receptacle for what Catholics considered literally “the body of Christ.” The theme of the carving is the Passion. The scenes ascend in chronological order: Last Supper, Judas’ kiss, arrest, Crucifixion, and so on. Everything is carved of stone except for the risen Christ (way up high). He was living, and so was this—it’s made of wood. The man holding the tabernacle on his shoulders is the artist who created it, Adam Kraft (with his curly black beard, chisel in hand). In the Middle Ages, artists were faceless artisans, no more important than a blacksmith or a stonemason. But in the 1490s, when this was made, the Renaissance was in the air, and artists like Kraft began putting themselves into their works. Kraft’s contemporary, the painter Albrecht Dürer, actually signed his works—an incredible act in Germany at that time (for more on Dürer, see here). In anticipation of the Allied bombs of World War II, this precious work was encased in protective concrete, except for the top 22 feet—which was the only part destroyed when the church was hit.
Adam Kraft is looking up at a plaque honoring American philanthropist brothers Samuel and Rush Kress, who donated nearly a million Deutschmarks in 1950 to help rebuild the church. The bottom half of the plaque is in English, but it’s hard to read, as it’s written in an old-style black-letter font. Though the church was devastated by WWII bombs, everything movable had been hidden away in bunkers right here in Nürnberg (which we’ll pass later), including the stained glass you see today.
• Wander slowly to the rear of the church.
As you walk, notice the many side chapels, each a private chapel for a leading Nürnberg family. Also note the dozen or so wooden boxes with finely carved symbols representing various trades and craft guilds. After Mass, these were manned by a leading master of that trade who shamed parishioners into donating to needy widows and others in his organization. In a society without welfare, this was a way to cope. At the rear of the church, old photos show WWII destruction and reconstruction scenes.
• Head back outside.
As you exit the church, look for the castle-like building on the corner across from the church facade. This is the only remaining tower house in Nürnberg. When it was built, in 1200, there was no city wall, and locals had to defend their own homes. It’s basically a one-family castle. The ornate church-like structure protruding halfway up the wall is a reminder that while rich families could afford their own chapel, not even the very wealthy could live above God. Their personal chapels had to be “outside” the house. The house also sports two sundials. While they only bother to show daylight hours, they still work (as long as you adjust for the fact that there was no Daylight Saving Time back then).
• Walk downhill, toward the river.
American moralists might shield their eyes from the kinky 16th-century Fountain of the Seven Virtues (Tugendbrunnen). Otherwise, play a game: Circle the sprightly fountain and try to identify the classic virtues by the symbolism: justice (on top), faith, love, hope (anchor), courage (lion), moderation, patience. Are any birds sipping? Notice that there’s no religious symbolism here, as this fountain was made during the Renaissance, when artists celebrated secular values.
• Continue down the street toward the river. Caution: On your left, you’ll pass Kaiserstrasse—the most expensive shopping street in town (with a little shop filled with insanely expensive Steiff teddy bears). When you get to the bridge, look to the right to see the...
This river-spanning hospital was donated to Nürnberg in the 14th century by the city’s richest resident, eager to do his part to help the poor—and hopefully skip purgatory altogether. (A modern statue of this donor hangs out on the second-story corner of the Spital Apotheke, the first building after the bridge.) He funded this very scenic hospital to care for ill, disabled, and elderly Nürnbergers. The wing over the river dates from the 16th century. The dove beneath the middle window under the turret represents the Holy Ghost, the hospital’s namesake.
Cross to the other side of the bridge, and look at the next bridge over (the Fleischbrücke—“Meat Bridge”). This is the narrowest point of the river. When it was built in 1596, this was considered the most high-tech bridge in Central Europe, an engineering feat inspired by Venice’s single-span Rialto Bridge. Flooding along the river was a big concern until a fix was constructed after World War II.
Note that there are a few handy lunch spots in the arcade between the two bridges (see “Eating in Nürnberg,” later). The arrival of a big Starbucks, just beyond the Meat Bridge, is credited with cleaning up what had been a dodgy part of the riverbank. (In this land of cake-and-coffee, the Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks chains—wildly popular among younger Germans—are shaking up tradition.)
Continue across the bridge and study the monument depicting characters from a 15th-century satire called The Ship of Fools (Das Narrenschiff). It’s adapted to follies that plague modern society: violence, technology, and apathy. Hey, how about the quiet, people-friendly ambience created by making this big city traffic-free in the center? Do a slow 360-degree spin and imagine this back home.
• Now enter the...
When Nürnberg began booming in the 13th century, it consisted of two distinct walled towns separated by the river. As the towns grew, they merged and the middle wall came down. This square, built by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, became the center of the newly united city. Though Charles is more often associated with Prague (he’s the namesake for the Charles Bridge and Charles University), he also loved Nürnberg—and visited 60 times during his reign.
The Frauenkirche church on the square is located on the site of a former synagogue (inside, there’s a Star of David on the floor). When Nürnberg’s towns were separate, Jewish residents were required to live in this swampy area close to the river and outside the walls. When the towns merged and the land occupied by the Jewish quarter became valuable, Charles IV allowed his subjects to force out the Jews. Six hundred were killed in the process—a somber reminder that anti-Semitism predated the Nazis. Charles IV, the most powerful man in Europe in his time, oversees the square from a perch high on the church facade. He’s waiting for noon, when the electors dance around him.
Year-round, the Hauptmarkt is lively with fruit, flower, and souvenir stands. For a few weeks before Christmas, it hosts Germany’s largest Christmas market.
Walk across the square to the pointy gold Beautiful Fountain (Schöner Brunnen). Medieval tanneries, slaughterhouses, and the hospital you just saw dumped their by-products into the river. So this fountain brought clean drinking water into the square. Of course, it’s packed with allegorical meaning. Step up to the iron railing. The outermost figures ringing the bottom represent the earthly arts (such as philosophy, music, and astronomy). On the pillars sitting behind each of these characters are the four church fathers and the four evangelists, showing that religion is higher than the arts. On the column itself, the lowest figures are the seven electors of the Holy Roman Emperor and nine heroes: three Christian (including King Arthur and Charlemagne); three Jewish (such as King David); and three heathen (such as Julius Caesar). At the very top are eight prophets, hovering above—but granting legitimacy to—worldly power. On the side of the fountain facing the McDonald’s, you’ll probably see tourists fussing over a gold ring. If you believe in such silly tour-guide tales, spinning this ring three times brings good luck...OK, go ahead and spin it.
