he Franconian metropolis and second-largest city in Bavaria is located along both sides of the Pegnitz River which divides the old town of Nuremberg into the northern Sebald Old Town and the southern Lorenz district. A wealth of historic buildings makes a city trip to Nuremberg a unique cultural experience. The most popular sight is the impressive Nuremberg Castle on the 'Burgberg', the Castle Rock to the north of Sebald Old Town. The monument was first mentioned in records in 1105 and is divided into the Imperial Castle and the Burgraves of Nuremberg. Around the year 1200, the Roman Imperial Chapel was created with a precious late Gothic crucifix of the sculptor Veit Stoß from Baden-Wuerttemberg. The 53-metre deep well is as old as the castle itself and reaches all the way to the ground water of the Pegnitz River. While on your mini-break in Nuremberg, be sure to also visit the Germanic National Museum inside the castle which presents interesting exhibitions about the history of festivals.
Another popular destination during short trips to Nuremberg is the Albrecht-Dürer-House in the old town. The famous painter from Nuremberg lived and worked from 1509 until his death in 1528 in this four-storey stone/timbered building built in 1420. The museum presents painting and printing tools which were in active use during Dürer’s times. A presentation of past printing processes, such as wood and copperplate engraving, is more than interesting. Copies of Dürer’s most significant works and original scripts await visitors in changing exhibitions. The modern annexe presents an entertaining multimedia show about the life and work of the painter and graphic artist.
Travellers will marvel at the pretty Gooseherd Fountain in the courtyard of the new guildhall. It is one of the oldest fountains in Nuremberg. The bronze gooseherd sculpture, a farmer with two geese under his arms, was cast around the year 1550. It stands on a pedestal which emerges from the sandstone basin. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and King Ludwig II. enjoyed spending time at this location. Copies of this fountain can be found in front of the Schiller-House in Weimar and at Hohenschwangau Castle close to Füssen.
The Meistersingerhalle at the Luitpoldhain in south-eastern Nuremberg draws visitors from all over the world with many noteworthy events. The famous Cultural and Congress Centre is named after the Wagner opera “The Master-Singers of Nuremberg”. The event hall has been a listed building since 2007. Concerts, congresses and balls regularly take place in the Large Hall. While on your city trip in Nuremberg, be sure to visit a concert of Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, the Nuremberg Philharmonics or the Nuremberg Concert Choirs.
