Our favorite city in Franconia: an emperor’s castle on a sandstone hill, a walled old town full of half-timbered lanes, bratwurst the size of your finger, and one of the most famous Christmas markets in the world. Here’s how we’d spend our time.
Short answer: Plan one full day for the old town and the castle, and two days if you also want the Documentation Center or the Nuremberg Trials courtroom. Everything in the old town is walkable. From Munich the ICE takes a little over an hour, so Nuremberg works as a day trip too, but it’s lovely to stay a night, especially in Advent.
Nuremberg (Nürnberg in German) packs a lot of history into a small space. Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire stayed at the castle, Albrecht Dürer painted here, and in the 20th century the city was the stage for the Nazi party rallies and then the Nuremberg Trials. You can see all of it in a couple of days, and the city tells the hard parts honestly.
My tip: start at the top. Walk up to the castle in the morning, enjoy the view over the roofs, then let the old town pull you downhill to the Hauptmarkt for the little clock show at noon.
Days you need
1–2
From Munich
ICE, a little over an hour
Airport to center
U2 subway, about 12 minutes
Castle hours
Oct–Mar 10:00–16:00, Apr–Sep 9:00–18:00
Christmas market
27 Nov – 24 Dec 2026
Clock show
Männleinlaufen daily at 12:00
Eat this
Drei im Weggla: three little bratwursts in a roll
Eight places I’d put on a first visit. Tap ＋ Save on the ones you like and they go into your trip list.
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The castle on the hill above the old town, where medieval emperors stayed. The combo ticket covers the palace rooms, the double chapel, the castle museum, the Deep Well and the Sinwell Tower, with the best view in town.
Good to know: 10:00 to 16:00 from October to March. Tickets only at the ticket office in the outer courtyard, no online sales. Closed 24, 25 and 31 Dec.
The main square, with a daily market, the Gothic Frauenkirche and the golden Schöner Brunnen fountain. Every day at noon the clock on the Frauenkirche comes alive: the seven prince-electors parade around Emperor Charles IV.
Good to know: be there a few minutes before 12:00. It’s short, so don’t look away! Going into the Frauenkirche is free.
The home and workshop of Nuremberg’s most famous painter, right below the castle at Tiergärtnertorplatz. You see how a Renaissance household lived, and a reconstructed workshop shows how his prints were made.
Good to know: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, and on Mondays during the Christkindlesmarkt. English tour with “Agnes Dürer” on Saturdays at 14:00.
A covered wooden walkway over the Pegnitz river, one of the prettiest corners of the old town. The city executioner once lived in the tower here, and a small museum now tells his story.
Good to know: the Henkerhaus museum is open Tuesday to Sunday 12:00 to 17:00 from April to December. Kids up to 14 are free.
Probably the most photographed street in Nuremberg: a row of colorful half-timbered houses where the tanners once worked. Today it’s cafés, small shops and flower boxes.
Good to know: it’s a short walk from the Henkersteg, so see both together.
The largest museum of cultural history in the German-speaking world, from medieval armor and Dürer paintings to toys and musical instruments. Our pick for a rainy afternoon.
Good to know: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, Wednesday to 20:30 and free from 17:30. Closed Mondays. About 350 m from the main station.
In the unfinished Congress Hall, the new permanent exhibition explains how the rallies worked and what they did to people. Afterwards, walk part of the grounds to the Zeppelin grandstand. A sobering, important visit.
Good to know: Monday to Friday 9:00 to 18:00, weekends from 10:00. Closed 3 and 4 Nov 2026 for the official opening of the new exhibition. Not suitable for children under 14.
The exhibition about the trials of the main Nazi war criminals in 1945 and 1946, in the courthouse where they happened. Unless there’s an event in the room, you can see Courtroom 600 itself.
Good to know: November to March, Wednesday to Monday 10:00 to 18:00, closed on Tuesdays. Courtroom 600 can close for events, so check before you go.
Choose how long you have (or who’s coming) and get a ready-made plan. Save the one you like to your trip list.
The classic old-town loop, all on foot.
