Nuremberg, Germany: What to See

Many people, including World War II aficionados, associate Nuremberg with the Nazi party. It was here that the large Nazi rally grounds were built and from 1933-1938 Hitler addressed hundreds of thousands of supporters in an annual gathering. Hence Nuremberg was also where the allied forces decided to prosecute high ranking Nazi officials in a war crimes tribunal resulting in several death sentences. The courtroom where this took place is still active but also has an exhibition that can be viewed certain days.

The Nazi years of Nuremberg are merely a blip of time given a wealth of history and attractions that includes Germany’s most visited Christmas market, the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt, a fantastic medieval castle, a wonderful Renaissance past and centuries of strict laws regarding beer and sausage that have kept quality at a premium for hundreds of years. All of this combines to give Nuremberg a long to do list.

Old Town, Nuremberg a long to do list

Nuremberg (Nürnberg in German) is definitely worth a couple days if you’re trekking through Germany. The express train from Munich will get you there in just over an hour. But if you want to save a lot of money the intercity train is pretty cheap and takes around 2 hours. You can get a group discount pass when traveling in a party up to 5 people called a Bayern Ticket.

Christkindlesmarkt Nurnberg, Nuremberg a long to do list

Bell and I love Nuremberg and have visited on a couple occasions because close friends of ours reside there. We’ve visited for the Christmas markets in December and their wedding in summer. Both seasons are wonderful to visit. European Christmas markets are fantastic and Nürnberg’s Christkindlesmarkt is Germany’s most famous and draws the biggest crowds of any in the nation. We thoroughly enjoyed walking around the ornament stalls while drinking Glühwein (mulled wine) in very frigid temperatures. The fantastic Kaiserburg Castle sits on a hill offering a dramatic view of Nuremberg, is quintessentially Europe and absolutely majestic covered in snow or draped in sunshine.

Nurnberg castle, Nuremberg a long to do list
Summer in Nuremberg is equally awesome because you can sit in fantastic beer gardens and drink wonderful brews and eat real bratwurst. A lot of sausages call themselves “bratwurst” or “brats” but the real deal’s origins date back to Nuremberg in 1313. Germany has strict laws regarding food quality and the amount of fat that can be included in “bratwurst” is regulated, suffice to say the stuff you get in Nuremberg today is excellent. We highly recommend swinging into Bratwursthausle. If you’re keen you can even order Züngerl, grilled cow’s tongue, which I tried for the first time there, as part of my ‘What would Anthony Bourdain Eat?’ travel mantra.

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Aside from fantastic cathedrals and cobbled streets, among the splendour of Nuremberg’s fairy tale like Old Town is its link to the Renaissance. Considered by many scholars to be one of the most important contributors was writer, painter and artist Albrecht Dürer. And a visit to the Albrecht Durer House, now a museum, is one of the best historical and cultural things to do in town.

If you don’t have time for the Dürer museum, the museum shop, Museumsladen and Albrecht-Dürer-Haus offers a wonderful insight into Nuremberg’s rich past. This former butcher shop is adorned with original tiles that date back to the 18th century, making it very worthwhile to swing in for a look. And this family-run business is not just a great place for those looking for Durer or Renaissance souvenirs, it’s also worthwhile for picking other mementos of your lovely visit to the capital of Franconia.

original 17th century tiles, Nuremberg a long to do list
Gift shop, Nuremberg a long to do list
Nearby is “Tiergärtnertorplatz” which is a fantastic place to drink in summer. There are 2 bars where you can sit outside for drinks, in addition to a restaurant with a beer garden. When there are no available seats people just take their drinks and sit on the square. Feel free to join them in soaking up Nuremberg’s wonderful ambiance!

Author

  • Alex&Bell

    Alex and Bell originally met while solo traveling after finishing university in 2002, in Brugge, Belgium. Alex grew up in the USA and Bell hails from Australia. During our nearly 20 year marriage we've lived around the world, including spending six years living in the Netherlands and Ireland. We have traveled to nearly 70 countries and enjoy giving readers authentic and quality travel tips. Alex is an award winning travel journalist and travel planner, who also freelances for other outlets. Bell is an award winning PhD scientist who currently works for a non-profit lung cancer advocacy research organization called Lungevity. Happy travels and if you have any questions leave a comment or drop an email!

6 thoughts on “Nuremberg, Germany: What to See

  1. Looks fabulous and I loved Berlin so I am sure I would enjoy Nuremberg, I am not so sure about the snow, European winters are too cold for this Aussie.

    1. Yes European winters can be rough on Aussies who are used to sunny skies and warmer temps. It can be bitterly cold in Central Europe but seeing snow covered castles and medieval rooftops is something you should see once in your lifetime if you can afford to…Then again nice beers in the sun in Nuremberg is more relaxing than battling harsh temps 🙂

  2. We’re hoping to make it back to Nürnberg this year. I’ve only been once, and it was just for a few hours, but it is a beautiful city. Now to figure out if a summer or winter visit is best.

    I didn’t realize the fat content in Bratwurst was regulated.

    1. Hey Ann, summer and winter in Nuremberg are both great! We have awesome memories of both visits. Partaking in the Christmas markets and then being on hand for close friends’ wedding was really special. If you visit in winter go for the Christmas market!

      And I love the quality control in German food! Amazing that the fat content in brats is regulated. I wish the USA would regulate food better so more Americans received higher quality food. That’s bad for the bottom line of big companies though.

  3. Been there, seen that! Nurnberg was 1 of my favorite towns my mann und I visited while living in Germany. Good people and unique culture. It was extra special to us because our 1st born, our son was born there. If we ever get the chance to return, we’ll go in a heartbeat!

    1. Hi Kim, Nuremberg is also one of our favourites! How lovely your son was born there, we really hope that you get the chance to return back there some day soon! I’m sure it would be amazing for him to visit.

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