The old German city is very popular with tourists visiting Germany. The sights of Nuremberg are numerous. Some of them – for example, the Market Square, fountains, many churches – can be viewed and photographed for free. You will have to pay for tickets to museums, but there are various discounts here: for children, students, organized groups, etc.

Nuremberg fortress

The symbol of the city is the imperial castle (Nuremberg fortress), built in the Middle Ages, at the beginning of the 11th century. Of course, since then it has been destroyed more than once during the wars, then rebuilt again. Its main advantage has always been its location – it was here that important trade routes converged. Therefore, the emperors made Kaiserburg their residence, and so it was until the middle of the 17th century. The castle was reconstructed several times in the 19th century and again in the 20th, as it was badly damaged at the end of World War II. Today, guests are visiting the palace where the emperors lived – their private chambers, and halls for official ceremonies.

Many ancient details of architecture have been preserved. Of particular interest is the Double Chapel, which was built in the 13th century. The Round Tower belongs to the same period. A century later, a well appeared here, which since then has continuously supplied the inhabitants of the castle with clean water. In the warm season, from April to September, you can visit the castle from 9 am to 6 pm, from March to October – from 10 am to 4 pm.

Market Square

Not everyone knows that on the site of the square, where large-scale seasonal fairs are regularly held today, there used to be a Jewish ghetto. The Nazis burned about six hundred people who lived here. Since then, the place has not been built up with new houses. Today you can see the fountain here. Nearby is the “Ring of Desires”. It is attached to the lattice, and in order for wishes to come true, you just need to come up and hold it in your hands. According to belief, one should only think of something good.

Another attraction of the Market Square is the Church of the Virgin Mary. Many guests of the city come here by noon to look at the wonderful clock with figurines, which at 12 o'clock show a whole performance. Especially this spectacle pleases children. From the Market Square you can easily get to other sights of the city.

Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche)

This marvelous beauty church was built in the second half of the 14th century. According to the original plan, imperial ceremonies were to be held here. It is not exactly established, but most historians are of the opinion that Peter Parler, known throughout the world, thanks to the Prague Cathedral of St. Vitus, acted as an architect. Inside the church, you can see relics from the Middle Ages, listen to the organ, and at noon admire the movement of the figures installed in the astronomical clock. The church can be visited freely, entrance tickets are not required.

Church of St Lawrence

Another old church that the city is rightfully proud of. It began to be built at the end of the 13th century and was erected for almost two centuries. A memorable building in the Gothic style is made of dark red sandstone. A little gloomy, but it looks beautiful, and the photos are spectacular. Even without going inside, you can look at the temple from the outside for a long time, in particular, its bas-reliefs, which depict scenes from the Bible – the Birth of Christ, His life path, the massacre of babies during the time of King Herod.

In the church itself, tourists are greatly impressed by the Annunciation sculptural group, made of wood by Veit Stoss, and the huge stone tabernacle, created by Adam Kraft. Its size reaches 18 m. The base is supported by 3 male figures, made extremely naturalistic, and biblical scenes can also be seen on panels and bas-reliefs. It seems a miracle that this shrine of the finest workmanship was preserved during the bombings of World War II, when the city was practically reduced to ruins. The glory of the church was brought by its beautiful stained-glass windows.

Albrecht Dürer House Museum

The Germans remember and honor the great artist. He bought this house in 1509, when the building was almost a century old. Dürer moved here with his wife and servants, as well as with students, and lived here until his death – that is, about 20 years. After that, the owners of the house changed each other. In the 19th century, the city authorities bought the building and designed a small museum here, and then the business passed to the Albrecht Dürer House Society. The collection of exhibits is still being replenished. Admirers of the artist's work were very pleased with the fact that during the war years the building was almost not damaged, and in 1949 the museum again received visitors.

Today, audio tours are held here, and the story is very interesting – it is conducted on behalf of the artist's wife. You can also watch a film dedicated to the life and work of Dürer, visit the rooms where the family lived, see the “art gallery”. Museum doors are open from 10 am to 5 pm. In the souvenir shop, everyone who bought a ticket and made any purchase is also entitled to a gift.