Morning
Walk up to the castle for opening time and do the combo ticket. Climb the Sinwell Tower for the view and join the short guided visit to the Deep Well.
Noon
Walk down past the Dürer House to the Hauptmarkt in time for the 12:00 clock show, then turn the brass ring on the Schöner Brunnen for luck.
Lunch
Three little Nuremberg bratwursts in a crusty roll, from a stand on the square. Add mustard, and maybe a Lebkuchen for dessert.
Afternoon
Follow the Pegnitz to the Hangman’s Bridge and the half-timbered houses on Weißgerbergasse, then end with coffee and cake in the old town.
Day one as above, then this.
Day 2 morning
Tram to the former rally grounds. Allow about two hours for the exhibition, then walk a stretch of the grounds by the lake.
Day 2 afternoon
Pick the trials exhibition and Courtroom 600 (closed Tuesdays) or the national museum near the station (closed Mondays).
Day 2 evening
Try Schäufele (crispy roast pork shoulder) with a dumpling and a local beer. Franconia has more small breweries than anywhere else we know.
What our boys would vote for.
Morning
Under-18s are free at the castle, and kids love the Deep Well, where the guide shows you just how deep it goes.
Noon
The parading figures at 12:00 are a hit. Stand right in front of the Frauenkirche.
Afternoon
Under-7s are free and the family ticket is €14. Head for the toys, dollhouses and armor.
In Advent
Right next to the Christkindlesmarkt on Hans-Sachs-Platz there’s a children’s market with rides, crafts and baking, open until 30 December.
Indoors, and all close together.
Morning
Hours of art, history and toys under one roof, near the main station.
Lunch
Warm up with a plate of six or twelve bratwursts on sauerkraut.
Afternoon
The rooms are indoors and the English costumed tour runs on Saturdays at 14:00.
Christkindlesmarkt from 27 November to 24 December 2026.
10:00
Come early on a weekday before the crowds. Look for the prune men (Zwetschgenmännle), Lebkuchen and the famous red-and-white striped roofs.
Afternoon
See the Sister Cities market on Rathausplatz (until 23 December), then walk up to the castle while it’s light.
Evening
The stalls are open until 21:00 and the lights are at their best. Mulled wine comes in a mug you can keep or return for your deposit.
Straight from our events calendar, with every date checked against the organizer.
20 Nov – 23 Dec 2026 · closed Sun 22 Nov
24 Nov – 23 Dec 2026 · Maximiliansplatz
27 Nov – 24 Dec 2026 · prologue Fri 27 Nov 17:30 · daily 10:00–21:00
27 Nov – 23 Dec 2026 · Mon–Sat 10:00–20:30
Best time to go: May, June and September for long days and outdoor cafés, and late November to mid-December for the Christkindlesmarkt. Come on a weekday in Advent if you can; weekends get very busy.
Swipe through the months →
Cold, often frosty
Quiet and cheap. Museums, castle and cozy taverns are all yours.
Cold and gray
A good month for the national museum and the Documentation Center.
Cool, first sunny days
Still winter hours at the castle (10:00 to 16:00). Fewer visitors.
Mild, changeable
The castle switches to summer hours (9:00 to 18:00). Pack a rain jacket.
Warm, green
Beer gardens open and the castle garden is in bloom. Lovely for walking the walls.
Warm, long days
Long evenings by the Pegnitz and outdoor seating everywhere.
Warm to hot
Busy summer season. The Dürer House also opens on Mondays from July to September.
Warm to hot
Summer holidays in Bavaria. Start early to beat the heat and the crowds.
Mild, golden
One of our favorite months: warm days, fewer crowds.
Cool, autumn colors
Castle back on winter hours from October. Great walking weather.
Cold, gray
The new Documentation Center exhibition officially opens on 4 November. The Christkindlesmarkt starts on 27 November.
Cold, festive
Christkindlesmarkt until 24 December (until 14:00 on Christmas Eve). The castle closes on 24, 25 and 31 December.
Nuremberg is a great base. All four are easy by train.
