Germany 2017, part 1 (Nuremberg)
Of course that I heard of Nuremberg a long time ago, back at school, when we learned about history, and WWII and its consequences. The trials against the Nazi that were organized in this German town in 1945 and 1946 constituted a final act of a horrifying period in human history, for very few parts of the Earth remained untouched by the war actions of this grand-scale military conflict.
So it seems that other than as a fact from history, Nuremberg has not had any significant impact on my life. Wrong! I am an interpreter and very often I do simultaneous interpreting, from a cabin, with earphones, in the “real time” (I never do it in an “unreal time”), etc. Well, this is where Nuremberg is very important. Namely, the court proceedings in Nuremberg in 1945 were the first time when electronic equipment was used for simultaneous interpreting, so as it turned out well and successful, the system was also applied at the United Nations and in a way a new profession, which I practice nowadays, was born.
This, however, has had no impact on my desire to travel which actually appeared when earlier in the year I heard from someone that this used to be a very beautiful town which the Allies demolished significantly at the end of the war, but the hardworking and entrepreneurial Germans managed to reconstruct a lot of that, so that it has become a very beautiful town again. Well, that was more than a good reason to get the idea of going to Nuremberg.
I organized my visit in such a way that I had two whole days and two partials, and my plan provided that in addition to Nuremberg I would also visit Rothenburg for which I dug up some info saying that it was even more beautiful than Nuremberg itself.
This was all happening at the beginning of November. Well, now… Beginning of November and central Europe… This did not look promising and already when I started planning the trip I said to myself I would imagine myself doing the sightseeing under heavy rain, blowing wind and in bitter cold. I just figured out that in terms of weather this was the worst-case scenario for this time of the year and I’d better prepare myself. I just thought, if I got used to that idea and it seemed all right, which was the case actually, all other weather circumstances would constitute an improvement.
A few days before the trip I checked out the weather forecast and it turned out that it would be dry in Nuremberg when I got there, which is always a preferred option for sightseeing. In addition, the forecast said that it would be only partially cloudy, with sunny periods. In other words – ideal! The temperature was low, but expected for that time of the year, so I had no objections.
Such weather was forecasted also for the following day, while it would rain on the third day. And it was precisely these weather circumstances that helped me organize my stay. The first afternoon – Nuremberg (sightseeing), the second day – Rothenburg (sightseeing), the third day – Nuremberg (museums, churches and enclosed spaces), while the fourth day was to be used for my return home.
The weather forecast was correct, but the situation was even better, so in Nuremberg I was greeted by mostly blue sky.
I had organized my accommodation at a small flat which was not in the very centre, but was relatively close to the old part of the town and very easily accessible when I arrived in the town by underground I took at the airport. I just left my things and immediately headed for the centre in order to make most of the dry and rather beautiful weather.
Along the way I passed through the main railway station and I took advantage of that by checking how and where I could buy a ticket to Rothenburg the following day. I like to do these “dress rehearsals” in advance, whether this concerns finding the shortest way or the place where to buy the tickets, etc., so that when the time for action does come I know how to do it and I can do it with ease, knowing “the system” and with no stress.
When I left the building of the main railway station I immediately saw a big tower, Frauentor, which is one of the four impressive observation towers that exist along the ramparts that surround the Old Town in Nuremberg. These ramparts have practically remained untouched since the 15th century when their construction was completed. Still, what makes them special is their size, i.e., their perimeter, taking into account that the Old Town in Nuremberg is not a hamlet, but a seriously big town. As I’ve said there are four of these observation towers, such as Frauentor, that were added in the 16th century and these are Spittlertor, Neutor and Laufertor. In addition, there are also 67 smaller, defence towers.
As soon as one enters within the ramparts, it is possible to see very picturesque buildings. They are not all picture-perfect, but a lot of them are really beautiful. What was the most important for me, however, was that already at the very beginning I was very pleased with my choice of the destination.
My sightseeing route was very simple. I just followed the street that led straight from my entrance into the Old Town. Thus I came to a small square where in addition to the Nassau House there is also St. Lorenz Church (Lorenzkirche).