German National Museum

This museum, which has received worldwide recognition, was born in the first third of the 19th century, thanks to the efforts of Baron Hans von Aufsess. He began to collect works of German painters and sculptors, interesting antiques. The museum was opened in the 1950s. The number of exhibits grew, and over time, the museum moved to the premises of an ancient monastery, which gave it an additional flavor. By that time, the collections already included works by Veit Stoss, Adam Kraft and other masters. After World War II, the museum was revived thanks to Theodor Heuss. He became its director, and put a lot of effort into adding to the collections. Today there are 23 departments here.

Visitors can see archaeological finds dating back thousands of years, paintings by masters from different eras and works by contemporary artists. It also stores ancient tools used by scientists of past centuries, and things created by folk craftsmen. Children admire antique toys, including doll houses. Also in the museum you can listen to the playing of musical instruments made many centuries ago. The museum is closed on Monday. On other days, it receives visitors from 10 am to 6 pm, and on Wednesdays from 10 am to 9 pm.

Fountain “Marriage Carousel”

This fountain is located on Ludwigplatz. He owes his appearance to the following reason. The subway was being laid in Nuremberg, and it was in this place that it was necessary to make a ventilation shaft. How to disguise it? The city authorities have announced a competition for the best idea. The winner was Jurgen Werber, a sculptor by profession, who proposed to create a composition based on the works of the famous German poet Hans Sachs, who lived in the Middle Ages in this city.

Sachs has poems dedicated to married life, its bitter and sweet fruits. The fountain consists of 6 sculptural compositions arranged in a circle. They represent both joyful and sad moments in the relationship between husbands and wives. There are always a lot of tourists here who are in a hurry to capture the fountain – a real work of art – in photographs.

Church of Saint Sebald

This is the oldest church in Nuremberg, built in the Gothic style. Work began in 1225 and continued for about 150 years. It is especially dear to residents that the temple was erected in honor of the patron saint of the city. Sebald was a hermit and lived in a forest near Nuremberg. He was canonized in the 15th century, and now his relics are kept in this temple. In previous years, on Saint Sebald's Day, which is celebrated on August 19, they were solemnly carried through the streets of the city.

Once upon a time there was a small chapel on the site of the church. Then it was replaced by a basilica in the Romanesque style, then the restructuring continued, Gothic elements appeared, and then the features inherent in the Baroque. Today, the main attractions of the church are an old altar dating from the 15th century, and bas-reliefs by Adam Kraft. You can also see beautiful wooden sculptures here.

Palace of Justice

The significance of this palace for the whole world can be described in a few words – it was here that the Nuremberg Trials took place in 1945-1946. On the dock were the Nazis, who committed the gravest crimes against humanity. The building was built at the beginning of the 20th century. Later, members of the Nazi Party held their congresses here. Surprisingly, during the terrible bombing during World War II, the palace survived. There was a prison nearby. All this played an important role when the Allies chose the place for the trial of the Nazis.

About 20 years after that, the building belonged to America, then it was transferred to Germany. At the same time, reconstruction was carried out – with the replacement of cladding and furniture. Now there are court hearings. And, of course, the Museum of the History of the Nuremberg Trials is open here. On weekends, visitors have the opportunity to see the very hall where the hearings were held, to get acquainted with documents and photographs. Even to see the benches on which the defendants were sitting. On other days of the week, when court sessions are held here, you can look into the hall through special glass windows.

On Saturdays and Sundays, the museum is open from 13:00 to 17:00, the ticket costs 8 euros, children go for free, and students for half the price.

House of Nassau

There is no older residential building in Nuremberg than Nassau House. It is located on the corner of Lorenplatz and is a real tower. Such structures were characteristic of medieval Italy. The house was built from red sandstone. It has 4 floors. Reconstructions gradually changed its style from Romanesque to Gothic. Construction was carried out gradually: it was started in the 12th century, and the upper floors were completed already in the 15th. Of particular interest is the roof of the house, where you can see numerous coats of arms – cities, greece, and even the Pope.

The building alternately belonged to one or another aristocratic family, and today it is owned by a special fund. Tourists have the opportunity to see how representatives of the upper strata of society lived in the Middle Ages. Unlike the wooden houses of commoners, the massive building survived even during the bombing of the city during World War II. It was restored already in the 50s of the last century. Now the house is used by the city administration.

