travelguide195DEENES

Tour · The classics · Nuremberg

Nuremberg Highlights: Old Town, Imperial Castle and Memorium in One Day

The tour leads from the Handwerkerhof through the Lorenz side of the Old Town, with a subway detour to the Memorium Nuremberg Trials, then uphill through the Sebald district to the Imperial Castle. In the evening, you walk along Weißgerbergasse and across the Henkersteg to dinner on the Pegnitz, and finish with a cocktail.

Stops
12
Time
09:30–21:00
On foot
approx. 2.9 km
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This tour ties together Nuremberg's best-known sights in a single day, with short walks in between. You start at the Handwerkerhof (Craftsmen's Courtyard) right by the Frauentor gate, directly across from the main train station, and head along Königstraße into the Lorenz side of the Old Town. At the Nassauer Haus and the Ehekarussell fountain, you get a first taste of the city's history and Franconian humor.

From Weißer Turm, the subway takes you to the Memorium Nuremberg Trials in just a few minutes. It tells the story of the proceedings against the major war criminals after 1945 and of the historic Courtroom 600. Afterward you head back to the Old Town, have grilled bratwurst for lunch near St. Sebald and take a look at the Historic Town Hall Hall. In the afternoon, the route climbs to the Albrecht Dürer House and on to the Imperial Castle, where its courtyards and towers give you views across the city's rooftops.

In the early evening, you descend through Weißgerbergasse, with its half-timbered houses, to the Pegnitz, cross the Henkersteg bridge and have a Franconian dinner nearby. A cocktail at a small bar rounds off the day. The tour suits a first visit to Nuremberg, when you want to see the most important stops without rushing from one end of the city to the other. You're on foot for most of it; only the detour to the Memorium is by subway.

From the City Wall to the Imperial Castle

  1. Visit · Historic sites · Lorenz (Nürnberg)

    1Handwerkerhof Nürnberg

    A good starting point directly across from the main train station; it's still quiet here in the morning, as many shops open later.

  2. on foot 7 min · 600 m
    Visit · Historic sites · Lorenz (Nürnberg)

    2Nassauer Haus

    One of the oldest surviving residential towers in the city, right across from St. Lorenz Church; a look from the outside is enough.

  3. on foot 8 min · 640 m
    Visit · Monuments · Lorenz (Nürnberg)

    3Ehekarussell Brunnen

    A drastic, humorous bronze fountain based on Hans Sachs' poem about marriage; right at the Weißer Turm subway station.

  4. transit approx. 15 min · 2.2 km
    Visit · Historic sites · Bärenschanze

    4Memorium Nürnberger Prozesse

    Exhibition on the trials and Courtroom 600 in the Palace of Justice; check opening hours and closing days in advance, as Courtroom 600 isn't always accessible when the court is in session.

  5. transit approx. 17 min · 2.7 km
    5
    Meal · German · Sebald (Nürnberg)

    5Bratwursthäusle

    Nuremberg grilled bratwurst right next to St. Sebald; check opening hours in advance, and expect it to get crowded at lunchtime.

  6. on foot 1 min · 50 m
    Visit · Historic sites · Sebald (Nürnberg)

    6Historischer Rathaussaal

    The hall isn't always open to the public, so check in advance whether you can visit; the Lochgefängnisse (historic dungeons) are in the same building.

  7. on foot 5 min · 430 m
    Visit · Art museums · Sebald (Nürnberg)

    7Albrecht-Dürer-Haus

    The painter's home and workshop on the picturesque Tiergärtnertorplatz; check opening hours, as it's often closed on Mondays.

  8. on foot 3 min · 200 m
    Visit · Historic sites · Sebald (Nürnberg)

    8Castillo de Núremberg

    Castle courtyard, Deep Well and Sinwell Tower with views over the rooftops; check the last admission time in advance.

  9. on foot 5 min · 410 m
    Visit · Historic sites · Sebald (Nürnberg)

    9Weißgerbergasse

    An unbroken row of old half-timbered houses, especially photogenic in the evening light.

  10. on foot 4 min · 310 m
    Visit · Historic sites · Lorenz (Nürnberg)

    10Henkerhaus

    A covered wooden bridge over the Pegnitz and former home of the executioner; lovely views of the Weinstadel and the Water Tower.

  11. on foot 1 min · 120 m
    11
    Meal · German · Lorenz (Nürnberg)

    11Trödelstuben

    Franconian cuisine right by the Trödelmarkt; check opening hours in advance and reserve on weekends.

  12. on foot 2 min · 140 m
    12
    Bar · Cocktail bars · Lorenz (Nürnberg)

    12Bar Chiara

    A small nightcap in the Lorenz side of the Old Town; check opening hours in advance.

Good to know

  • Pack comfortable shoes: the way up to the Imperial Castle is steep and cobblestoned.
  • A VGN day pass is worth it for the subway rides.
  • Check the opening hours of the Memorium, Dürer House and Imperial Castle in advance; some museums are closed on Mondays or Tuesdays.
  • If you have more time for museums, you can add the Germanic National Museum near Königstraße.

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Automatically compiled from travelguide195 places (as of 11/05/2026). Travel times are estimated from distance; please check opening hours in advance.

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