Thinking of Visiting Munich? 9 Reasons You Should go to Nuremberg Instead

If you are planning a trip to Germany, then chances are you are considering visiting Munich. If you Google “top cities to visit in Germany”, Munich will definitely be on the list and most likely in the top five recommended cities. Nearby Nuremberg, meanwhile, rarely makes the top of the list.

What most people are looking for in a trip to Munich is CULTURE and TRADITION. Bavaria, the state that Munich and Nuremberg are both located in, is known for its thriving, old-world culture, medieval towns, and romantic castles. As the largest city in Bavaria, Munich tends to draw the most attention while Nuremberg, less than two hours to the north by car (or about an hour by high-speed train), is largely overlooked.

Here are just a few of the many reasons why you should skip your trip to Munich and head to Nuremberg instead.

1. It has a Medieval Castle

A portion of the Kaiserburg as viewed from within the dry moat.

Ok, Munich does have the Nymphenburg Palace, which was built in 1675 (and is beautiful). But Nuremberg has a true medieval CASTLE! It was built and expanded over the course of many centuries, but the earliest parts date back to 1138. The Kaiserburg (Imperial Castle) was most notably the seat of the Holy Roman Empire. The castle holds a commanding location on top of a hill on the northernmost edge of the old city (Altstadt). This lends the city unique dimension, as you can see the castle looming over the city from many vantage points. I highly recommend visiting the castle overlook for a gorgeous view out over the cityscape.

Admission to the castle interior is inexpensive and well worth the cost but, for the budget-conscious traveler, the castle courtyards, overlook, and glorious castle gardens are all free and open to the public.

Did I mention you can STAY in the castle? The city Youth Hostel is located in the portion of the castle pictured above.

2. It is a Walled City

Looking out from the city wall on the Neutor gate.

Nuremberg’s city wall runs almost continuously around the 5 kilometer circumference of the old city. A paved pathway and parks run through the dry moat beside the wall, making for a lovely stroll with gorgeous views, especially behind the Kaiserburg. There are several places where you can walk around on top of the walls, including several restaurants with seating or biergartens built onto them. My favorite way to explore the walls and ramparts (and feel like Cersei Lannister while doing so) is through the castle gardens. You can stroll around the manicured gardens on top of castle ramparts and then follow the gardens along the wall for about a kilometer.

3. More Meandering Cobblestoned Streets and Charming Half-timbered Houses

Weissgerbergasse (the street with the city’s most beautiful half-timbers)

 The old city of Munich is quite limited; the architectural style is predominantly Baroque– streets like this one above are nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Nuremberg sports far more beautiful half-timber houses and numerous winding cobblestoned streets.  You can visit the Albrecht Durer House (the home of Germany’s most famous Renaissance artist) to explore a medieval half-timber house and gain a glimpse of what life looked like during the time period.

4. More Pedestrian Streets and Better Walkability

The old city of Nuremberg is largely car-free and no major roads cut through the center–making it extremely pedestrian friendly. The city has a population of over 500,000, but within the walled old city you could easily think you were in a small town. You can wander the streets staring up at all the sights and rarely have to worry about passing cars.

Pretty much everything you might want to see is within the city walls, making walking the ideal form of transportation.

5. More Beer and Better Bratwurst

Enjoying a delicious Dunkel beer at a riverside biergarten.

Okay, all of Germany has a lot of beer–and most of it is excellent. But Franconia, the region of northern Bavaria that Nuremberg is located in, has the highest density of microbreweries in the world. If you happen to be in the city for a beer festival, then you are in for an extra special treat. But even if you are not, high-quality beer is in abundance.

And what is the perfect pairing for a good beer? Bratwurst! The city’s famous Nuremberger sausages, while admittedly smaller than Munich’s boiled weisswurst, are widely recognized as Germany’s tastiest bratwurst. These little numbers, made exclusively with grade-A meats and herbs, are boiled in vats of red wine and onions and smoked over beechwood. Snag a Drei-im-weckla (three sausages in a fresh baked roll) to-go to enjoy while exploring the city, or sit down at a restaurant for a whole plate served with sauerkraut and potato salad.

6. TWO Gorgeous Gothic Churches

St. Lorenz, the largest church in the city. Photo cred Devan Johnson Photography

Munich has some stunning churches, but none that can compare with Nuremberg’s dual gothic architectural gems: St. Lorenz and St. Sebald. St. Sebald, the older of the two, dates back to 1225.

The interiors of both of these churches will instantly transport you back to the middle ages. Dimly lit, with iron-studded doors, faded frescos, and lots of medieval art, the atmosphere is laden with the ghosts of ages past.

7. The Largest Christmas Market

The Christmas Market in the Hauptmarkt (central market square).

The Christmas Market is one of the few things that Nuremberg gets fair recognition for, as it is the largest in Germany. If you happen to be visiting Germany in December, then a visit to Nuremberg’s Christmas Market is a must. It is as if all of the beauty and joy of Christmas is made manifest in one place. A magical mixture of Bavarian nuts, bratwurst smoke, and the warm spices of Glühwein (mulled wine) fill the air. The streets glow with Christmas lights and people shuffle up and down the rows of stalls looking at glimmering, handmade ornaments while sipping hot beverages from keepsake Nuremberg mugs.

