Nuremberg: The City

Welcome to Nuremberg! Nuremberg’s wealth of sights, delights and highlights means there’s always something for residents and visitors of all ages to discover. One of these is the Christkindlesmarkt, the city’s most famous event. Year after year, 2.3 million visitors visit one of the world’s most beautiful Christmas markets to experience its quaint atmosphere, taste the range of delicacies and listen to the Christmas Angel’s opening prologue. The famous Bardentreffen and Blaue Nacht events are well worth a visit too, as is Rock im Park, one of Germany’s largest rock festivals. The Sigena Urkunde, a deed published in 1050 by Emperor Henry III, contains the first documented reference to Nuremberg. The Kaiserburg, which was designed as a political and military hub and was one of the key imperial palaces of the Middle Ages, is still the city’s main landmark. Nuremberg’s appointment as an Imperial City put it under direct control of the Emperor and it enjoyed a number of privileges as a result. But the city also became known for its many scholars and artists, such as the painter Albrecht Dürer, one of the city’s most famous residents. Nuremberg’s unusual affinity with the crafts eventually made it one of the key trading towns in the Middle Ages. In more recent times, Nuremberg gained a less favourable reputation for itself during the National Socialist era. Even today, parts of the city are still home to gigantic ruins representing the Nazi regime’s deluded notion of grandeur. After the city was virtually razed to the ground in the Second World War, the decision was made to start rebuilding the historical Old Town to reflect its original glory. Along with neighbouring towns Fürth, Erlangen and Schwabach, the city today makes up the metropolitan area of Nuremburg. The city’s rambling shopping streets, vast green spaces, art and culture attract visitors to the city the whole year round.