Nuremberg – 5 reasons it’s my favourite German city

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Have you ever head of Nuremberg? It’s not normally a city which makes it on to people’s radars to visit when coming to Germany – they mainly focus on Berlin, Munich and Neuschwanstein. But this region of Germany is absolutely beautiful! Nuremberg is home to everything from the best sausages ever made, picturesque lakes and walks, a sobering past memorialised in a way that honours the victims, beautiful rivers and an Imperial Castle.

Here are a few of the reasons why it’s my favourite German city, and why it’s so worth a visit if you’re planning on exploring Germany.


Kaiserburg, the imperial castle in Nuremberg, lies just off one of the main squares full of beautiful timbered buildings. The castle has a really great museum which documents its use within the Holy Roman Empire, with a selection from its armoury. The gardens surrounding the castle are also lovely with great views out to the city. The walk up is a bit of a steep slope, and you can easily spend half a day here.

Approaching the Castle

The old town in Nuremberg is absolutely stunning. There are Gothic churches to explore, a lovely old town hall (Rathaus), a cobbled market square, and lots of riverside views. The river running through Nuremberg is The Pegnitz and there are multiple bridges crossing the river, including Maxbrucke, Karlsbrucke, Fleischbrucke and Museumsbrucke which give some great shots of the river and old timbered buildings.

Old Town views

Nuremberg was the city of Nazi Party rallies. The former rally grounds still exist just outside of the main city centre, made up of a circular walk taking in various parts of the rally grounds. The central Congress Hall itself is now converted in to a Documentation Centre on the National Socialist regime, honouring the victims. It has a dagger shaped museum running through it – symbolising a dagger to the heart of the regime. You can reach the site by short taxi ride or bus, and when there follow the boards to do a nice walk and finish in the museum. We spent a full day doing just this. I didn’t take any photos in the Documentation Centre, but this is a view of the Congress Hall from across the water.

View to the Congress hall across the lake on the circular rally ground walk

Also in Nuremberg is where the famous Nazi trials took place after the war, holding senior Nazi party leaders accountable for their unspeakable crimes. You can now visit the courtroom where the trial took place and learn about the story of bringing so many war criminals to justice. We spent 2 hours in the courthouse.

The courthouse and inside the museum of the Nuremberg Trials

Aside from the Nazi party rally grounds and Nuremberg Trial museums, there are also some really interesting museums in the city centre. These include the Albrecht Durer House (if you’re in to art), the Fembo Haus (about Nuremberg’s history) and the Toy Museum. We visited them all and found the Nuremberg city museum to be our favourite. It’s just up the road from the main market square as well.

In addition to ‘proper’ museums, Playmobil fun park is in Zirndorf, a town not far from Nuremberg. We got a taxi there but you could take the bus, and it’s great for kids. There are numerous themed areas including a giant pirate ship, fairytale castle and dinosaurs, as well as minigolf and cafe. There’s even a Playmobil Hotel if you really wanted to go all out! I even milked a Playmobil cow; not sure I’ll repeat that experience!

At The Playmobil Funpark like a big kid

No words needed. Have them in a bun, have them with Kartoffelsalat (potatoes) or try Sauerkraut. They are unbeatable, in my humble sausage opinion!

Nurnberger sausages are the best

Thanks for reading! Has this post been useful? Have you ever been to Nuremberg? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Stay safe and happy travelling.

9 responses to “Nuremberg – 5 reasons it’s my favourite German city”

  1. […] cities are incredibly diverse. Places like Nuremberg offer everything from beautiful old timbered buildings to Nazi Party rally grounds. Berlin offers […]

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  2. […] Nuremberg – for Nazi history, amazing sausages and medieval castles […]

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  3. Oh Han, this is entirely everything I love exploring in any city. Museums, History and Food! LoL I’m also having a difficult time pronouncing some words like Neuschwannstein… I’ll learn.

    Thanks for sharing this awesome Nuremberg destination.

    Do any memorable festivals hold here?

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  4. […] Number 1 on the list is from a visit to Germany in 2017. Nuremberg was a special, special city to me. It has left a mark on me as I had the most amazing time full of happy memories. One thing that really stood out for me was it’s beauty, set against its backdrop of a shocking history as it was home to the Nazi party rally grounds. This photo sums up the reason I love travel – learning things, appreciating the beauty of places, and understanding that every country is complex and worth doing more than scratching the surface of. This is a beautiful lake, but the building is the old Nazi Congress Hall, now an incredible museum about Nazi era Germany. Nuremberg also has a lot to offer beyond its history and you can find out about it here. […]

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  5. Splendid architecture, Medieval history, charming atmosphere & good food (the sausage & Kartoffelsalat look delicious!) ~ thanks for sharing your experience in Nuremberg, my friend Hannah & best wishes for a wonderful weekend 😊🌹

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  6. Hi ggreat reading your blog

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much Cody!

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  7. […] My favourite German city with so much to offer from a gorgeous Old Town to lots of wartime history, you can read about Nuremberg HERE. […]

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About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

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