Europe: A Whirlwind Tour of Nuremberg

Up on the castle wall

When I came to Europe, I knew things would be old. I expected impressive dates: “This city was started in 1147.” What I didn’t expect is that cities would be so old that nobody knows when they started.

Nürnberg is one such city. It’s first mentioned in 1050, but obviously something was there before that. And from the moment I stepped through the doors of the Hauptbahnhof, Nürnberg screamed at me, in all its glory, that it has been around for a thousand years.

The history of Nürnberg is fascinating, but I will let Wikipedia do the talking for me. Take the time to read it. It’s incredible.

Nürnberg is a place where the past is alive in the present, where people live in buildings that look just like the stereotypical German houses that you see in picture books and historical movies. It’s a city with a castle, a Medieval wall, and paving stones on most every street. The buildings are huge, but they are dwarfed by the church spires that jut out all around the city. Tourists and natives flock the streets, but only a few cars are allowed inside the city walls. Music— jazz, gypsy, anything the buskers can play— permeates the air. A river, the lifeblood of Nürnberg, flows through the center of the city, channeled in a canal that reflects the buildings. Nürnberg, center of trade routes in the Middle Ages. Nürnberg, unofficial seat of the Holy Roman Empire. Nürnberg, half-obliterated by the second world war.

St. Loren's cathedral. No photo could do it justice.

I spent a full day wandering the city, and I could have spent much longer. Let’s begin with the churches. There seem to be dozens. Everywhere you go, you see another church. Each has its own set of wonders, from gold-leaf altarpieces to ceilings that seemed to be three hundred feet tall. St. Loren’s was my favorite, with dark, heavily fluted columns that rose up like redwoods around me, joining into branches of intricate buttresses. 

Zack and I took a guided walking tour from the tourist information center, which was only 10 euros, plus two more for admission to the castle. Our guide, with a sunny hat, a floral dress, and a pleasant German accent, took us around the city, sharing stories, explaining significant buildings. She bought the eight-person group a box of lebkuchen (gingerbread cookies). I breathed in the spices as she explained that Nürnberg was a central point of the trade routes from the east. When a shipment of spices came in once a year, merchants opened booths for three days so everyone in town could buy as much as they wanted. Then the merchants packed up the spices and sent them elsewhere. 

The guide pointed to a cathedral dedicated to “Our Lady” and told us the history. The town was originally in two sections, one on each side of the river. When the city expanded, they consolidated the two parts. The only problem for them was, the local Jews were now in the middle of the city, rather than at the edge. Nobody wanted the Jews to be there. A king, Charles IV, wanting support for his bid for emperor, promised to turn a blind eye if the people wanted to evict or slaughter the Jews. The people readily agreed to support him, and they evicted and massacred many people. Later, Charles IV took the money stolen from the Jews and built this cathedral. It was sobering to hear such a story, looking at the intricate architecture, the beauty that came out of that evil. The world is a sad and confusing place.

This is a "little choir."

More run-of-the-mill buildings...

On we walked, passing countless landmarks, from tombs of benefactors to a hangman’s tower. She pointed out the houses, noting the significance of their building material. The foundations were built of stone, but most were then constructed of wood and plaster. She said that “stone rich” is a still a term in Germany today, originally meaning anyone rich enough to build an entire house of stone. She also pointed out “little choirs” (projections from the building) which held altars to Jesus and Mary. Some were basic, and many were ornate. They were attached to buildings separately so someone who moved could take the little choir with them. 

Next, it was time to tour the castle! After getting some incredible views of the city from the castle wall, we were led inside. She showed us the entryway where the emperor and his entourage would be received, and then took us the courtyard place that only the higher nobles could go. She also pointed out the lock on the massive door, which had a keyhole large enough to slip a small sausage through. People often got locked outside at night (if you missed the curfew, you had to sleep at the gate all night). Merchants asked for coins to be shoved through the keyhole, and they would return a small sausage. These have become a Nürnberg tradition, called Nürnberg sausages. 

Another run-of-the-mill fountain...

A prominent feature of the castle was a chapel, divided into three parts: a lower part for the lower nobles, a second story for the higher nobles, and a separate box for the emperor. She then led us through the various rooms: a banquet hall, a parlor, the emperor’s bedroom, a playroom for children. I wondered what any of the Holy Roman Emperors would have thought, seeing a bunch of lowly tourists parading through his bedroom.

After the walking tour, we visited the Albrecht Dürer house. Unfortunately, there weren’t any of his original works, but there was an interesting interactive display about his studio, as well as a lot of information about the time period, his life, his paintings, and his radical thoughts. I even got to see a woman making a woodblock print, which she gave to me for free.

Much of my day in Nürnberg is marked by vivid senses: watching stained-glass light sift through the dust motes a hundred feet above my head. Eating Nürnberg sausages and potato salad off a tin plate. Hearing and watching a group of people marching for some cause as they waved signs and chanted, “Freitag! Freitag!” (That means “Friday.” I’m still confused.) Harsh sunlight on my face as I squinted up to see the spires of a church. The whispered silence of a hundred people trying to keep quiet as they toured a cathedral. The sense of history permeating every step I took. 

Nürnberg is so beautiful, it makes me cry. I’m glad I got a chance to spend a day with this city, even though it would take a year to see it all.

Thank you, Nürnberg.

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