Stand on Tiergärtnerplatz in the early morning and the castle rock rises directly above you, its walls running along the sandstone ridge while the streets below stay quiet. Walk south through the old town and the same city hands you timber-framed merchant houses, a Gothic church, and a museum quarter that begins at the river.
Nuremberg suits travellers who like their history layered: medieval streets in the morning, twentieth-century documents in the afternoon, and a plate of small sausages in between. Much of the centre is walkable, and the northern and southern halves of the old town each reward a half day of wandering.
This guide covers the sights named in the source material, with practical notes on when to go and what to combine. For all but the briefest visits, the Nürnberg + Fürth Card is valid for 48 hours and gives free admission to over 50 museums and attractions plus free travel on public transport in Zone A of Nuremberg and Fürth. If you plan to concentrate on the municipal museums, a day-ticket for those costs €9 and is worth buying if you see two, since individual adult entry is €6.
Top things to do in Nuremberg
1. Nuremberg Castle
The rambling fortification dominates the old town, and although it looks like one massive fortress it historically consists of three distinct parts that often stood in conflict with one another. Castle admission is €10, concessions €9, under-18s free, and a combi ticket with Cadolzburg Castle costs €16 (concessions €14).
Reach it via tram 4 to Tiergärtnertor or bus 36 to Burgstraße; there is no visitor parking. Opening hours are daily 09:00-18:00 from April to September and 10:00-16:00 from October to March.
2. Imperial Castle
The western and most prestigious part of the castle, grouped around the inner courtyard, served as the temporary residence of the Holy Roman Emperors. Your ticket includes the Palas, the double chapel, and the Imperial Castle Museum in the Bower.
Climb the Sinwell Tower for a panorama of the city, and visit the Deep Well through a short guided demonstration. Note that the castle day-ticket for the municipal museums does not include the Kaiserburg.
3. Burgrave's Castle
The central and oldest part of the castle complex was the permanent seat of the Burgraves of the House of Hohenzollern until it was destroyed in 1420. Today you can see the Pentagonal Tower and the Walburgis Chapel.
Their other residence, Cadolzburg, lies 25 km west and is covered by the combi ticket, so pair the two if you have a car or time for the trip out.
4. Municipal Buildings
The eastern part of the castle was built by the city to assert control over the Burgraves, and it includes the Luginsland Tower and the massive Imperial Stables. The stables now serve as one of Germany's most scenic youth hostels.
Walk this section as part of your castle visit rather than as a separate stop, since it sits within the same fortification.
5. Albrecht Dürer's House
This is the house where the painter Albrecht Dürer lived and worked from 1509 until 1528, and it is representative of a wealthy house of the period. The exhibition covers life in the house and the way Dürer worked.
It sits at Albrecht-Dürer-Straße 39, near the Kunstbunker and the castle quarter. Opening hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10:00-17:00; Monday opens only in July to September and for the Christmas Market, also 10:00-17:00. Adults pay €7.50, children €2.50, and holders of a Nürnberg-Pass, Fürth-Pass, Erlangen-Pass or Schwabach-Pass pay €2.00.
6. St Sebald Church
Built in Romanesque style from the 13th century with many later Gothic and Baroque additions, this church is the focus of the north-side old town and stands opposite the Town Hall on Albrecht Dürer Platz. In the centre, a wooden monument over the saint's grave is carved with scenes of his life.
The church organ is a modern replacement of the famous original, destroyed by bombing in the Second World War. Guided tours to the tower run Thursday and Sunday at 16:30, and entry is free. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday 09:30-18:00 and Sunday 11:00-18:00.
7. Toy Museum
Nuremberg was one of the centres of the German toy industry, and this museum at Karlstraße 13-15 shows wooden and metal toys, dolls and doll houses, model railways and modern toys. It is a natural stop in the northern old town.
Opening hours are Tuesday to Friday 10:00-17:00 and Saturday and Sunday 10:00-18:00, with Monday opening only during the Christmas Market, 10:00-17:00, and extended hours during the Toy Fair. Adults pay €7.50, children €2.50, and pass holders €2.00.
8. Fembohaus Citymuseum
A merchant's house built about 1600 in late Renaissance style, at Burgstraße 15, with an exhibition about the history of the city. It pairs well with the castle quarter streets just uphill.
Opening hours are Tuesday to Friday 10:00-17:00 and Saturday and Sunday 10:00-18:00, with Monday opening 10:00-17:00 during the Christkindlesmarkt. Adults pay €7.50 and children €2.50.