Sausage connoisseurs will want to take a short side-trip from here: Head a block down Tuchgasse (directly opposite the church) to find the Schwarz Bakery at #2, a paradise for lovers of sausage and dark bread (i.e., Nürnbergers). Step in and inhale. This old-school place, still family-run, selects the best wursts and breads from producers in the surrounding countryside, and brings the bounty into the city. They can make the German sandwich of your dreams. When Franconians travel, what they miss most is their homeland’s dark bread and variety of high-quality sausages.
• Return to the fountain on the Hauptmarkt. (Note that bus #36, which goes directly to the Nazi Documentation Center, departs from a stop just around the corner.) Now climb uphill, heading for the Imperial Castle. After a block, you’ll pass the Bratwursthäusle (on the left), a popular sausage restaurant (see “Eating in Nürnberg,” later). For another local taste treat—my favorite in town—step inside, pay €2.50 at the half-door, take your receipt to the beechwood grill, and trade it for three sausages in a bun.
Hiking farther uphill, you’ll pass St. Sebald (Sebaldkirche), Nürnberg’s second great Gothic church. About 100 yards farther up the hill, on the left, you’ll see the...
This fine museum, packed with historic artifacts, fills a former merchant’s house dating from the late Renaissance. On the first floor up, the photographs of pre- and postwar Nürnberg and short WWII film clips are interesting. The museum also has several town models on display, including a huge one on the top floor.
Cost and Hours: €5, includes audioguide, Tue-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon, Burgstrasse 15, tel. 0911/231-2595, www.museen.nuernberg.de.
• Now hike the rest of the way up to the Imperial Castle. The cobbled path forks at the castle’s base. The left fork leads to the courtyard (with its big, round tower) of the...
In the Middle Ages, Holy Roman Emperors stayed here when they were in town, and the imperial regalia, including the imperial cross, imperial sword, and crown, were stored here from 1424 until 1796. While this huge complex has 45 buildings, only a few are open to the public. The part on the right, which housed the stables and stockpiles of grain, is now a youth hostel.
Cost and Hours: €5.50 for castle only, €3.50 for Deep Well and Sinwell Tower, €7 combo-ticket; covered by Nürnberg Card and Bavaria’s 14-day ticket (see here); €2 audioguide has more background than you likely want—most displays have sufficient English explanations; daily April-Sept 9:00-18:00, Oct-March 10:00-16:00; tel. 0911/244-6590, www.kaiserburg-nuernberg.de.
Visiting the Castle: Your visit is a no-way-to-get-lost, one-way route—just follow the Rundgang signs.
The Lower Hall is empty of furniture because, in the 12th century, the imperial court was mobile. Royal roadies would arrive and set things up before the emperor got there. The Romanesque church has a triple-decker design: lower nobility on the lower floor, upper nobility above that, and the emperor worshipping from the topmost balcony.
The Upper Hall is most interesting, with a thorough explanation and artifacts that show what the heck the Holy Roman Empire actually was. Then comes a series of creaky-floored former living quarters, with painted ceilings (many dismantled and stored in bunkers during the war—they’re that precious), and a copy of the imperial crown (the original is in Vienna). The final exhibit is on old weapons.
After leaving the main exhibit area you can visit a few more parts of the castle; the most interesting are the castle well and gardens (separate or combo-ticket required for Deep Well and Sinwell Tower; see earlier).
The Deep Well is indeed deep—165 feet. Visits are simple, fun, and only possible accompanied by a guide (10-minute tours leave on the hour and half-hour). You’ll see water poured way, waaay down—into an incredible hole dug in the 14th century. Then the guide lowers a small candle until it almost disappears into the water table. A climb up the Sinwell Tower offers only a higher city view and lots of exercise.
When you’re finished, walk out around the round tower to enjoy a commanding city view from the rampart just behind it. Then backtrack down the ramp and hang a sharp right at the small Burgwächter restaurant. Find your way down the stairs to the first lane (Am Ölberg). Follow it slightly uphill, then keep right at the next fork, which leads to the fine castle garden (Burggarten). Wrapped around the back of the castle, it offers great views of the town’s 16th-century fortifications and former moat.
• Head back out the way you came. On the right and directly below you, about a block away, is a lively cobbled square called...
Near the top of the square, inspect the giant rabbit. While it looks like roadkill with mice gnawing at it, it’s actually a modern interpretation of The Hare, one of the best-known paintings by medieval Nürnberg artist Albrecht Dürer. (The original painting is in Vienna.)
• About 20 yards beyond the well on the square, at Obere Schmiedgasse 52, is the...
Behind these doors, a series of cellars are buried deep inside the rock of Castle Hill. This is where precious artworks were carefully safeguarded from the WWII air raids that devastated the city. Unfortunately, the only way to visit the bunker is with a once-daily tour (see “Tours in Nürnberg,” earlier).
Nürnberg was bombed relatively late in the war, which allowed its citizens time (and experience gained from already-bombed cities to the north) to prepare for the aerial attack they knew would be coming. While many other cities sent their most important works away from the urban centers (obvious targets), Nürnberg was able to safely shelter everything right here. The art wasn’t just stashed in the bunker, but carefully battened up inside wooden crates and padded with sandbags, safeguarded in a climate-controlled environment behind layer upon layer of thick fireproof doors.
Rich in art, Nürnberg had long been known as the “treasure chest of the German Empire.” The pieces stored here included regalia of the Holy Roman Empire and the city’s own treasures, evacuated from nearby buildings (such as the tabernacle in St. Lawrence Church, as well as all of that church’s stained glass). Other pieces had been plundered by the Nazis from conquered lands, such as the Veit Stoss Altar from Kraków, Poland (later recovered by the “Monuments Men,” as described in Robert Edsel’s 2009 book and the 2014 movie based on it).
