Nuremberg Travelers Recommend

The city of Nuremberg may be synonymous with post-World War II trials that were held here, but there’s much more than one chapter to the town’s history. Visitors can explore the medieval Old Town, learn about the city’s culinary heritage, and also visit the local zoo. Here are a few ways to spend 3 days in Nuremberg. 

Day 1: All About History

Learn about Nuremberg’s history with an introductory tour of medieval Old Town. Get your bearings in the city, and hear about various historical periods, from the German Renaissance to the years of the Third Reich to the famous Nuremberg trials. Guided tours include stops at popular landmarks such as the town hall, the gothic St. Lawrence Church, and the Nazi Party Rally Grounds. Some itineraries also include a stop at the Nuremberg Trials Memorial at the courthouse. 

Afterward, head to the Imperial Castle Nuremberg to learn about the city’s Roman roots, see Albrecht Dürer’s House, or dive deeper into more recent history with a tour focused entirely on World War II history. Many of these sights can be seen with a Nuremberg Card, which includes entry to a variety of landmarks as well as transportation on the city’s subways, trams, and buses.

Day 2: Food Tours and Cooking Classes

Explore Nuremberg’s culinary scene with a food tour or a cooking class—or both. Start with a guided tour that takes you past more of the city’s sights with stops for local foods like sausages, potato salad, gingerbread, and red beer. Alternatively, you can book a morning cooking class and learn how to make bratwurst.

In the afternoon, try your hand at something sweet, and learn how to make traditional German gingerbread from scratch. After class, you’ll leave with a box of homemade treats to bring home to friends and family. Or combine history and imbibing with a tour that takes you to the city’s WWII sights in the afternoon and then to a variety of microbreweries in the evening to enjoy local beer and food.

Day 3: Custom Tours and Seasonal Christmas Markets

The Nuremberg Zoo is one of Europe’s largest. Visit the family-friendly zoo to see everything from lions and gorillas to dolphins. Alternatively, you can spend your last day in town getting off the beaten path on a customized tour. Local guides can design an itinerary around a variety of neighborhoods, sights, or markets and help you explore beyond the city center. 

In winter, you can opt for a tour of the Nuremberg Christmas Market. The vast holiday market, held from late November through Christmas Eve, has taken place for over 700 years, and visitors can enjoy everything from rides on a horse-drawn carriage to Christmas tree decorations to giftable items made in Nuremberg’s sister cities across the globe. There’s even a children’s area with a carousel and a Santa Claus house. Opt for a guided tour that includes tastings of traditional foods and drinks, including sausages, gingerbread, mulled wine, and more. 

From its medieval Old Town to its bustling outdoor markets, Nuremberg attracts visitors for more than its history. Learn about the famous Nuremberg trials, but also explore the city’s contemporary side during a beer tour or a cooking class. Here are a few ways to spend 24 hours in Nuremberg. 

Morning: Get Your Bearings

Begin a visit to Nuremberg with an introduction to the city’s history. Join a walking tour that explores the medieval Old Town and learn about Nuremberg during the Third Reich. You’ll visit the Nazi Party Rally Grounds and see the Nuremberg Trial Courthouse, where the famous post–World War II trials were held. Hear stories about several other aspects of local history as well, from the city’s Roman roots to highlights of the German Renaissance, as you visit popular landmarks including Nuremberg Castle and St. Lawrence Church. Finally, go for a stroll along the River Pegnitz, and wander through an outdoor market. 

Afternoon: Taste Culinary Traditions

Devote your second day to Nuremberg’s culinary heritage with a food-themed tour. Join a local guide for a walking tour that features classic flavors from gingerbread to bratwurst. Opt for a tasting tour that visits restaurants and markets, or attend a cooking class and learn how to prepare traditional dishes yourself. Alternatively—especially if you’re traveling with kids—spend the afternoon exploring the Nuremberg Zoo. See penguins at play, watch polar bears being fed, get up close to a giraffe, and visit goats and sheep in the petting zoo. 

Night: Explore an Outdoor Market

Germany is world famous for its beer, so as the sun sets, turn your attention to various kinds of local brew during a drinks-focused tour. Some itineraries include classic pubs, while others also bring in World War II history to the guided stroll. Nuremberg is also known for its traditional Christmas market (Christkindlesmarkt). Travelers visiting during the holidays may want to join a tour that includes the market and a tasting of seasonal flavors such as mulled wine. Private tours are also available that can be customized to your interests. 

Beyond its history as the site of famous World War II trials, Nuremberg has plenty to offer visitors. With two days in the Bavarian city, you’ll have time to join a local guide for a cooking class, explore the interiors of the medieval Imperial Palace, and try some German beer. Here are a few ways to spend 48 hours in Nuremberg. 

Day 1: Nuremberg History and Cuisine

**Morning:**Start your trip with an introduction to the history of Nuremberg during a walking tour. Join a guide for a stroll through the medieval Old Town, learning about the city’s Roman roots as you go. While hearing about the Third Reich and the trials held in Nuremberg after World War II, you’ll see infamous landmarks such as the Nazi Party Rally Grounds. 

**Afternoon:**When your appetite kicks in, it’s time for a food-themed tour. Choose between a culinary walking tour that visits several restaurants across the city and a cooking class that includes tips on how to prepare traditional German foods such as bratwurst. Be sure to taste local favorites such as gingerbread and red beer. 

**Night:**Discover Nuremberg after dark with a customized private tour. Your local guide will show you the city through their lens and take you to spots that are off most visitors’ radar. Share your interests and let your guide design a personalized tour that goes off the beaten path. 

Day 2: City Culture and Beer Culture

**Morning:**Take a cultural survey this morning, visiting the museums and landmarks that interest you most with the Nuremberg Card, which includes entry to all local attractions, including Albrecht Dürer´s House and the Imperial Palace. The pass also offers access to a range of transportation options, from buses and trams to the subway.

**Afternoon:**Continue your cultural explorations this afternoon, perhaps visiting the Nuremberg Transport Museum (DB Museum), Toy Museum (Spielzeugmuseum), or the National Germanic Arts and Culture Museum (Germanisches Nationalmuseum). Alternatively, especially if you have children in tow, explore the many landscapes of the Nuremberg Zoo.

**Night:**Spend your final evening in Nuremberg sipping traditional German beers during a tasting tour. Some itineraries combine World War II history with a walking tour that includes several classic pubs. If you’re visiting Nuremberg during the holiday season, be sure to stop by the city’s famous Christmas market and try the mulled wine. 

Home to the Nazi Party Rally Grounds (Reichsparteigelande), Nuremberg played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rule. Here are a few ways to learn about the rise and fall of the Third Reich, and see how world history was made in Nuremberg.

Experiences

• Gain insight into Third Reich history and the Nazi rallies held in Nuremberg between 1933 and 1945.

• Discover key sites of interest including Great Street (Grosse Strasse), designed by architect Albert Speer to be the central axis of the Nuremberg parade grounds.

• Visit the half-finished Congress Hall, a building Hitler planned to use for party meetings with other Nazi leaders and officials.

• See the Third Reich buildings where Hitler inspected members of the SS, the Nazi Party’s paramilitary organization.

• Learn about the Nuremberg Trials, a series of tribunals that took place in the city after World War II to prosecute prominent members of Nazi Germany for the war crimes they committed.

• Visit the Documentation Center, a Nazi Party Rally Grounds museum with exhibits on key wartime and postwar events—including the Nuremberg Trials—and their place in the histories of Germany and Europe.