Top sights in Nuremberg, Germany include the Kaiserburg Castle, interesting museums, churches, old town, and sights associated with the Nazi party rallies and trials.

Nuremberg, the second largest city in Bavaria, Germany, has many interesting sights to see. The city was of major political and economical importance during the Middle Ages but is also associated with events surrounding the Second World War: the Nazi Party rallies, the air raids of 1945, and the Nuremberg trials.

• The correct German for Nuremberg is Nürnberg, which may also be written as Nuernberg.

The Old Town of Nuremberg

Nuremberg’s old town is still encircled by its original medieval walls – around 5 km (3 miles) long. In total, 71 of the original 130 defensive towers survived.

The Pegnitz River cuts the old town of Nuremberg in two. The part closest to the Hauptbahnhof (Main Station) is called Lorenz while the northern section where the Kaiserburg is located is known as Sebald.

The Nürnberg Kaiserburg (Imperial Castle)

The Kaiserburg (Imperial Castle) is on a hill in the far northwestern corner of Nuremberg’s old town. The Kaiserburg was only used when the Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation was in town. Between 1050 and 1571, every emperor visited Nuremberg at least once. Over 300 imperial visits took place with Karl IV visiting Nuremberg around 40 times while Ludwig the Bavarian came 70 times.

Other Sebald Old Town Sights

Nuremberg is at its most romantic at the Tiergärtnerplatz. This square is below the castle with medieval surroundings that include the castle, town wall, town gate, and half-timbered buildings.

The most famous is the Albrecht-Dürer-Haus, a museum in the house where German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer worked and lived. This house escaped the destruction of the air raids of January 2, 1945 when 90% of Nuremberg’s old town was destroyed.

On the Hauptmarkt (Main Market) is a copy of a 14th-century Gothic fountain – the Schöner Brunnen. The Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) here is a 14th century Gothic hall church. More interesting than the church is the Männleinlaufen, a mechanical show on the main façade of seven men representing the Prince Electors paying homage to the Holy Roman Emperor. They come out daily at noon.

Architecturally the nearby St Sebalduskirche is a more interesting church. Its exterior is an uneasy combination of the Romanesque and Gothic although the interior is much more harmonious.

Lorenz Area Sights

The St Lorenzkirche, a High Gothic church, was mostly rebuilt after 1945 but the impressive art is original.

The Handwerkerhof at the gate tower closest to the Hauptbahnhof is a restored medieval-look area with arts and craft shops as well as restaurants.

Museums in Nuremberg

Nürnberg has several major museums:

• The Germanische Nationalmuseum has the largest collection of German art and cultural objects in the world.
• The Verkehrsmuseum (Transportation) has the largest collection of historical railway equipment in Germany.
• The Neues Museum has an impressive collection of modern art and design objects.
• The Spielzeugmuseum has a large collection of toys.

Nazi Sights in Nuremberg

• Nazi Party Rallying Grounds

Nuremberg is infamous for the Nazi Party rallies that were held here during the 1920s and 1930s. The Nazis erected monumental structures to the south of the old town including:

• The never completed Kongreßhalle (Congress Hall), which was to have seated 50,000. It now houses a very interesting Documentation Center.
• The ceremonial Große Straße (Great Road), a 2 km (1.2 mile) long road built with 60,000 slabs of granite (using mostly slave labor).
• The Zeppelin Tribune from where Hitler addressed the party faithful.

• The Nuremberg Trials

After the Second World War, 21 top Nazi leaders went on trial at the International Military Tribunal – better known as the Nuremberg Trials. The trials were held in the Nürnberg-Fürth courthouse in Schwurgerichtssaal 600 (closed until end 2009).

• Nuremberg has good transportation connections to the rest of Germany and Europe. Nürnberg Airport (NUE), a major hub of low-cost airline Air Berlin, can be reached from the old town by subway in 12 minutes. The Hauptbahnhof (Main Station) is to the south of the old town. Frequent trains to Frankfurt am Main take 2 hours while Munich can be reached by rail in 90 minutes.

See Also: The Nazi Party Rallying Grounds in Nuremberg