• Turning back to the rabbit statue on the square, notice that it faces a half-timbered building (at the square’s bottom). That’s the...
Nürnberg’s most famous resident lived in this house for the last 20 years of his life. Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), a contemporary of Michelangelo, studied in Venice and brought the Renaissance to stodgy medieval Germany. He did things that were unthinkable to other northern European artists of his time—such as signing his works, and painting things like rabbits simply for study (not on commission).
Nothing in the museum is original (except the house itself, which survived WWII bombs)—all the paintings are replicas; the only Dürer originals in Nürnberg are in the Germanic National Museum (described later). But the museum does a fine job of capturing the way Dürer actually lived, and it includes a replica of the workshop, with a working printing press, where he painted and printed his woodcuts. Another room is a gallery with copies of Dürer’s most famous paintings and woodcuts. Throughout, Dürer fans can find plenty of extra information, some of it via futuristic touch screens.
Cost and Hours: €5, covered by discount day pass, includes Agnes (Mrs. Dürer)-led audioguide, Mon-Wed and Fri 10:00-17:00, Thu 10:00-20:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon Oct-June, Albrecht-Dürer-Strasse 39, tel. 0911/231-2568, www.museums.nuremberg.de.
• With Albrecht’s Haus on your right, head down Albrecht-Dürer-Strasse. When the street bends to the left, continue straight down the stairs, cross the street at the recommended Sebald Bistro, and veer right onto cobblestoned...
“Tanners’ Lane” is lined with Nürnberg’s finest collection of half-timbered houses to survive the war. Such well-crafted homes, several stories tall and many with their own wells and gardens, attest to medieval Nürnberg’s considerable prosperity. What’s that dark-red color so common in the painted beams of houses like these? Oxen blood, which helped prevent rot and termite damage. Stop at #35 and turn around for one of the city’s best photo ops. On this end of the lane, note the many small bars that turn this quiet street into a busy nightlife zone after dark.
• Cross the wider Am Hallentor and through the recommended Biergarten Kettensteg to its namesake, the...
This iron footbridge—the oldest on the Continent—comes with a great river view. Notice the mix of medieval fortification and Industrial Age brickwork around here. This wasn’t always considered such a picturesque quarter—it was the industrialized, downstream end of town, where you’d find watermills, stinky industries (like the tanneries we just passed on Weissgerbergasse), and graphite factories. (In Germany, Nürnberg is famous for its pencils.)
• Our tour is over. To return to the heart of town, continue across the bridge, then head left toward the green twin towers in the distance, which mark St. Lawrence Church. Once you hit Königstrasse, it’s a short walk (left) to the Hauptmarkt, with its convenient bus #36 to the Nazi sites (stops around the corner from the Beautiful Fountain).
Or, for more sightseeing in the city center, consider a visit to one or more of the museums listed in the next section.
This sprawling, sweeping museum is dedicated to the cultural history of the German-speaking world. It’s gorgeously presented, nicely lit, and well-described by its audioguide. For German history buffs, this museum alone makes a visit to Nürnberg worthwhile. It occupies an interconnected maze of buildings, old and new, in the southern part of the Old Town, near the station and recommended hotels. Approaching the museum along Kartäusergasse, you’ll walk along the “Way of Human Rights.” Designed by an Israeli artist, its pillars trumpet each of the provisions of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Cost and Hours: €8, free Wed after 18:00, open Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, Wed until 21:00, closed Mon, worthwhile audioguide-€2, two blocks west of Königstrasse at Kartäusergasse 1, enter on far side of building, tel. 0911/13310, www.gnm.de.
Eating: The cafeteria, while pricey, is top quality, with elegant and artfully presented dishes.
Visiting the Museum: Before leaving the ticket desk, pick up the English floor plan/brochure, and use it to pick out a few things you’re particularly interested in.
The entry hall is dominated by a wall displaying street signs from East Germany—complete with a little politically motivated spray paint—dating from the time when the Soviets had renamed the main drag in many towns Strasse der Befreiung (“Street of the Liberation” from the Nazis and capitalism).
The museum’s star attraction is its German art collection (in the Renaissance/Baroque exhibit just upstairs from the entrance hall). It includes works by Dürer (the only originals in town), Cranach, and Tilman Riemenschneider.
Other “must-sees” include the oldest surviving globe in the world, crafted by Nürnberg’s own Martin Behaim (since it dates from 1492, the Americas are conspicuously missing), and the delicate wooden Nürnberg Madonna (1515). This intimate, anonymous carving of the favorite hometown girl was the symbol of the city during the 19th-century Romantic Age. For those interested in the Reformation, there’s a wonderful Martin Luther section.
Of Nürnberg’s 200 churches, only one escaped the WWII bombs. The historic core of the museum building, an old monastery, is filled with original, surviving statues from the city’s bombed-out churches and fountains.
The rest of this huge museum covers a vast spectrum of German culture, from fine arts to prehistory to science to musical instruments, plus regular temporary exhibits.
Germany’s first railway was built in Nürnberg in 1835, and the Deutsche Bahn (German Railway) runs a huge museum just outside the Old Town. It tells the story of the German railroad system with a focus on how it’s influenced the nation’s history. The “Serving Dictatorship” exhibit explains the role of the system during the Nazi regime. A big, hands-on kids’ section (on the second floor up) is full of games and model railroads, while the petting zoo of real engines and carriages on the ground floor appeals to all ages. Don’t miss “Mad” King Ludwig’s crown-topped Salonwagen—practically a palace on wheels, complete with a rolling veranda. Like his equally over-the-top Neuschwanstein Castle, this train was barely used by Ludwig—he preferred to travel incognito, and felt this train attracted too much attention (hard to believe).
Cost and Hours: €5, €4 with valid train or city transit ticket, free with valid rail pass; Tue-Fri 9:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon; Lessingstrasse 6—from Germanic National Museum take the footbridge over the old moat, cross the ring road, and walk a block down Lessingstrasse; tel. 0800-326-7386, www.dbmuseum.de. Pick up the free English booklet as you enter, and spring for the audioguide (€1), as there’s very little English posted inside.
