8 Reasons to Visit Nuremberg
If you plan to visit Bavaria, there are many reasons why Nuremberg is worth seeing. The city boasts many stunning attractions, historic Old Town, important landmarks, and immersive museums, making it an ideal destination for every type of traveler.
Located in the southwest of Germany, Nuremberg offers visitors a great mix of history, culture, architecture, and food. It is a truly captivating city to visit.
For us, it was probably the single biggest surprise of our Bavarian road trip.
It has a turbulent history, beautiful architecture, modern museums, and a great atmosphere.
And despite the fact that some of Nuremberg's history is pretty dark, today, the city as a whole offers a great travel experience.
Surprisingly enough, we don't make this type of blog post that often, but in the case of Nuremberg, we had to make an exception.
So here are our favorite reasons why you should visit Nuremberg on your next trip to Bavaria.
WW2 History
Nuremberg's history spans over 1000 years, including its rise in importance during the early medieval ages, becoming a Free Imperial City during the Holy Roman Empire era, and becoming one of the symbols of the Nazi Regime.
The city became very important during WW2, as according to Adolf Hitler, it was the most German of all German cities.
The city hosted during the 1930s several massive rallies that helped to spread the regime's twisted ideology and contributed to consolidating its power.
The City of Nuremberg was heavily bombed during WW2, which is not something you would have guessed after walking through the picturesque city center.
It's documented that more than 80% of buildings were damaged or completely destroyed during the air raids.
Fembo Haus or the Imperial Nuremberg Castle have exhibitions on this topic if you would like to know more.
After WW2, Nuremberg held the International Military Tribunal for the first time in history that tried the Nazi leaders for their war crimes against peace and humanity.
You can visit today the Memorium Nuremberg Trials and the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds (and the actual Nazi Party Rally Grounds) in Nuremberg to learn more about this dark chapter of German history.
Excellent Museums
When it comes to history, culture, and art, Nuremberg is one of Germany's hidden gems. It's a city that never fails to impress.
And we are not afraid to say that the museums play an essential role in it.
As the city has so much history, it only makes sense that this is a perfect destination for museum buffs.
So, what are some of the best museums in Nuremberg?
We already mentioned some of the best museums above.
Memorium Nuremberg Trials and Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds are a must-see for anyone slightly interested in WW2 or simply humanity.
But that's not all.
Germanisches Nationalmuseum covers a large portion of Germany's history and culture and also has the Behaim Globe, the world's oldest globe.
Albrecht Durer's House is dedicated to the life and work of this famous Rennasaince artist whose life was tightly connected to the city of Nuremberg.
Fembo Haus is an old merchant house with a permanent exhibition of Nuremberg's history.
DB Museum is a transportation museum popular among families with kids and train enthusiasts.
Then there's the Neues Museum, Toy Museum, Natural History Museum, Bratwurstmuseum, Henkerhaus Museum, and dozens of other museums worth exploring.
Medieval Old Town
Wandering through the narrow cobblestone streets with half-timbered houses, cute squares, old bridges, and the Pegnitz River was one of our favorite things to do in Nuremberg.
The historical heart of Nuremberg is truly stunning.
It offers a very similar experience to traditional medieval towns such as Bamberg or Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which is frankly quite surprising given the size of the city.
Plus, the Imperial Castle of Nuremberg is right in the city, unlike Veste Coburg in Coburg or Marienberg Fortress in Wurzburg, giving the Old Town a much more condensed and intimate feel.
Huge medieval walls surround the inner city of Nuremberg (unfortunately not as walkable as in Derry or Jerusalem), which is quite frankly something you don't see every day, too.
If you like traditional architecture, you can also visit Weißgerbergasse, which is considered the city's most beautiful street.
Then there's the Handwerkerhof Nuremberg, which is basically a tiny medieval village within the Old Town that, despite being touristy, has its charm.
All things considered, the beauty of Altstadt provides one of the most convincing reasons to include Nuremberg in your itinerary.
