Day 1 in Nuremberg

Welcome to Nuremberg! Upon arrival, you will go through customs and immigration. Should you opt to purchase a transfer to your hotel; a representative will be waiting for you as you exit immigration. Arrive at your hotel, check in and do not give in to jet lag! There is so much for you to see and do!

Begin the afternoon by exploring the beautiful Old Town surrounded by medieval ramparts, gothic churches and sway-backed medieval houses. Grab some lunch at one of the many charming cafés, then head out to explore the area and get your bearings. If you want to learn more about the city, there`s an English walking tour that starts at 1pm from the market square (you can get tickets from the tourist information office). It takes around two hours and you`ll find out all about the history of Nuremberg and the impact of the war.

Despite having been severely damaged in WWII, many of the city`s old medieval buildings have been painstakingly restored to their former glory. Wander the cobbled streets and admire the timber framed buildings and sandstone facades. The Hauptmarket is where you`ll find Germany`s largest and most famous Christmas market (said to have originated when Martin Luther began giving his childrend Christmas presents).

Take a stroll down Weißgerbergasse (Leather Craftsmen`s Lane) to take photos of this row of medieval artisans` houses. This street is considered the prettiest and most photographed street with each building having different colored timber beams and unique little details. Continue up the hill to get to Nurembeg Castle, which was built in the middle ages. The Castle dominates the city, a symbol of the Imperial power of Nuremburg. Castle tours take in a number of fine rooms, including the 12th-century chapel and numerous notable works of art. There`s the Albrecht Dürer house along the way, which is a museum today. It`s named after Albrecht Dürer (1471 to 1528), a painter, famous for being one of the first artists to do a self portrait.

In the evening, head to the Tiergartnertor Platz, a great place to come and hang out with the locals. During the summer evenings, the area brings many locals armed with bottles of wine or beer to relax. There are some great spots here to buy a glass of wine or beer and enjoy the atmosphere.

After a busy day of sightseeing, enjoy a relaxing dinner before heading back to your hotel for a good night rest.

Day 2 in Nuremberg

Wake up early, grab a coffee or breakfast at a cozy café, and prepare for a day of more sightseeing. Start off with a visit to the National Germanic Museum (Germanisches Nationalmuseum), home to the country`s largest German art and culture collection. The museum has more than 1.2 million items relating to the region`s artistic and cultural history, including historical documents on parchment, a collection of 17,000 seals, and a superb fine arts archive. Other notable highlights include a collection of 300,000 prints and drawings, paintings representing all the major schools, historical musical instruments, a sculpture collection, and a fascinating display of antique toys and dollhouses. The same bright building houses the Industrial Museum (Gewerbemuseum), while for art lovers, the nearby Neues Museum Nürnberg has a large collection of modern and contemporary art.

Spend the remainder of the day being fascinated by Nuremberg`s history at the former Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds. Nuremberg has a long and complex history, and it`s name is associated with the Nazis. This is where the Nuremberg Rallies, racist Laws and Trials after the war took place. The former Nazi Party Rally Grounds was completed in 1933 and hosted 6 of Hitler`s biggest Nazi Party rallies. Your visit will walk you through the causes, reality and aftermath of the Nazi regime. Context is provided by eyewitness interviews, photographs, official documents and computer graphics.

If time allows, pay a visit to relive the famous Nuremberg trails at the Palace of Justice. Here you can visit the courtroom, watch videos from the trials, read the biographies (all in German, though) and pay tribute to the victims of the Holocaust by educating yourself about the past.

As night falls, head back into town to enjoy some of Nuremberg`s local specialties. You`ll find no shortage of restaurants serving up sausages of all kinds. Think sizzling hot sausage - only 9 cm long and 25 grams - flavored with marjoram and spices. Or, check out some other local favorites, such as Franconian Schäuferle - or pork knuckle (made with a pork shoulder complete with the bone and rind). Finish off you`re meal with some famous `Lebkuchen` or gingerbread. If you`re not ready to head home after dinner, stop in one of the many beer gardens or pubs to enjoy a traditional Franconian beer. There is a long tradition of brewing beer in Nuremberg - in fact, it goes back more than 700 years. There are plenty of places to try the local beers, far too many to mention, but easy to find.

Day 3 in Nuremberg

Start your day by exploring the famous Nuremberg Markets. Germany is well-known for its street markets, and Nuremberg is known for some of the best, including the Christmas Market. Other than a chance to fill your shopping bags with great goodies, these markets are the perfect way to feel the real buzz of the city and hang with the locals. There are different markets throughtout the year, depending on when you go.

After taking in the markets, spend some time checking out the many beautiful churches within the walls of the Old Town. Along Koenigstrasse there is no less than three stunning churches: Frauenkirche, St. Lorenz church (considered to be the most beautiful church in Bavaria) and St. Sebaldus church (Nuremberg`s oldest church). They are stunningly beautiful, both inside and out.

Take some time to walk along the canals of the city. A great place to meet locals and take in the fresh air. Or spend some time lazing around in the `Love Island`(Liebesinsel), a perfect spot to relax in the sun and enjoy watching the world go by.

For lunch, grab a pretzel at Brezen Kolb. Nuremberg is home to the pretzel (brought later to America by German immigrants) and there`s not a better place to sample this salty treat than at Brezen Kolb, they`ve been serving up yummy pretzels for over 50 years. There are little shops and kiosks all over the city and plenty of fillings to choose from (the traditional one is obatzer, a cheese spread, caraway, onions and sweet pepper).

Enjoy the afternoon in the city`s shopping district to pick up some souveniers. You`ll find many stores centered around Breite Gasse and Karolinenstraße, offering many well-known brands and some large department stores. The oldest and largest pedestrian zone in Europe stretches through Nuremberg`s historical Old Town in a golden triangle of fashion, lifestyle and luxury. More great shopping can be found in the narrow streets below the castle or in the hip district Gostenhof (GoHo), where it is packed with vintage, second hand and design shops.

Spend your last night in Nuremberg underneath the streets. One of the best ways to learn a bit about the beer history is with a tour through the rock cut cellars underground. The beer would be kept down here because it was cooler and wouldn`t spoil. There were little cellars everywhere but many of them were joined up during WWII to create bomb shelters. You can organize a tour at Hausbrauerei Altstadthof.

Additional Days in Nuremberg

Should you be able to spend additional days in Nuremberg, take in one more day of this beautiful city. Enjoy any museums or other attractions that you might have missed such as The Nuremberg Transport Museum, German National Railway Museum, Nuremberg Toy Museum, Nuremberg Zoo, and Stadtmuseum Fembohaus.

Alternatively, discover the region around Nuremberg, there are several interesting small towns very close by. Fürth is located just 3 miles west of Nuremberg offering charming medieval streets, a Jewish museum and a radio museum. Faber Castle (as in Faber-Castell pencils; their factory is located here) is a small town of Stein (Mittelfranken). Erlangen, is a small University town close by that offers a remarkable collection of museums and early modern architecture. It`s also a company town, dominated by Siemens. These are just a few amongst many others in the area.

The western edge of Franconia is traversed by the Romantic Road, a tourist route through a series of stunningly picturesque old towns. Closest to Nuremberg is Rothenburg ob der Tauber. The `Road` leads north to Würzburg, and south through Nördlingen and Augsburg to Füssen on the Austrian border, with its over-the-top Schloss Neuschwanstein.

Your Last Day in Nuremberg

Depart your hotel for the airport for your return home. We recommend that you purchase a private transfer, if so a representative will meet you at the hotel, in time to take you to the airport for your flight out.