Nürnberg’s “new museum” of contemporary art fills a striking modern building right by the town wall (near the train station), with two quiet, bright, and air-conditioned floors of design pieces and abstract artworks.
Cost and Hours: €4, €1 on Sun; open Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, Thu until 20:00, closed Mon; behind recommended Hotel Victoria on Klarissenplatz, tel. 0911/240-2069, www.nmn.de.
This museum’s chronological/thematic display makes for a breezy history lesson, starting from the wooden toys on the ground floor that exemplify German woodworking traditions, and culminating with the corporate-branded toys three floors up (the entire top floor is a play zone). For many, the highlight is the miniature replica of the Omaha train station (third floor up).
Cost and Hours: €5 or covered by discount day pass, children €3, Tue-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon, no photos, Karlstrasse 13, near Albrecht Dürer House, tel. 0911/231-3164, www.museen.nuernberg.de. Get an English audioguide (€1), or consider the good little €1.50 booklet.
Though the city tries to present itself as the “City of Human Rights,” its reputation as Hitler’s favorite place for a really big party is hard to shake. To understand Nürnberg’s place in the Nazi era, visit Hitler’s vast Nazi Party Rally Grounds (Reichsparteitagsgelände) and the excellent museum—the Nazi Documentation Center—set amid the mute remains of the Third Reich.
The courtroom where the Nürnberg Trials were held is across town from the Documentation Center and Rally Grounds, and has much less to offer visitors.
Planning Your Time: With half a day, spend two hours in the museum, peek into the courtyard of the Congress Hall, and walk to Zeppelin Field and back. History buffs can easily spend an entire day here. The map in this book is enough to guide you around the site, but you can buy a more detailed map and guide from the museum counter for €3. Also consider the small English-language book (€7). For lunch there’s a disappointing café in the museum and the excellent Guttmann’s beer garden at the lake (midway between the museum and Zeppelin Field).
If you opt to also visit the courtroom and its exhibit, allow two hours for your visit, including travel time from the train station.
Getting to the Nazi Documentation Center and Rally Grounds: The sprawling complex is wrapped around a lake called Dutzendteich, southeast of the Old Town. Take tram #9, which leaves from the front of the Postbank Center at the train station (Hauptbahnhof) every 10 minutes (direction: Doku-Zentrum, 10-minute trip). From the Hauptmarkt (around the corner from the fountain, on Waaggasse) or Rathaus (City Hall), you can also hop on bus #36, which ends at the Doku-Zentrum stop. Both options go about every 10 minutes and cost the same (€2.60 one-way; it’s better to purchase the €5.40 day ticket). Stepping off either the tram or bus, you’ll see the Documentation Center.
Visitors to Europe’s Nazi and Holocaust sites inevitably ask the same question: How could this happen? This superb museum does its best to provide an answer. It meticulously traces the evolution of the National Socialist movement, focusing on how it both energized and terrified the German people (the exhibit’s title is “Fascination and Terror”). Special attention is paid to Nürnberg’s role in the Nazi movement, including the construction and use of the Rally Grounds, where Hitler’s largest demonstrations took place. This is not a WWII or Holocaust museum; those events are almost an afterthought. Instead, the center frankly analyzes the Nazi phenomenon, to understand how it happened—and to prevent it from happening again.
Cost and Hours: €5 or covered by discount day pass, includes essential audioguide, Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00, last entry at 17:00, Bayernstrasse 110, tel. 0911/231-7538, www.museen.nuernberg.de.
Visiting the Documentation Center: The museum is housed in one small wing of Hitler’s cavernous, unfinished Congress Hall—the largest surviving example of Nazi architecture. The building was planned to host the mammoth annual Nazi Party gatherings. Today, it has been symbolically cut open by its modern entryway—exposing the guts and brains of the Nazi movement.
The museum’s purpose-built structure is sometimes called “a spear through Speer”—it’s a jolt of glassy, modern construction that slices through the original Albert Speer-designed building. (Just as post-WWII doctors didn’t want to take advantage of medical knowledge gained through Nazi torture, modern architects who designed the museum didn’t want to utilize anything the Nazis had built.)
Inside the museum, the exhibit is a one-way walk; allow at least two hours. WWII history buffs should allow an extra hour for the various 10-minute videos that play continuously throughout the exhibit, offering excellent insights into the mass hypnosis of the German nation. Exhibit descriptions are in German only, so the English audioguide is a must (turns on automatically at video presentations; dial room numbers for overviews and specific numbers for details of displays—if rushed, listen to the overviews only).
The introductory video has you following two kids on skateboards on a dreamy now-and-then tour of the entire complex. You’ll see copies of Mein Kampf (the sale of which was forbidden in Germany until 2015). Photos show Hitler-mania and how the cult of Hitler was created, which included placing the dictator alongside Goethe and Beethoven in the pantheon of great Germans.
You’ll also see parts of Leni Riefenstahl’s 1934 propaganda classic Triumph of the Will. This powerful four-hour film was shown in all German schools and theaters, bringing a visual celebration of the power of the Nazi state to every person in Germany.
At the end, you’ll sit in a small theater to watch footage of the Nürnberg Trials. The last stop (before the long ramp back to the start) is a catwalk giving you a look into the core of the unfinished Congress Hall (an artist’s sketch of the hall filled with 50,000 cheering Nazis is on a nearby wall; for more on the Congress Hall, see its listing, later).
In addition to housing a museum, the Documentation Center has an important function in a society determined to learn from the horrible deeds of its dark past. For example, students at police and military academies are required to attend special programs taught in classrooms right on this site.
The Rally Grounds occupy four square miles behind the museum. Albert Speer, Hitler’s favorite architect, designed this immense complex of buildings for the Nazi rallies. Not many of Hitler’s ambitious plans were completed, but you can visit the courtyard of the Congress Hall, Zeppelin Field (where Hitler addressed his followers), and a few other remains. The easiest way to see them is to follow the circular route around the lake that’s shown in the map on the opposite page and on the museum’s free bilingual area plan (Geländeplan). The numbers on the plan correspond to the information pillars that you’ll find on-site (this information also available at www.kubiss.de).
