While over two million visitors travel from all over the world to Nuremburg each year, it's a short trip for many Americans living in Germany. Visitors from all around Bavaria can travel by train, bus or by car and in most cases the trip will take about an hour.
Nuremburg offers all the amenitites of a large city, and the sightseeing opportunities of an old city. The city website lists 19 different museums and 24 places for visitors to see. The main sightseeing features include a castle, parts of a town wall, churches, fountains and the houses of famous sons such as Albrecht Duerer.
Located in the Franconian region of Bavaria, the town first came into existence in the 11th century. Nuremburg received a charter in 1219 and was made a free imperial city by the end of the 13th century.
Nuremburg was one of the largest trade centers on the route to northern Europe. The Holy Roman emperors all spent time at the castle in Nuremburg, giving it political as well as economic power in the area. Today, visitors can shop in modern department stores, small boutiques, visit one of many museums and spend the night in one of the many hotels or bed and breakfasts.
One of the largest musuems, the Germanisches National Museum has been compared to the Smithsonian Institute in America. The Germanisches National opened in 1852 in the Kornmarkt, and includes among its collections a history and prehistory department, a picture gallery, a sculpture section, a musical instrument collection, arts and crafts section, an anthropological section and an engraving section.
The Imperial Castle Nuremburg sits at the top of a hill and was constructed in three sections. The Kaiserburg dates from the middle of the 12th century and has a chapel built by the Emperor Barbarossa. The Burggrafenburg belongs to the city and has since 1427. The Kaiserstallung served as the stables in former times, but is today a youth hostel. Visitors can tour the castle getting a glimpse of the chapel (one of the oldest buildings preserved today), residential apartments, the Knights' Hall and the Emperors' Hall and residential and state rooms. The Deep Well is located in the center of the courtyard and was a very important feature in the Middle Ages. A secure water source often meant the difference between life and death, the well is 47 meters deep.
For those with the energy (after climbing the hill to the castle) the Sinwell Tower is open for visitors. The tower has a viewing platform 385 meters up, offering a panoramic view of the town. The city wall that is still remaining dates from the 14th and 15th centuries and was the third wall in the town. The original wall had 128 towers; 80 towers still stand in the remaining section.
The Protestant Parish Church of St. Sebaldus was begun in 1230-40 and is based on the Bamberg Cathedral. Today, visitors can see a Gothic reliquary, the Sebaldus tomb, a bronze font and sculptures by V. Stoss and A. Krafft. The Frauenkirche served as the court church for Emperor Charles V in the 14th century. The clock features the figures of seven electors who circle three times around the enthroned Emperor Charles IV every day at noon.
The Schoene Brunnen, beautiful fountain, dates from the 14th century. It stands 62 feet high above the basin, with figures of electors, pagans, Jewish and Christian heroes. The figures there today are copies, portions of the originals can be seen in the Germanisches Museum. Other fountains considered to be worth a visit are the Fountain of the Virtues, Gooseherd Fountain, and the Marriage Carousel. The famous artist Albrecht Duerer is a son of Nuremburg, his house is open to visitors.
Nuremburg is also famous for a Christmas Market held each year in the city center. In 2009, the market had more than two million visitors to its more than 180 booths. The market restricts itself to selling traditional items. One of the items Nuremburg is famous for is a cookie called lebkuchen, which is a spiced cookie reminiscent of gingerbread.
During World War II, Nuremburg became famous as a centerpiece for the Third Reich, and as such it was heavily damaged during the war. Most of the buildings in the town have been reconstructed as faithfully as possible to the originals. Once a visitor has seen the wall, churches, museums, fountains and houses, it's an easy task to find a comfortable restaurant offering Franconian specialties. Just remember to watch the train or bus schedule, as the German public transportation is notorious for being punctual.
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