A UNESCO-listed old town on seven hills, a town hall on a river island and smoked beer. Our favorite short trip from Nuremberg.
The walled fairy-tale town everyone pictures. Regional trains via Ansbach and Steinach.
Baroque Residence, the old Main bridge with a glass of wine, and the fortress on the hill. In Advent there’s a Christmas market in the old town.
A Roman and medieval city on the Danube with the old Stone Bridge and a cathedral. In Advent, two lovely Christmas markets.
🎟️
Castle tickets are only sold at the ticket office in the outer courtyard, not online. Cards are usually fine, but I always carry some cash in Franconia.
🕛
The Männleinlaufen runs at 12:00 every day and only takes a few minutes. Get a spot in front of the Frauenkirche early.
🌭
Ask for “Drei im Weggla” (three in a roll). Nuremberg bratwursts are small, so six or twelve on a plate is normal.
🚆
The U2 runs from the airport to the main station in about 12 minutes. The old town starts right across the street.
🧭
The castle sits at the top of steep cobbled lanes. Wear good shoes, and do the castle first, then walk downhill.
📅
The national museum is closed Mondays and the trials memorial is closed Tuesdays (Nov–Mar), so plan your museum day around that.
One full day covers the castle and the old town. Two days let you add the Documentation Center and the Memorium Nuremberg Trials, or a day trip to Bamberg or Rothenburg.
Yes. The ICE takes a little over an hour, so you can do the castle, the Hauptmarkt and the old town in one day. In Advent, stay until the Christkindlesmarkt lights come on.
The Christkindlesmarkt runs from Friday 27 November to 24 December 2026. The Christkind opens it at 17:30 on the first day. It is open daily 10:00 to 21:00 (until 22:00 on opening day and until 14:00 on 24 December). See our Christkindlesmarkt guide.
The combo ticket for the palace, double chapel, castle museum, Deep Well and Sinwell Tower is €10, reduced €9, and under-18s are free. Just the Deep Well and Sinwell Tower is €4. Tickets are sold only at the castle ticket office.
The museum says the exhibition is not suitable for children under 14. Plan about two hours. Tickets are €7.50, reduced €2.50, and a media guide is included.
Yes, as part of the Memorium Nuremberg Trials exhibition, as long as there is no event in the room. From November to March it is open Wednesday to Monday 10:00 to 18:00 and closed on Tuesdays.
Still have a question? Ask me and I’ll answer it.
Dates, hours, what to eat and where to find the children’s and Sister Cities markets.
The best markets across Germany, with checked dates for every one.
Our home city: sights, a day planner and day trips, a little over an hour away by ICE.
Tap ＋ Save on sights, plans and events above. Your trip list keeps them in your browser, no account needed.
Our events calendar has every Christmas market and festival we track, with checked dates and hours.
German winters are chilly. Grab our free packing list below so nobody’s cold at the markets.
What to wear to the Christmas markets, what to pack for the Alps, and everything else you'll forget. Plus one short email from me once a month: which markets and festivals are coming up, what's worth the trip, and one money-saving train tip.
Instant download.
More for your trip: the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt guide, all Christmas market dates in Bavaria, festivals month by month and trip ideas by interest. Next stop? Have a look at Munich or Bamberg.
Pfiat di (take care), Brian 👋
Updated October 2026. Opening hours, prices and dates were checked on each official website in October 2026 and can change, so check before you go.
Photo credits: Old town roofs: Ajepbah, CC BY-SA 3.0 de; Castle: Uoaei1, CC BY-SA 4.0; Hauptmarkt: Hubertl, CC BY-SA 4.0; Dürer House: Uoaei1, CC BY-SA 4.0; Henkersteg: Schlaier, CC BY-SA 3.0; Weißgerbergasse: Robert von Oliva (naruciakk), CC0; Germanisches Nationalmuseum: Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0; Congress Hall: Fred Romero from Paris, France, CC BY 2.0; Bamberg: Palickap, CC BY 4.0; Rothenburg: Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 4.0; Würzburg: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0; Regensburg: Dguendel, CC BY 3.0.
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