Figure an hour round-trip from the Documentation Center for the full circuit. If you have less time, just look into the courtyard of the Congress Hall from the perch at the end of your museum visit and then walk the short way around the lake directly to Zeppelin Field and back. If you’re really short on time, skip this walk, as you’ll get the best sense of the Rally Grounds and how they were used simply from the videos and exhibits inside the Documentation Center.
I’ve listed the main sites here in the order you reach them while circling the lake.
Congress Hall (Kongresshalle): This huge building—big enough for an audience of 50,000—was originally intended to be topped with a roof and skylight. The Nazi Documentation Center occupies part of the hall. To see the vast, Colosseum-like courtyard, turn right as you leave the Documentation Center, and walk along the side of the building. Dip through the archway into the courtyard to appreciate its dimensions. Notice the stacked stones still awaiting further construction, untouched since the 1930s. Part of the hall is now used by the Nürnberg symphony orchestra.
• Turn around and return to the main path. When you get to the end, turn right again and continue walking with the Congress Hall on your right. Continue past the end of the building, and then turn left (under the Kommen Sie gut nach Hause sign) onto the...
Great Road (Grosse Strasse): At 200 feet wide, the Great Road was big enough to be used as a runway by the Allies after the war. Now it’s a parking lot for trucks serving the nearby conference center. The road points toward Nürnberg’s Imperial Castle—Hitler’s symbolic connection to the Holy Roman Empire (the First Reich). The lights you see in the distance hover above the Franken Stadium (a 1928 soccer field before Hitler used it for Nazi rallies and, most recently, a host venue of the 2006 World Cup).
It makes sense that Nürnberg appealed to Hitler. Nürnberg is centrally located in Germany, making it a handy meeting point for Nazi supporters. And, Hitler had a friend here, Julius Streicher (a.k.a. the “Franconian Führer”), who fanned the flames of Nazism and anti-Semitism with his inflammatory newspaper Der Stürmer (The Storm Trooper).
But more importantly, Nürnberg was steeped in German history. Long before Nazism, the city—once home to Albrecht Dürer and the Holy Roman Emperor, and packed with buildings in the quintessential German Gothic style—was nicknamed the “most German of German cities.” As one of the most important cities of medieval Europe, Nürnberg appealed to Hitler as a way to legitimize his Third Reich by invoking Germany’s glorious past. Hitler loved the idea of staging rallies within sight of the Imperial Castle, a symbol of the “First Reich” (the Holy Roman Empire).
When Hitler took power in 1933, he made Nürnberg the site of his Reichsparteitage—Nazi Party Rallies. Increasingly elaborate celebrations of Nazi culture, ideology, and power took place here annually for the next six years. The chilling images from Leni Riefenstahl’s documentary Triumph of the Will were filmed at the 1934 rallies and then shown in every theater and schoolroom in the country. At the 1935 rallies, the Nazis devised the first laws—which came to be known as the Nürnberg Laws—that legally defined Jews as second-class citizens.
Hitler and his favorite architect, Albert Speer, designed staggeringly massive buildings (such as a stadium seating 400,000 spectators) to host the proceedings. Only a few of the plans were completed before World War II broke out in 1939. Today, it’s possible to walk around the still-unfinished remains of Hitler’s megalomaniacal super-structures. The Rally Grounds were the ultimate example of Hitler’s preferred architecture style: stark, huge, and Neoclassical. (Historians are ambivalent about using the term “Nazi architecture,” as so much of it was stolen from other styles and then simply enlarged. For example, Hitler adored the Roman Colosseum. Inspired by that, he had his Congress Hall built at double the scale.)
Near war’s end, the world puzzled over what to do with the Nazis who had overseen some of the most gruesome atrocities in the history of humankind. It was finally decided that they should be tried as war criminals by an international tribunal (spearheaded by the US and based on the Anglo-American code of law). These trials took place in the Nürnberg Trials Courtroom. The Nürnberg Trials—the first international war-crimes tribunal—brought about a new concept of international law, which continues today in The Hague, Netherlands.
Ahead and to the right was to be the site of the German Stadium (Deutsches Stadion)—the biggest in the world (with 400,000 seats). They got as far as digging a foundation before funding was redirected to the war effort. Today, the site is a park surrounding the big lake, Silbersee—which filled the hole for the never-built stadium’s foundation.
• From here, you can detour across the road to an information sign about the stadium. Otherwise, follow the Dutzendteich lakeshore to the left for about 15 minutes until you hit a parking lot. To your right is the huge...
Zeppelin Field (Zeppelinwiese): This was the site of the Nazis’ biggest rallies, including those (in)famously filmed by Leni Riefenstahl. You can climb up on the grandstand and stand on the platform in front of the Zeppelin Tribune, where Hitler stood to survey the masses (up to 150,000 people at a time). The Tribune is based on the design of the ancient Greek Pergamon Altar (now in Berlin’s Pergamon Museum); it was originally topped by a towering swastika (which was blown up by the Allies at the end of the war) and flanked on either side by massive colonnades. For nighttime rallies Speer created a dramatic “Cathedral of Light”—with 130 searchlights surrounding the field pointed skyward. Warning: Clowning around on the speaking platform with any Nazi gestures is illegal and taken seriously by the police.
• From Zeppelin Field, continue the rest of the way around the lake, past Guttmann’s beer garden (a good lunch option), and back to the Documentation Center (and the bus and tram stop).
Across town from the Documentation Center and Rally Grounds is the courtroom where the Nürnberg Trials were held.
In 1945, in Room 600 of Nürnberg’s Palace of Justice, 21 Nazi war criminals stood trial before an international tribunal of judges appointed by the four victorious countries. It was during these trials that the world learned of the full scale of the Holocaust, and heard firsthand accounts from victims and perpetrators alike. The trials were also legally novel, setting a precedent for international law that has since been followed in a number of post-atrocity tribunals (think South Africa, Rwanda, Bosnia). Legally speaking, before the Nürnberg Trials, there was no such thing as a “crime against humanity.”