9. Museum Tucherschloss and Hirsvogelsaal
The Tuchers and the Hirsvogels were wealthy trading families, and this castle, built between 1533 and 1544, shows their life in that era with several original features. It stands at Hirschelgasse 9-11.
Opening hours are Monday 10:00-15:00, Thursday 13:00-17:00 and Sunday 10:00-17:00. Adults pay €7.50, concessions €2.50, and Nuremberg pass holders €2.00. Reach it by tram 8 or U-Bahn U2 or U3 to Rathenauplatz, or bus 36 to Innerer Laufer Platz.
10. Nuremberg Dungeons
Part of the labyrinth of tunnels underneath the city, these are separate from the Felsengänge tour. During the Second World War this and other bunkers were converted into safe storage for the city's art treasures, with temperature and humidity controls and extra security.
Buy tickets from Albrecht Dürer's House or at the tourist information centres, and book online if you can. Tours run daily from 11:00-18:00, mostly in German, though tours can be organised for up to 25 people in English, French, Italian, Spanish and Czech. Expect €8.00-€9.00 depending on the tour.
11. St Lawrence Church
Lorenzkirche stands at Lorenzer Platz 10 and anchors the southern half of the old town, alongside the Way of Human Rights, the Germanisches Nationalmuseum and the Neues Museum. Treat it as the starting point for an afternoon south of the river.
Check locally for current opening times before you set out, and combine the visit with the surrounding Lorenzer Altstadt streets.
12. Natural History Museum
At Marientorgraben 8 on the east edge of the old town, the ground floor holds the ethnology collection, with masks from the South Seas, Costa Rican culture, a Berber tent from Morocco, and the garb of the Nivchi, a Siberian people. The upper floor covers geology, prehistory and archaeology.
Opening hours are Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday 10:00-17:00, Friday 10:00-20:00 and Saturday 13:00-17:00; closed Monday. Adults pay €6 and children aged 6 to 17 pay €3. Take U2 to Wöhrder Wiese or tram 8 to Marientor.
13. Tower of the Senses
An interactive science museum with emphasis on human perception, at Westtor on the western edge of the old town. Take U1 to Weißer Turm or tram 4 or 6 to Hallertor.
It opens Saturday and Sunday 12:00-17:00 and closes for winter from 17 December to 1 March. Adults pay €12.50 and concessions €8.50.
14. Deutsches Spielearchiv Nürnberg
A museum dedicated to preserving the history of board games, with many original games, some of which visitors can play. If you intend to write academically about board games, this is a place with countless resources at your disposal and should be among your first stops for research.
It is a specialist stop rather than a general sight, so slot it in only if the subject interests you.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Nuremberg Castle, working through the Imperial Castle with its Palas, double chapel, museum, Sinwell Tower and Deep Well, then the Burgrave's Castle and the Municipal Buildings with the Luginsland Tower and Imperial Stables. Come down to Tiergärtnerplatz and walk the castle quarter, then visit Albrecht Dürer's House.
Afternoon: Continue south down Bergstraße to St Sebald Church and the old town hall, then cross into the Lorenzer Altstadt for St Lawrence Church. If time allows, add the Fembohaus Citymuseum or the Toy Museum in the northern half, or the Natural History Museum on the eastern edge of the old town.
Evening: Finish underground with a tour of the Nuremberg Dungeons, booking ahead if you can, or spend the last of the daylight at the Tower of the Senses if you are visiting at a weekend outside the winter closure.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Nürnberg + Fürth Card worth buying?
For all but the briefest visits, yes. It is valid for 48 hours and gives free admission to over 50 museums and attractions, free travel on all public transport in Zone A of Nuremberg and Fürth, and discounts in many theatres, shops and the IMAX cinema. Adults pay €33, children aged 6 to 11 pay €11, and children under 6 are free.
Is there a cheaper option if I only want museums?
Yes. A day-ticket for the municipal museums costs €9 and is worth buying if you see two, since individual adult entry is €6. Buy it at the first museum you visit. It covers the regular collection only, not exhibitions, tours and events, and it does not include the Kaiserburg.
Which museums does the municipal day-ticket include?
As of early 2018, the museums listed include Albrecht Dürer's House, Fembohaus City Museum, Toy Museum, Museum of Industrial Culture, Documentation Centre at the Reich Party Rally Grounds, and Memorium Nuremberg Trials.
Can I visit the dungeons without speaking German?
Tours are frequent in German, but tours can be organised for up to 25 people in English, French, Italian, Spanish and Czech. Booking online is recommended, and tickets are available from Albrecht Dürer's House or at the tourist information centres.
Decide how many days you have, pick your card, and start mapping the castle quarter and the old town into your first morning.