NUREMBERG CITY

Nuremberg - the historic jewel of Europe

Written by Maria Syritzidou

Nuremberg is a city of enormous historical importance. Nuremberg is a city in Germany, specifically in Bavaria. It is located in the valley of the river Pegnitz (Pegnitz) about 140 kilometers from Munich. Its population is around 500,132 inhabitants. Although much of the city was destroyed during the Second World War, the medieval old town has been accurately reconstructed.

We visited this city during the Christmas season as it is famous for its Christmas open-air markets, Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt. In its streets you will meet countless tourists drinking a hot gluewien (hot aromatic wine) or eating the very delicious local sausages of the region.

After passing the walls of the Altstadt of the old town, just beyond the train station, you will come across the Handwerkerhof, an area with shops and you will see in front of you the river Pegnitz, on which is also the Heilig-Geist-Spital, The Nursing Home of the Holy Spirit which has been here since the 14th century. Today it houses a restaurant. The area here is enchanting and the ideal place for those who love photography as it has very beautiful spots for photography.

Then we visited the Imperial Castle of Nuremberg from where you can admire a panoramic view of the whole city. Here was the royal residence from 1050 to 1571.

A stop by ALBRECHTDURER's house is also necessary as he was one of the most famous painters in Germany during the Renaissance and lived in the late 1400s and early 1500s. Now it is a museum and here you can learn a lot about his life and work.

Notable and interesting is the Hauptmarkt square with the famous imposing Gothic Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche) and the 19 meter Schöner Brunnen (Beautiful Fountain) which is decorated with 40 beautiful sculptures.

You will definitely see the historic room 600, where the Nuremberg Trials took place, and the leaders of the Nazi regime were sentenced for crimes against humanity. Here we read and saw so many documents from the darkest pages of the history of this city. Of course we also visited the building where the followers of the Hitler party gathered to listen to his speeches, with a capacity of 50,000 people. Today it belongs to the municipality. It is called the Documentation Center of the Nazi Party Congress and its conference grounds are spread over a large park around Lake Dutzendteich.

The National German Museum, which includes exhibits of German art and culture, was also extremely valuable. It extends over three floors and contains works from the Renaissance and earlier periods, musical instruments from the 16th century to the 20th, toys for adults and children from 1550 to the present day as well as weapons from the 18th century.

You can also visit the Nuremberg Zoo which was founded in 1912 and has many interesting animals.

Our stay was at the B & B hotel Nurnberg city, a very friendly hotel close to all attractions and next to the train station.

Undoubtedly, Nuremberg is a city that does not go unnoticed. It carries a great historical load of humanity and it is definitely worth a visit to this city!