24908GER
City Sightseeing & Facts and Free Time
Opening days/times, entrance fees, etc. listed on Yellow Pages attachment.
· Journey time from Munich: a minimum of 2 hours
· You can drive through the former Nazi Party parade grounds on your way into Nuremberg (ask the driver to input “Zeppelinstraße” to the sat-nav)
· Regulations have now changed and it is illegal to enter the Old City walls with a coach, even to drop off at the Hallertor Drop off point, without a permit. These are only available with a hotel or restaurant reservation.
City sightseeing with Tour Manager:
· City fortifications
· Albrecht-Dürer-Haus (Tiergärtnertorplatz)
· Kaiserburg (castle)
· Church of St. Sebaldus
· Hauptmarkt/Schöner Brunnen
If stopping for lunch in Nuremberg…
Upon arrival in Nuremberg, you will have to drop off either at the Grasersgasse (adjacent to the German National Museum) and walk the 20 minutes into the town centre; or drop off at the Vestnertorgraben north of the Castle (a slightly shorter walk but a long drive to reach and very steep on the return). Walk the group to the Hauptmarkt and Schöner Brunnen. The fountain makes an ideal meeting point – do not expect the group to find their way back to the coach on their own.
There are several ATMs on the Hauptmarkt. If you look up the hill to the Kaiserburg castle, the large Old Town Hall is the imposing building on your right. There are convenient pay WCs (€0.50) located about 50m up towards the castle, in the side of the Town Hall.
Conduct your sightseeing/orientation tour (which does not have to be detailed) either before or after lunch and time for shopping. Be realistic with your timings, as the 20 minute walk each way to the bus has made a lunchtime visit somewhat longer than it used to be.
Nuremberg
THINGS TO DO
Sausage restaurants
The famous Nürnberger Bratwurst sausage can be eaten at Bratwurst Röslein, behind the Old Town Hall, or opposite in the Bratwurst-Häusle. Traditionally served with horseradish and sauerkraut and/or potato salad.
Shopping
Apart from the Easter Market and the famous Christmas Market, there are often stands on Hauptmarkt selling local products and souvenirs. Lebkuchen can be bought at the Lebkuchen Schmidt store on the south-east corner of the square; it is open all year round.
The main shopping streets including the department stores Karstadt and Kaufhof are located on the other side of the river, about a five-minute walk from Hauptmarkt. If time is tight however, it’s best if the group stays in the area around Hauptmarkt.
Kaiserburg
A series of wings dating from different periods is punctuated by several towers, of which the Sinwellturm can be climbed for an unrivalled view of the city and beyond (fee applies). The late-Gothic Palais can be visited together with the Kaiserburgmuseum, an outpost of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum displaying models of the castle and an extensive collection of historic weapons.
Justizpalast
The Nuremberg Justice of Palace was the venue for the so-called “Nuremberg Trials”, the military tribunals where Nazi leaders were prosecuted in 1946. It is located 3km west of the city centre. There is a small somewhat underwhelming exhibition and audio-guides in English are available. Note that a visit of courtroom number 600, the site of the trials, cannot be guaranteed as it is still in regular use by the court – and in any case it has been completely remodelled so looks nothing like it did.
Even if you are not visiting inside the Justizpalast you might want to stop here with the coach for a photograph outside with an interested group. There is plentiful parking on the main street outside the court.
Former Nazi Party parade grounds at Luitpoldhain
The site of the famous Nazi parades is a sprawling complex in the south-east of the city. However, many of the planned buildings were never completed or even started before construction was abandoned as war broke out. Today, the main sites of interest are the Great Road (a parade road today mostly used as a car park for the Messe), the Zeppelin Field parade ground, and the Congress Hall (an unfinished Colosseum-style building that is the largest preserved national socialist building. It now contains the outstanding NS Documentation centre, which you must phone and make a reservation for. It is included on some itineraries (check your TI) or otherwise the group pays. Enter Bayernstrasse to the Sat-Nav – it is also signposted). The distances are quite large so you should use the coach to drive around the site.
IF YOU HAVE MORE TIME
Germanisches Nationalmuseum
Housed in a former monastery, the German National Museum houses one of the largest collections in the country and is devoted exclusively to German customs and traditions. Well worth a visit for the collection of medieval arts in particular. Closed Mondays.
Albrecht-Dürer-Haus
One of the few original medieval houses remaining in the city, and home to many 15th-century pieces of furniture as well a selection of the artist’s graphic work in the gallery.
Evening activities
Plenty of options for enjoying the local wine (e.g. Heilig-Geist-Spital restaurant and wine tavern) and beer (Barfüßer and Altstadthof brewpubs, Bamberger Rauchbier (smoked beer) at Zur Schranke-Schlenkerla). For non-alcoholic options, refer to the city’s monthly magazine Plärrer (www.plaerrer.de).