After a year of trials and deliberations, 12 Nazis were sentenced to death by hanging, 3 were acquitted, and the rest were sent to prison. One of the death sentences was for Hitler’s right-hand man, Hermann Göring. He asked to be shot by firing squad—a proper military execution—but his request was denied. Instead, two hours before his scheduled hanging, Göring committed suicide with poison he had smuggled into his cell, infuriating many who thought that this death was too easy for him.
Cost and Hours: €5 or covered by discount day pass, includes audioguide; Wed-Mon 10:00-18:00, closed Tue, last entry at 17:00; tel. 0911/3217-9372, www.memorium-nuremberg.de.
Getting There: The building is a five-stop subway ride from the Hauptbahnhof: Take the U-1 subway line (direction: Fürth Hardhöhe) to Bärenschanze, exit the station following signs for Sielstrasse, and continue 200 yards along the main street (Fürther Strasse) to the huge court building, turning right at the corner with the tall signs showing the four national flags. It’s at Bärenschanzstrasse 72.
Visiting the Courtroom and Museum: There are two parts to the experience here: the courtroom (upstairs from the entrance) and the museum (farther up on the top floor). You can usually enter the courtroom itself, but as it’s still in occasional use, you could find it closed, especially if you come on a weekday. You’re pretty much assured of getting to see the courtroom on a Saturday or Sunday. If it’s important to you, call the museum (no more than a week in advance) to ask about the court schedule.
Unfortunately, the museum displays are almost all in German, and there’s little here in the way of artifacts. The included audioguide gives exact translations of all the printed information, but it’s outrageously long-winded.
Prices spike during major conventions in the spring and fall, and in December—when the Christmas market brings visitors from around the world. Nürnberg gets a lot of business travelers, so some hotels drop their rates on weekends. July and August are generally low season and come with the lowest prices.
Budget travelers beyond traditional backpacker-age should consider private rooms offered by the Five Reasons Hostel, where those of any age will feel comfortable. For hotel locations, please see the map on here.
These hotels clustered along Königstrasse, just inside the Frauentor and the city walls, are convenient to both the train station and city sightseeing. From the station, you can roll your luggage here in five minutes without a single stair.
$$$ Hotel Victoria offers friendly staff and 62 fresh, new-feeling rooms behind its historic 1896 facade just inside the Frauentor. The standard rooms are a better value than the slightly bigger business rooms (standard rooms: Sb-€80-100, Db-€100-120; business rooms-€10 extra, air-con-€30 extra, best to book on website, fabulous breakfast, elevator, parking garage-€12/day, Königstrasse 80, tel. 0911/24050, www.hotelvictoria.de, book@hotelvictoria.de).
$$$ Hotel Drei Raben is an artsy and fun splurge, with a super-stylish lobby, 22 comfortable rooms, a huge breakfast buffet (eggs or cappuccino by request), and lots of elegant and whimsical touches. In this “theme hotel,” you might get the Dürer room, the soccer room, the toys room, or even the graffiti room (Sb/Db-€130 or €150 depending on size; spacious suites with freestanding bathtubs: Db-€195-225; nearby apartment also available, air-con, elevator, guest computer on request, valet parking-€20/day, Königstrasse 63, tel. 0911/274-380, www.hoteldreiraben.de, info@hoteldreiraben.de).
$$ Gideon Hotel, overlooking the main pedestrian drag, has less personality than the Drei Raben, but plenty of style. Its 27 rooms, many quite spacious, are decked out in a chic black, white, and red decor, and can often be had at a good value. In nice weather, breakfast is served on the lovely rooftop terrace (Sb-€90, Db-€100, can be up to €20 less on weekends, air-con, elevator, parking-€12/day at Parkhaus Katharinenhof, Königstrasse 45 but enter around the corner on Theatergasse, tel. 0911/660-0970, www.gideonhotels.de, info@gideonhotels.de).
$$ Ibis Altstadt Hotel, sandwiched between a bunch of fast-food joints, offers 61 good-value cookie-cutter rooms in a convenient location (normal rates: Sb-€65-90, Db-€75-100 but varies with demand; extra bed-€25; €11/person less if you skip breakfast, family deals, air-con, elevator, parking-€16/day, Königstrasse 74, tel. 0911/232-000, www.ibishotel.com, h1069@accor.com).
These two affordable, family-run hotels are next door to each other, around the corner from the ones just described, set amidst a harmless sprinkling of casinos, strip clubs, and sex shops. Either hotel will do just fine if you’re watching your budget. To avoid street noise, ask for a room on the back side (especially for Friday or Saturday night). The Keiml has nicer rooms, but the Probst has an elevator.
$$ Hotel Garni Probst has been run for 70 years by the hardworking Probst family. They rent 35 decent if dated rooms on floors 2-4 of an older apartment building (S-€35, S with shower only-€45, Sb-€56, Db-€75, Tb-€93, €5/person less without breakfast, elevator to third floor, Luitpoldstrasse 9, tel. 0911/203-433, www.hotel-garni-probst.de, info@hotel-garni-probst.de).
$ Hotel Keiml is run by gracious Frau Keiml, who has been welcoming guests here since 1975. She rents 22 bright and homey rooms up two long flights of stairs (no elevator) in another former apartment building (Sb-€45, Db-€65-70, street-side Tb-€85, these prices with this book and cash in 2016, Luitpoldstrasse 7, tel. 0911/226-240, www.hotel-keiml.de, info@hotel-keiml.de).