And then a potential problem started to appear. Namely, I started to feel hungry. The main reason why I considered this to be a problem was that I actually didn’t want to sit somewhere and eat, as I thought this to be a waste of precious daylight time. This was important on account of photographs and sightseeing. Luckily, this was happening in Germany and Germany is famous for its sausages. I often joke when I talk about the fact that many years ago I learned German for a couple of years, but as I’ve never used it, I have forgotten it all. All but – brot, wurst and bier, i.e., bread, sausage and beer. My logic is, the most important thing is not to go hungry. Or thirsty, for that matter. And so I came across a stand in front of Lorenzkirche which was selling sausages. There were different types, but the traditional Nuremberg ones are small and thin. I got a portion, which meant three sausages in a bun and that was – fantastic!!! I was just walking, eating and sighing “mmm...” The sausages were truly great, as well as the bun. There was only beer missing, but no matter how well it would fit the food, it would not suit me right then, since alcohol makes me sleepy and there was still a lot of sightseeing to do. In addition, I didn’t want to sit anywhere and it would really seem completely improper to drink beer while walking.
I liked these sausages so much that soon after I went into a restaurant which offered sausages in a bun to go. The restaurant was full of local people, sitting there enjoying their meals, but there were also people like me who opted for this more relaxed variant. The bun was warm here as well, the sausages were there and they were good, but I have to admit not as good as the first ones. Still, soon these second ones joined the first ones in my stomach and with my hands free for taking photos I continued with my sightseeing.
And so I came to a bridge over the Pegnitz river that flows through Nuremberg. From there I had a very nice view at the Holy Spirit Hospital (Heilig Geist Spital) which was originally built in the 14th century, but was significantly damaged during WWII which led to its subsequent reconstruction.
Not far from the bridge, there is the Main Square (Hauptmarkt) which is the centre of the Old Town. Every year, before Christmas, a famous open-air thematic market is organized here, the Christkindlesmarkt, but in November all I could see were fruit and vegetable stands.
At the Main Square there is also the Church of Our Lady, i.e., Frauenkirche that was built in the 14th century in the place of a synagogue. Namely, the Jews already had their first pogrom back then, including the demolishing of their synagogue. The front of the church has a clock, the figures of which move every day at noon (see part 3 of the travelogue on Germany 2017).
After the Main Square there comes a slope that needs to be followed, but I managed it with ease, often turning back and taking photos of my surroundings. There were some beautiful sights.
Then I climbed to Keiserburg where there is a castle. The Castle is not very big, but there are some nice parts to see. In addition, there is a great view of the city from there. I also walked around the castle’s garden which was rather modest at this time of the year, but that did not bother me.
Then, walking between old buildings, I went down to Tiergärtnerplatz, a square that is adorned with a large statue of a rabbit that represents an homage to Albrecht Dürer who was born in Nuremberg. Around the square, in addition to restaurants, sections of the ramparts and the Tiergärtnertor tower, there is also a house in which Dürer lived from 1509 until his death in 1528. Nowadays, the house contains a museum dedicated to this artist, although his most significant pieces are actually scattered around the museums and galleries throughout the world.
My further plan was to go to Maxbrücke bridge, since I had read it provided nice views, but in order to get there I followed a route that went a little bit around. And so it happened that I was taken by the beauty of the buildings in one of the streets I entered.
Very soon I got to Maxbrücke, but beforehand I passed by a building called Weinstadel, which used to house a wine warehouse, while today there is a Student Dormitory inside. By the way, the Weinstadel is the biggest half-timber building in Germany (wooden beams between which there is plaster).
On a small island on the Pegnitz, there is the Henkerhaus, today a small museum and in the past the place which used to provide the secluded residence for the state executioner. In the Middle Ages, this was an inevitable and yet very unpopular profession and it was believed that it brought misfortune if the executioner lived near you, so people with ordinary professions made sure these others lived as far away from them as possible.
And then finally I went back to the Main Square, where I started to feel rather tired, while the day was coming to its end. I decided to go back to my flat and have a good rest. Still, along the way I passed again by the stands near Lorenzkirche where in addition to sausages in different versions, the vendors also sold exceptionally delicious Lebkuchen, a specialty of Nuremberg and a variant of gingerbread.