So we’ve a heard of Nuremberg and for all the wrong reasons. True, it has a significant past in the Nazi era, but there is so, so much more to see, experience and eat there.
Ryanair flies directly to the city’s airport which is just a few kilometers from the centre of town. There are plenty of the big chain hotels and lots of quaint places to stay. It is the archetypal chocolate box architecture, indeed, this is one of the reasons Hitler chose it to host the 1933-1938 rallies, to give that ‘true fatherland’ feeling.
Easy to get to and from by road and rail too, Nuremberg has seriously been overlooked. A www doesn’t really do it justice; I was prepared to work through my 4 day weekend. Pah. That never happened!
AltStadtFest was on when we were there, and Oktoberfest starting a couple of weeks after. With tons of places to eat the famous sausages, butter cookies and of course, sample German beer, it is certainly not a place for restraint. You are welcome at any table and seating is a bit like a school refectory, you just fill the next empty spaces. A couple of beers or glasses of wine will soon make your new neighbours your best friends.
For shopaholics, bring an empty case. I kid you not. I had 2 hours free and struggled back to my hotel with my stash. There are the higher end high street stores like Cos, Massimo Dutti and Boggi and then department store after department store with layers of lovliness and things you don’t know how you ever did without. Now, I grew up in Germany so I do have a bit of a soft spot for the place, and going into Karstadt took me back to the 80’s with a spring in my step.
The Germans are crafty – and I mean that in the best sense – ie – they make stuff. Lots of stuff. I bought dried flower wreaths for a table centre, a wooden wind chime, a ceramic bird house, a pewter ornament which hangs in the window….. all with about 50 yards of the entrance to the Medieval walled city. Shoes are another weakness and Germany has a thing about quality; you don’t find crap. I got a lovely pair of black leather ballerina’s for 50 euro. These I had to buy as the streets are cobbled and were killing my suede stilettos.
One of the nicest things about the city is the feeling. People outside the numerous bars and cafes, people watching. At the end of November right up till the 24th, the Christmas Market comes to town. I can only imagine how gorgeous it is with the Gothic cathedral as backdrop and if you are lucky, a bit of snow too.
When you come in to land you note the greenery which even surrounds office blocks and industrial parks and scattered throughout the town you have a number of parks to stop and relax in. Pick up a pretzel and a block of cheese and some salami and make your own impromptu picnic. There are lots of waterways too; hire a bike or a segway and breath in the fresh air! Be careful though, you might bump in to me.