These accommodations are closer to the castle at the far side of the Old Town. Getting here is a €10 taxi ride or a long hike from the station. You can get partway by taking the U-Bahn (line #1) to Lorenzkirche and exiting toward Kaiserstrasse.
$$$ Sorat Hotel Saxx, from its sleek lobby up to its 103 rooms, is professionally run. Most rooms aren’t terribly big, but they’re stylish, fresh, often reasonably priced, and in the middle of town, right on the Hauptmarkt (prices vary with demand but usually Sb-€79-89, Db-€98-108, family room, pricier “junior suites” are bigger and face the square, breakfast-€9.50, elevator, parking-€15/day, at Hauptmarkt 17 but enter at Waaggasse 7, tel. 0911/242-700, www.sorat-hotels.com, saxx-nuernberg@sorat-hotels.com).
$$ Hotel Elch, the oldest hotel in town (with 500-year-old exposed beams adding to its classic elk-friendly woodiness), is buried deep in the Old Town near the castle. It rents charming and well-equipped modern rooms: 12 in its original half-timbered building, and 16 bigger, swankier rooms in its “boutique” wing next door (Sb-€60-75, Db-€80-95, €10-15 more for boutique wing, rates depend on demand, extra bed-€30, parking-€12/day, near St. Sebald Church at Irrerstrasse 9, tel. 0911/249-2980, www.hotel-elch.com, info@hotel-elch.com).
$ B&B Hotel Nürnberg-City isn’t a B&B by any stretch, but its 135 pleasant rooms are a solid value. Though it feels a tad more institutional than most hotels, its accommodations are a few steps above most hostels’ private rooms (Sb-€54, Db-€60, family rooms, breakfast-€7.50, air-con, elevator, wheelchair-accessible rooms, limited parking-€5/day, right across from city walls at Frauentorgraben 37, from station take U-2 one stop to Opernhaus, tel. 0911/378-510, www.hotelbb.de, nuernberg-city@hotelbb.com). They have a second location (B&B Hotel Nürnberg-Hbf), with the same room rates, about 500 yards from the station at Marienstrasse 10 (tel. 0911/367-760, nuernberg-hbf@hotelbb.com).
$ Five Reasons Hotel & Hostel is the best kind of budget accommodation: clean, bright, centrally located, and run with care. None of the 18 rooms here have their own bath, but the shared bathrooms are some of the swankiest hostel bathrooms I’ve seen (bunk in dorm room-€19-27, D-€54, family apartments-€98-138, breakfast-€3-6, elevator, pleasant terrace, limited free parking, facing the town walls around the corner from the Germanic History Museum at Frauentormauer 42, tel. 0911/9928-6625, www.five-reasons.de, booking@five-reasons.de).
$ Nürnberg Youth Hostel, with 355 beds, is romantically situated at the top of the Old Town inside the castle complex (at the far right as you face it). It’s scenic but expensive for a hostel, and can be crowded with groups of school-age kids in the summer. All rooms have their own bath. For the best views, request the eighth- or ninth-floor tower rooms (bunk in dorm room-€34, Db-€89, Qb-€124, nonmembers pay €3.50 more, €4 less if under 27, includes breakfast and sheets, lunch or dinner-€7, elevator, Burg 2, tel. 0911/230-9360, www.nuernberg.jugendherberge.de, nuernberg@jugendherberge.de). To reach the hostel from the train station, take the U-3 subway three stops to Maxfeld, then walk (level, 10 minutes) or take the #46 bus two stops back to Maxtor.
$ A&O Hostel Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof, just outside the medieval city center on busy Bahnhofstrasse, has 116 rooms and boasts a rooftop bar. Vast and institutional, it caters to a wide range of travelers, from backpackers to families. To avoid street noise, ask for a room facing the courtyard (bed in dorm room-€9-30, Sb/Db-€40-90, breakfast-€7, sheets-€3.50, towel-€1, private rooms include sheets and towels, €3 extra to pay with a credit card, fans but no air-con, bar and lounge in lobby, parking-€8.50/day, Bahnhofstrasse 13, tel. 0911/309-168-4400, www.aohostels.com, booking@aohostels.com).
(See “Central Nürenberg Restaurants” map, here.)
Königstrasse, the main pedestrian boulevard leading from the train station into the old center, is lined with enticing places to eat. All along this street you’ll find department stores, many with efficient cafeterias, popular restaurant chains, and memorable one-offs. The following places are my favorites on or just off Königstrasse, working from the station to the center.
Hans im Glück Burgergrill and Bar is a trendy hangout packed with mostly young locals enjoying a wide selection of burgers with “real bread,” good fries, and aromatic pots of rosemary at each table. There’s fun, high-energy seating inside or out (€8 burgers and salads, daily 12:00-24:00, near station next to recommended Hotel Victoria at Königstrasse 74, tel. 0911/9928-3661).
Istanbul Restaurant is a local favorite for Turkish food and fresh ayran (yogurt drinks), with late-night hours, friendly service, and great outdoor seating for people-watching (€3.50 Döner Kebabs, €9-13 Turkish-style grill plates, daily 8:00-5:00 in the morning, air-con on upper floor, Königstrasse 60, tel. 0911/2124-8330).
Böhm’s Herrenkeller is cozy, with a hunting-room ambience. It’s proudly traditional but not kitschy, serving classic Franconian standards at good prices. Try the €11 Schäufele (oven-roasted pork shoulder with dumplings and salad) or the fixed-price menus, which are a fine value (€7-18 main courses, €10 three-course weekday lunch specials, €26 three-course meals, Mon-Sat 11:30-14:30 & 17:30-22:00, closed Sun, a block off Königstrasse across from the Old Granary at Theatergasse 9, tel. 0911/224-465).
Padelle d’Italia is a cut above your average pizza-and-pasta joint, serving good classic Italian dishes, with splittable large portions and daily seasonal specials. Reserve ahead for dinner (€6-10 pizzas, €10-14 pastas, €16-25 secondi, Mon-Sat 11:30-14:00 & 17:30-23:00 except open all day Fri-Sat, closed Sun, next to Böhm’s Herrenkeller at Theatergasse 17, tel. 0911/274-2130, www.padelleditalia.de).
Literaturhaus Nürnberg is a Parisian-style café run by the local book club and popular for readings. It serves theme breakfasts (daily until 15:00) and creative international dishes for €8-15. Locals like to order several varied plates, tapas-style, or just enjoy its bookish café ambience for drinks and desserts (daily 9:00-22:00, 2 blocks from Frauentor just off Königstrasse at Luitpoldstrasse 6, tel. 0911/234-2658).
