Often overlooked by tourists in a rush to see Berlin or Munich, Nuremberg is a beautiful city located just south of the centre of Germany with a lot of history and charm. While much of the old town was destroyed during the war, it has been rebuilt brick for brick to resemble the town that existed before and to retain the history of the region. If you are spending some time in Germany, it is worth spending a couple of days in Nuremberg, and here are a few things you can occupy your time with.
Visit the Altstadt - The old town of Nuremberg is contained by some impressive city walls that more or less circle the whole of the historic part of the city. Within this space, there are plenty of cobbled streets to explore, old wooden beamed houses, and of course the castle at the top of the hill. Other highlights here are the house of Albrecht Dürer, the famous artist, which has been turned into a museum, views of the river Pegnitz weaving through the historical buildings, the beautiful market square (Hauptmarkt) which contains the gothic Frauenkirche and Schöner Brunnen statue, and the iconic and picturesque Henkerhaus and Weißgerbergasse which are worth a visit just to take those jealousy invoking Instagram photos.
Fill your pie hole - traditional Franconian cuisine is delicious and an excellent insight into the culture of the region. All around the Altstadt, you will find little market stalls and shops that are selling Drei im Weckla which is three Nürnberger Bratwurst inside a bread roll, which makes an excellent snack during your old town sightseeing. The most important dish to the region is arguably the Schweineschäufele - a slow roasted pig’s shoulder which is usually served with Knödel and falls off the bone when you poke it with your fork. Of course, Nuremberg wouldn’t be German if it didn’t have a beer scene, and the regional beer is very special. Perhaps the best place to sample some of the beer of the local breweries is by taking a trip to Wanderer - a small pub which can be seen spilling onto the streets outside the Albrecht Dürer house on a sunny day. Here, they have a whole plethora of local beers which they will sell to you to consume, most likely on the street amongst all of the locals and students who come to soak up the sun amongst the historic city buildings.
Visit Großer Dutzendteich and Dokuzentrum - the Dokumentationszentrum Reichsparteitagsgelände (there’s a fun way to practice your German pronunciation) is a massive unfinished piece of third reich architecture in the south east of the city. This has been turned into a museum which details the happenings of the second world war and the involvement that the city of Nuremberg had in both fuelling and ending the war. The grounds around here are where the city tends to host festivals such as the bi-annual Volksfest (beer and funfair) and also the Rock Im Park music festival. There are also some relaxing walking paths through the parks and around the lakes which will take you past more third reich architecture and, of course, plenty of beer gardens and places to relax.
Reflect on the past at Zeppelinfeld - This is the piece of ground where Hitler held some of his rallies, and so therefore an important historical sight to reflect upon the mistakes of the past. While some of the architecture was symbolically destroyed here at the end of the war, the main structure still remains and is explorable by foot for those wishing to visit.
Visit the Fränkische Schweiz and Lauf - just a short bus, train or even cycle trip away, you can find yourself immersed in the Fränkische forest. One of the more known and iconic villages is Lauf, which contains a lot of old beautiful buildings and winding cobbled streets. The area contains lots of hiking, climbing, lakes for recreational activities and natural spaces for those wishing to escape the city and to find something a little closer to nature. There is also a beer hike that bounces between five different breweries over roughly ten kilometres (Fuenf-Seidla-Steig) which will provide a good cross section of local beer and culture.