Nuremberg – Famous For The Historic Nuremberg Trials

Nürnberg – A Medieval City With Plenty of Historic Treasures Within Its City Walls:

Situated on the Pegnitz River and the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, Nuremberg (Nürnberg in German) is Franconia’s largest city. The first recorded mention of Nuremberg can be traced back to 1050 when a document signed by Emperor Heinrich III freed his serf Sigena. The document also mentions the location of the Imperial Castle.

Due to its location on key trade routes, Nuremberg became one of the main trade centres on the route from Italy to Northern Europe. One of the high points in the city’s history was in the 14th century when Charles IV named Nuremberg as the city where newly elected kings of Germany must hold their first Reichstag, making Nuremberg one of the three most prominent cities of the Empire.

Famous for the Nuremberg Trials

Nuremberg’s darkest times during its modern history were during the WWII when the Nazi Party chose Nuremberg to be site of huge Nazi Party conventions and rallies. The famous Nuremberg Trials still attract a lot of interest.

Printers and publishers have a long history in this city. Nuremberg today is a city with a very modern outlook and it has morphed itself into a major toy manufacturing centre in Europe – 30% of German toys are produced in Nuremberg.  The Nuremberg toy fair (Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair Nürnberg) is the largest international toys and games trade fair in the world.  Nuremberg is also one of the top 15 largest trade fair centres in the world.

Things to See and Do in Nuremberg

For the visitor, Nuremberg is a city that’s famous for its lebkuchen (gingerbread), Nürnberger bratwurst (long thing sausages), its Christkindlesmarkt and the many other fairs and festivals.

Nuremberg old town is easy to explore on foot and most visitors will probably start their visit at the Hauptmarkt (main market square) with its Gothic Schöner Brunnen and Frauenkirche. In the next square is St. Sebaldus Kirche one of Nuremberg’s oldest churches.

The Pegnitz River carves the old town into the north and southern parts, with a Renaissance bridge, the Fleischbrücke crossing it. On the bank of the Pegnitz River stands the Heilig-Geist-Spital, the 14th century Hospital of the Holy Spirit.   St Lorenz-Kirche (St. Lorenz church), one of the most important buildings in Nuremberg, is on the southern side of the river.

For those wanting to shop, the southern part of the city is full of shopping opportunities. Walk along Karolinenstrasse and towards the end of the street there are lots of shops around the Weisser Turm and Jakobs Kirche areas.

Once a walled city visitors can still see well-preserved wall gates and towers on the fringe of the old city. Some of the other sightseeing attractions in Nuremberg include the famous Kaiserburg, Albrecht-Durer Haus in the northwest and the German Nationalmuseum on the southern fringe. Outside the old town, the popular sightseeing attractions include the Zeppelin Field and the Nuremberg Trials Memorial.

There are plenty of hotels in Nürnberg city centre and many of them are within easy reach Nuremberg Airport.

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