Quick Lunches between Museum Bridge and Meat Bridge: This covered arcade has several little modern, healthy places in a row next to a Starbucks, with good seating inside or overlooking the river. My favorites are Mischbar, where “everything’s mixed” (€8 salads, curries, soups, smoothies, fresh-squeezed juices), and the Siegersdorfer bakery, serving traditional rye breads and toppings (their Aufstriche samplers give you 3 or 5 toppings and a selection of dark breads).
Hauptmarkt Osteria is a basic pizza place with splittable €9 pizzas (plenty for two), pastas, and a nice garden out back (daily 11:00-24:00, a block off the Hauptmarkt at Winklerstrasse 3, tel. 0911/224-655).
Picnicking in the Center: There’s a Frida supermarket in the basement of the CityPoint mall, behind the Mauthalle and near recommended hotels (Mon-Sat 9:00-20:00, closed Sun) and a more upscale supermarket in the subbasement of the Karstadt department store at the Lorenzkirche U-Bahn entrance (enter store at Karolinenstrasse 6 and take the escalators down two flights, Mon-Sat 9:30-20:00, closed Sun).
(See “Central Nürenberg Restaurants” map, here.)
At Restaurant zum Albrecht Dürer Haus, you can dine with a view of half-timbered buildings and town-wall towers at a reasonable price. The dark-wood interior has three floors, and there are also outside tables. The menu is updated Franconian—traditional dishes such as Schäufele (shoulder), but creatively tweaked (€7-13 main courses, Tue-Sun 11:00-21:30, closed Mon, Obere Schmiedgasse 58, tel. 0911/2114-4940).
Bratwurst Röslein is a huge, no-nonsense, traditional beer hall with top-quality classics pouring out of a big open kitchen. It’s a fixture on the sausage scene, where you can top off your meal with a fried apple dessert (€7.20 for six sausages and kraut, daily 11:00-23:00, a block above the Hauptmarkt at Rathausplatz 6, tel. 0911/214-860).
Bratwursthäusle is a high-energy, woody place with a leafy terrace (and enjoyable people-watching). Its cozy interior—small, crowded, and touristy—feels like a big farmhouse with tables gathered around an open grill. The menu is very limited, with little more than bratwurst, sides (pretzels, tasty potato salad, kraut), and some nasty pickled animal parts. You come here for the best bratwurst in town—all made in-house by the Häusle’s own butcher, cooked on a beechwood grill, and dished up with efficient service (Mon-Sat 10:00-21:30, closed Sun, midway between the Hauptmarkt and castle on the main drag, Rathausplatz 1, tel. 0911/227-695). For a bratwurst sandwich to go, head inside, pay €2.50 at the half-door on your right, take your receipt to the grill...and in seconds, you’ll be on your way with Nürnberg’s “Little Mac” (three Nürnberger in a fresh roll).
Sebald Bistro is ideal for an elegant meal without sausage or dumplings. They serve excellent modern German dishes in a classy setting, with nice tables outside under the trees (€11 lunch specials, €15-30 main dishes, daily specials, Mon-Sat 11:00-22:00, Sun 12:00-22:00, a block west of St. Sebald Church at Weinmarkt 14, tel. 0911/381-303, www.restaurant-sebald.de).
Da Gallo Antipasteria is a treat for pasta lovers, who enjoy generous portions amid a welcoming atmosphere stoked by enthusiastic owner Giovianni (who serves everyone himself). Fun photos and a perpetual showing of classic Italian comedies make it feel like a tiny slice of Italy tucked between the river and Castle Hill (€8 pasta dishes, no pizza, Mon-Sat 17:00-23:00, closed Sun, reservations smart for this small space, Radbrunnengasse 2, tel. 0911/238-8538, www.dagallo-antipasteria.de).
Drinks and Pub Grub: Finyas Taverne may well be the town’s most atmospheric drinking hole. Everything here has a medieval feel—from the animal-pelt seats to the music, food, drink (mead), even the waitstaff’s attire—yet doesn’t quite cross the kitsch line. You can eat a full meal here (€11 Flammkuchen and cheap cold-cut sandwiches), but I wouldn’t (Tue-Sat 16:00-late, closed Sun-Mon, Weissgerbergasse 18, tel. 0911/2373-5122).
Maria’s Eremitage, primarily a wine shop, serves just one special plate a day—available from noon until it’s sold out—at small stand-up tables just inside the door from a leafy, small plaza that’s shared by the flower shop run by the owner’s husband (€6 plates and fine wine by the glass, closed Tue and Sun, just under St. Sebald Church at Winklerstrasse 24, mobile 0160-591-9139).
Biergarten Kettensteg is a sloppy place with good drinks and simple traditional plates set like a riverside oasis under trees (basic €7-13 plates, daily 11:00-22:00, tel. 0911/2375-7400, just inside the town wall at the Kettensteg bridge, Maxplatz 35).
Sweets: Neef Confiserie Café is every Nürnberger’s go-to spot for an afternoon coffee-and-cake break. You can even get a marzipan version of the town’s famous three-sausages-in-a-bun (Mon-Fri 8:30-18:00, Sat 8:30-17:00, closed Sun, Winklerstrasse 29, tel. 0911/225-0179).
Of the many Eiscafés in town, Gelateria 4D is the most likely to have locals lined up at the counter for a scoop—and it’s worth the wait (just off Hauptmarkt on the corner of Königstrasse and Spitalgasse, long hours daily).
From Nürnberg by Train to: Rothenburg (hourly, 1.5 hours, change in Ansbach and Steinach), Würzburg (2-3/hour, 1-1.5 hours), Munich (2-3/hour, 1-1.5 hours), Frankfurt (1-2/hour, 2 hours), Frankfurt Airport (1-2/hour, 2.5 hours), Dresden (hourly, 4.5-5 hours, may change in Leipzig or Hof), Leipzig (every 2 hours direct, 3.5 hours; more with transfer in Naumburg), Berlin (hourly, 4.5 hours), Salzburg (hourly with change in Munich, 3 hours), Prague (4 slow trains/day, 5 hours; better to take express bus, nearly hourly, 4 hours, covered by rail passes, leaves from front door of train station). Train info: Toll tel. 0180-699-6633, www.bahn.com.