Nürnberg Favorites

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Favorite thing: Nuremberg is situated on the Pegnitz River and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal.
The Pegnitz is a small river in Franconia in the German federal state of Bavaria. The Pegnitz meets the Rednitz northwest of Fürth. From that point on the river is called Regnitz.

From the bridges over the Pegnitz in Nuremberg, particularly the Maxbrücke, the Weinstadel Bridge and the Henkersteg, you will find very fine views of the Old Town.

You can watch my high resolution photo of Nuremberg on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 49˚ 27' 14.99" N˚ 11° 4' 14.83" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio Pegnitz.

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Favorite thing: Nuremberg (Nürnberg) is Franconia's largest city.
Nuremberg was probably founded around the turn of the 11th century, according to the first documentary mention of the city in 1050, as the location of an Imperial castle.
Nuremberg is often referred to as having been the 'unofficial capital' of the Holy Roman Empire, particularly because Reichstage (Imperial Diets) and courts met at Nuremberg Castle.

Nuremberg held great significance during the Nazi Germany era. Because of the city's relevance to the Holy Roman Empire and its position in the centre of Germany, the Nazi Party chose the city to be the site of huge Nazi Party conventions — the Nuremberg rallies. The rallies were held annually from 1927 to 1938 in Nuremberg.

Between 1945 and 1946 German officials involved war crimes were brought before an international tribunal in the Nuremberg Trials though the Soviet Union had wanted these trials to take place in Berlin.

You can watch my high resolution photo of Nuremberg on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 49° 25' 47.04" N 11° 6' 40.36" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio Altstadt aerial view .

Favorite thing: In medieval times there was no single capital in the german empire, but the kings used to travel between various palaces in different towns and Nürnberg was one of them. Reichstag was in medieval times the conference of all kings and queens with the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and King Sigismund had stated in 1423 that the 1st Reichstag of any new emperor always had to be held in Nuernberg, this used to be one of the main columns of the importance of Nuernberg for the german empire.
King Sigismund also stated that the german crown-jewels had to be stored in Nürnberg.
A. Hitler had his Reichs-Parteitag here in Nuernberg mainly because he wanted to show that his position was similar to emperors of the german nation.

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Favorite thing: (Ignore the headline please)

Until World War II Nürnberg was the best-preserved medieval city in Germany and considered the most “German” place of all, which was why the Nazis selected it as location of their party rallies. The romantic idea of the “Master Singers” like in Wagner’s opera and the memories of a proud past as one of the wealthiest free imperial cities in the Holy Roman Empire added theirs.

However, do not expect to see that much medieval architecture in Nürnberg’s old town. A model in Fembohaus museum shows what it looked like at the end of the war: 80% were smashed to ashes and rubble. Being an industrial centre and train hub made Nürnberg a target, being the symbolic centre of Nazi propaganda made it a top priority target for allied bombers.

The castle and city walls survived the air raids with not too severe damage. However, most of the centre had to be rebuilt from scratch. Post-war city planners in Nürnberg followed an extremely conservative approach which was not applauded by everyone. All streets and outlines of the houses were copied. Few important buildings have been reconstructed, though. The majority of the houses in the old town are post-war buildings that somehow pretend to be, but aren’t, like the pre-war appearance. A closer look reveals the uniform faceless 1950s facades with maybe the copy of a medieval Madonna or a renaissance oriel attached to it.

Favorite thing: This is the official website of the city of Nuremberg. General info on the city, spots of tourist's interest, guided tours, what's on, etc. Also in Englisch.
www.nuernberg.de/internet/portal_e/index.html

For those who know German. This is the online newspaper of Nuremberg:
www.nn-online.de

Website of the Nuremberg fair:
www.nuernbergmesse.de/en

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Fondest memory: Sebaldkirche houses a series of black and white photos taken after the WWII bombing. The title of this permanent exhibition is Sebaldkirche: ein Denkmal für den Frieden ("Sebald church: a monument to peace"). If you understand German, you can also read some facts and thoughts under the photos.

Favorite thing: Nuremberg toy fair (Numberger Spielwarenmesse) is held every year in the month of February. It is rated as the biggest toy fair in the world. More than 2500 toy manufacturers from all over the world exhibit their best toys during the fair. The lay out of toy fair have been improved in 2007. As per this lay out technical side is on the east, traditional toys in the south, micellaneous items on the west and games section on the north.
!n 2008, the fair shall commence on 7 Febrary and shall last till 12 February.
The entry ticket costs Euro 20/- per person for one day. With a Euro 45/- ticket, you can visit the fair on all days. Advance booking costs slightly less.
Don't miss the Nuremberg Toy Fair if you are in or around Nuremberg during this period.
Children wiil be delighted to go for the fair. Chinese toys are cheaper compared to others and may suit most of the peoples budget.

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Favorite thing: Nuremberg is home to unnumerable festivals throughout the year, perhaps the Altstadtfest one of the best known. Held for 10 days in September since 1971, it is Germany's largest folklore event in Germany with over 1 million visitors. Featured are all varieties of muscial concerts including folk, jazz, pop, and rock. The fischerstechen, a jousting competition on the river, and fireworks displays round out the offerings. Plays by Nuremberg native Hans Sachs are featured. Overall there are at least 60 events over 10 days, allegedly with more than 800 participants.

Hans Sachs ( 1492 - 1576 ) was a famed singer and playwright best noted for his comedies created especially for festivals. By trade he was a shoemaker living on the square carrying his name. He was also an early convert to Protestant faith. The festival is, at least in part, an annual tribute.

The Hans Sachs Platz and neighboring Schutt Island in the Pegnitz are filled with surprisingly substantive restaurants and beer halls with long communal outdoor tables and some inside dining. The restaurants facades feature assorted autumn-like scenes over their entrances. And they are all mobbed.

After walking throughout, we could not find two outdoor seats and ended up having to eat inside at one of the few places with any vacant seats at all. We ate at Sissy's on the Insel Schutt - spicy Nuremberger Bratwursts and the best tastiest sauerkraut ever, washed down with Erdinger beer. For dessert, we joined a long queue for individually made crepes at a walk up stand and sat on benches overlooking one fork of the river. From what we overheard, we may have been the only non-German speaking people at this remarkable gathering - an unanticipated great experience far off the typical tourist path. Held in the weeks preceding Munich's renowned Oktoberfest, this precursor event seemed far more cultured and presumably far less drunken than its more famous competitor.