8. Medieval Dungeons and Beer Cellars Under the City

Underneath this medieval city is a labyrinth of tunnels, cellars, and dungeons. You can do a tour of both the beer cellars (ending with a beer tasting at one of the cities oldest breweries) and of the medieval dungeons.

9.  Better Accessibility to Day-Trips

 

Regensburg on the Danube.

If you want a home base to explore the many cultural gems of Bavaria, then Nuremberg is the place to be located. Most of the region’s best day trips are as close or closer to Nuremberg than they are to Munich. Set up camp in Nuremberg and utilize Germany’s amazing rail service to access smaller cities like Würzburg, Regensburg, Bamberg, Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber, Dinkelsbühl, and more!
I hope that by now I have convinced you to visit Nuremberg. To be fair, Munich is a nice city and worth a short visit if you have the time. But if you are looking for an authentic German cultural experience steeped in history, then Nuremberg is where you want to be.

The Struggles of Life Abroad

Torino, Italy
Spring, 2012

When you think of the difficulties you might encounter while traveling or living abroad you tend to think of the big things–not speaking or reading the language, different etiquette rules, etc. But in my experience it is often the small things–like doors being pushed instead of pulled, multiple buttons to flush a toilet instead of a simple handle, no toilet seat at all…these are the types of things that tend to catch me off guard and leave me flustered and confused. My first week studying abroad in Torino, Italy had many difficulties of this sort, including an incident with a train.

My college roommate, my now-husband, and I all spent a semester studying in Italy during our undergrad. None of us knew more than an handful of Italian words when we arrived, and of those our pronunciation was horrific. We had only been in Torino for a few days when we decided we needed to get out and explore. My roommate, Alyssa, had heard about a walled-medieval town on the outskirts of the city that Tyler and I agreed sounded worth visiting. So we headed to the train station, phrase books in-hand.

We were successful in finding the correct train and listened anxiously for the right stop. When we heard the name of our stop we all quickly headed for the door. When we got there we were surprised to find it closed. On any train or bus I’ve ever been on in the US the doors open automatically at a stop and shut when the vehicle is about to start again. We had no clue what to do–we just stood there staring at the closed door. There was a large handle on the door and we finally decided to try it–even though we were sure an alarm would go off or someone would come and yell at us. This is why these things are normally automated!

Alyssa tentatively tried the handle and to our great surprise the doors slid apart. We hesitated a moment longer–still feeling uncertain–and then Alyssa stepped forward to exit the train. At the exact moment she stepped through the doors they closed on her; sandwiching her between them. For a brief moment she was stuck there, her lower body half outside the train, her face a picture of complete shock. A moment’s struggle and she was through the doors, and outside the train.

Tyler grabbed the door handle and tried to open the door again, but this time it did not budge. There had been no warning signal, nothing to alert us that our chance to exit the train was over, but now we were stuck inside the train, and Alyssa outside on the platform. I ran back into the passenger car and spinning around frantically began shouting, “USCITA, USCITA, USCITA!” Which means, “EXIT, EXIT, EXIT!” Except I had the pronunciation completely wrong and wasn’t forming an actual sentence, so it really shouldn’t be surprising that the other passengers ignored me entirely and made no move to help us.

Even as I was shouting I felt the train shift under my feet, and I looked at Tyler in horror, and then we both turned to look out the window to where Alyssa still stood on the platform. Her face mirrored the looks of shock and confusion on our’s as the train slowly moved away, leaving her behind.

None of us had international phones, so there was no way of contacting her. There was nothing we could do now except sit down and wait for the next stop, and then get back on a train heading back to Alyssa. But the fears immediately began bombarding our minds–“What if she tries to come to us? What if she heads back to the apartments without us? What do we do if we get back to the stop and she isn’t there?” In retrospect none of these fears were really serious, but at the time we were overwhelmed–our first excursion and we were already lost and separated.

Even as we fretting over our fears the image of Alyssa’s face as she was squashed in the doors (just like the warning stickers posted on them!)  came to my mind and I suddenly burst out laughing. Tyler looked at me in confusion. Through my laughter I managed to say, “Alysssa. The doors. Her face!” At this Tyler cracked up too and we laughed the whole way to the next stop. When we exited the train–this time successfully–our fears returned. It was about 15 minutes until the next train and I couldn’t help but worry about Alyssa waiting for us, wondering if we were coming for her, when we would get there, or whether she should just go back to the apartment.

Finally the train pulled up and we were once again headed back the direction we had come. When we arrived at our stop we ran out onto the platform looking frantically for Alyssa. She was no where in sight. Then we saw her–getting onto the very train we had just gotten off of a little ways down the platform. We ran after her yelling for her to wait. She saw us, and climbed down, just before the door latched and the train started moving.

We spent a few moments spilling out our separate adventures and expressing our relief. Then we decided to continue on our venture. A few minutes later we were approaching a magnificent medieval town, rising up on a hill over the surrounding suburbs. We entered through an arch in the wall around the city, climbed through winding streets, past beautiful churches, and finally to a castle at the top of it all with beautiful views looking out over the city and the Alps beyond.

It was a successful trip after all and well worth the hecticness and confusion. And most importantly, the adventure gave me one of my most hilarious memories. I’ll never forget the look on Alyssa’s face while trapped in the door, or the image of me running around yelling, or our pathetic naive faces as the train pulled away. Who would have thought a train door could have presented such difficulties?