Mauthalle building

Attractive for city guests is the Mauthalle building. First of all, tourists will be interested in its unusual architecture, numerous windows located on the roof. The fact is that once grain was stored here. To prevent mold, the room had to be regularly ventilated. This purpose was precisely served by small windows. Then the customs department was opened in the building, and then the shopping center was moved here.

Thus, tourists can both inspect the house inside and make purchases. And in the basement, another surprise awaits them. There is a wonderful pub where you can sit and relax with a large mug of amber foamy drink. Among other snacks, guests are offered the famous Nuremberg sausages, which won universal recognition a long time ago.

Tuher Castle (Tuherschloss)

Once upon a time, in the 16th century, rich merchants of Tuhera lived in a beautiful castle surrounded by a garden. Through marriage, they intermarried with many of the noble families of Nuremberg. For four whole centuries, the massive building stood in its original form, but the Second World War did not spare it, and the bombing caused significant damage to the structure. In fact, only the western facade remained from the castle, everything else had to be restored.

Today, tourists can visit the museum located here, admire the antique furniture, household items, clothes, paintings, sculptures. All provided by the Tuher family. Luxurious wedding dishes are of particular interest to tourists. The garden recreates a historic building that belonged to the Renaissance.

The museum is open on Mondays from 10:00 to 15:00, on Tuesdays from 13:00 to 17:00 and on Sundays from 10:00 to 17:00. It should be especially noted that on Sundays the tour is conducted by an artist dressed in the clothes of the mistress of the castle, Frau Tucher, and on her behalf she tells the story. You can spend the whole day here, as there is a beautiful park around the castle.

Holy Spirit Hospital

One of the oldest buildings in Nuremberg is actually the oldest medical institution in Europe. As early as the beginning of the 14th century, the sick were treated here, and there was also an almshouse where beggars could live, and even those with leprosy – in isolated rooms, of course. The hospital was of great importance for several centuries. The Germans are true to tradition. Today, the Hospital of the Holy Spirit houses the Nursing Home. But tourists also love to visit this place.

Here is a wonderful restaurant serving the best dishes of national cuisine. Everything is delicious, fresh and homemade. In addition, the building looks extremely picturesque. One of its wings just hangs over the water, and arches are reflected in its smooth surface, resembling glasses glasses. The wooden gallery of the Hospital, preserved from the Middle Ages, is also a rare architectural monument. Also in this building was once kept the “Spear of Destiny”, personifying the power of Rome.

“Beautiful” fountain

There is a legend that the fountain, whose height reaches 19 m, was originally planned to be the spire of the Frauenkirche church, but the composition turned out to be too heavy to lift it up. One way or another, the master Fritz Pfinzing started the construction of the fountain at the end of the 14th century, and 11 years later Heinrich Beheim completed the work, since Fritz was no longer in the world. The sketch for the grandiose structure belonged to the Kaiser Charles IV himself.

It was important for the inhabitants of the medieval city to have a source of water located on the main square. And the sculptural composition reflects the value system of that time. Over 40 figures, including apostles, kings, scientists, prophets, are located on different tiers. The highest level represents Justice. Here are Moses and the prophets, and at the bottom of the fountain you can see devils – a talisman against evil forces, which is consistent with ancient tradition.

Nuremberg Zoo

This is the real pride of Nuremberg, and a paradise for animals. They live here in conditions as close to natural as possible. But at the same time they are safe and provided with food. Animals are trusting and sociable. And monkeys can even rummage through the backpacks and pockets of careless tourists. Elephants, rhinos, giraffes, kangaroos – representatives of the fauna of all continents live here. And the Floquet bear cub is a favorite of both guests and employees of the zoo, a kind of its emblem. Also, children and adults will be pleased to visit the dolphinarium, where smart sea animals give whole performances.

There is a cafe and a bar on site. The zoo is open daily from 8 to 19.30, the ticket price for an adult is 13.5 euros, for children 6.5 euros. Feeding of animals is carried out according to the schedule. It will take more than one day to carefully and thoughtfully explore all the sights of ancient Nuremberg. But the city is worth your time. You can come here in the “low season”, when there are not so many people here, and housing prices are lower. Nuremberg remains beautiful at any time of the year.