Nuremberg has Great Hotels for Every Budget
A good night's sleep is one of the most overlooked things when it comes to traveling.
Luckily, Nuremberg has a lot to offer in this regard.
Apart from the main tourist season, the city offers relatively affordable accommodation, making it a great place to visit even for budget-minded travelers like ourselves.
For starters, check out our guide to the best hotels in Nuremberg.
If you're visiting Nuremberg for the first time, we recommend staying within the city center area.
The Old Town (Altstadt) is home to several great hotels, as well as the area around the main train station (Hauptbahnhof) or the Tafelhof neighborhood, which is just south of the walled city.
Some of the most popular hotels with a central location and excellent reviews are Leonardo Royal Hotel, Scandic Central, and Park Inn.
It's a Walkable City with a Great Transportation Network
With a population exceeding 500.000, Nuremberg is the third largest city in Bavaria. Only Augsburg and Munich are bigger.
The relatively big size might actually be one of the reasons why getting around Nuremberg is very easy.
The Old Town is compact and walkable, so you don't need to rely on public transport at all.
That said, there are a few places worth seeing that are located on the outskirts, and that's when you can choose between subway, tram, or bus as your preferred mode of transportation.
Plus, Nuremberg has a great network of cycling lanes, which is ideal for active travelers.
Another major upside of Nuremberg is that the main bus and train station is right on the southeast side of the Old Town, making this historical part extremely well accessible even from other German cities.
We arrived in Nuremberg by car and parked in our hotel, but the city center has multiple convenient parking garages for those visiting the city on a day trip.
It's a Great Stop on a European Trip
Nuremberg is well-connected with the rest of Germany, so it's very easy to incorporate it into your travel itinerary no matter where you start.
The city sits on a crossroad of A3, A6, and A9 highways, which is ideal for those planning to road-trip the central part of Europe.
You can also use the train or bus to reach the city if you prefer public transport.
No matter if you travel from Munich, Prague, Berlin, Stuttgart, Zurich, Frankfurt, Nuremberg is always along the way.
Plus, given the number of indoor activities, Nuremberg is a great place to visit any time of the year, even during cold and wet European winters.
Ideal Base for Exploring Bavaria
If you have a few extra days, you can consider basing yourself in Nuremberg and exploring some of the must-see places this area has to offer from there.
Some of our favorite destinations you can visit on a day trip from Nuremberg include Regensburg (Old Stone Bridge and Roman History), Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth, Wurzburg (Marienberg Fortress and the Residenz Wurzburg), Rothenburg ob der Tauber (traditional architecture) or the picturesque city of Bamberg.
There are obviously more places to see around Nuremberg, but we believe these are the most famous ones.
The best part is that you can easily reach any of these places in 60 to 90 minutes by car (and even public transport), so you don't have to worry about spending the whole day behind the wheel.
Rent a Car
We use Rentalcars.com, a reliable rental website that helps you compare prices, find the best car rental deals, and make reservations for your next trip.
Bavarian Culture and Tradition
Nuremberg is a great place to immerse yourself in Bavarian culture, food, art, architecture, and shopping.
The Old Town has great restaurants, cozy cafes, traditional pubs, and little shops.
For instance, you get a chance to visit the historical Bratwurstkuche 'Zum Gulden Stern,' which has been open since 1419, and where you can try a traditional Bavarian sausage (you can later visit Bratwurstmuseum).
In winter, you can see the traditional Christmas Markets (Christkindlesmarkt), which are touristy but bring a festive atmosphere to the city.
Then you have the superb museums containing tons of information on various topics, including history, modern art, humanity, past, future, or the sausages.
And then there's the history itself that goes back to 1050 when Nuremberg was founded. It's a very interesting mix, especially when it comes all together.
You can argue that Munich has better food and museums, Rothenburg has better samples of traditional architecture, or that Regensburg is more beautiful.
But Nuremberg offers a whole package that will impress even the most seasoned travelers. At least that's what we think about this stunning city.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
