Nuremberg? Anytime (even with children)
We love Nuremberg, it's such an ideal city where you can go for a day, two days or even a long weekend. We Pilseners are always attracted by its easy accessibility, where you can spend just two hours driving along the motorway. Now what's the point of being here in the first place? Nuremberg is especially famous for its Advent markets, scented with mulled wine and typical gingerbread (lebkuchen), which I personally absolutely love. If you haven't visited the Christmas markets yet, I recommend you do so this year :) Moreover, this activity can be nicely combined with a tour of the historical centre, where there is definitely something to see.
But the part of Nuremberg we know best is definitely the local airport. I like to look for departures from there mainly because of the prices + slightly different destination offer compared to Prague. Plus, the airport is small, easy to see, you can walk from the parking lot, and the trip from Pilsen is still worth it in terms of ticket prices. I mostly check out Ryanair, which in the previous months added Madeira, Azores or Lanzarote, which I've been eyeing since I saw it on the flight schedule :)
This time, however, we did not go to Nuremberg to soak up the Christmas atmosphere, nor did we use it as a transport hub. Within the ninth month of pregnancy, it was no longer a big jumping off point for trips and Nuremberg suited us perfectly in the ratio of activities and time spent on the road. The goal was to enjoy the last few days with just the three of us, give Nina (almost 3 years old) our full attention and most importantly... not rush anywhere. So the working title was set as "Weekend for Nina" and the itinerary looked like this:
- Friday - ZOO
- Saturday - Playmobil park
- Sunday - historic centre
Accommodation in Nuremberg
- cheap: White Pearl Hostel 2 - a double room for the unpretentious for about €60
- medium: Premier Inn or Novina Hotel - both right in the centre with prices starting at €108 for a room for two
- more expensive: the beautiful stylish Karl August or if you want more privacy - the Eco Smart Apartments Premium City
What to do in Nuremberg?
And, as I mentioned at in the introduction, many people head to Nuremberg during Advent, as the local Christmas market, the Christkindlesmarkt, is the largest in all of central Europe. It's at the Hauptmarkt where you'll find the largest concentration of stalls (and people) selling all sorts of things, but especially food. If you're coming with children, head to the smaller Hans Sachs Platz with its "children's Christmas market", where the biggest attraction is the historic two-storey carousel.
2. Kaiserburg - if you go up Burgstrasse from the square, you will pass the Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus), the Protestant church Sebalduskirche and the Stadtmuseum, and after a short climb you will reach the Imperial Castle. It was built to protect the city and even now still retains its medieval appearance. You can visit the courtyard and the walls, which overlook the entire city, free of charge. Entrance is then required to the indoor exhibitions, more info on this official website.
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3. Albrecht-Dürer-Haus - under the Imperial Castle is another Nuremberg must see. This beautiful half-timbered house became the home of the famous German painter and graphic artist Albrecht Dürer, who spent 20 years of his life here. It now serves as a museum and features remnants of furnishings, a printmaking cabinet with a multimedia exhibition and a renovated studio including a print shop. An adult ticket currently costs €7.50, more info here.
4. Weinstadel - and we move on to the Pegnitz river, which flows through Nuremberg and on the banks of which lie several interesting and very photogenic buildings. The Weinstadel is another of the half-timbered houses from the 15th century and can be seen from the Maxbrucke Bridge. It was formerly a hospital for leprosy patients, was used to store wine in the 16th century (hence the name) and is now a student hostel. Near the Weinstadel, you can also visit the Spielzeugmuseum toy museum or the Deutches Museum of Science and Technology.
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5. Henkersteg - and from Maxbrucke you also have a 16th century wooden bridge named after the executioners (henker = executioner). They lived in the Henkerhaus tower, which now houses a small museum - entrance fee €3, more info here.
6. Heilig-Geist-Spital - the medieval hospital of the Holy Spirit was the largest hospital in Nuremberg, even partially bridging the Pegnitz River to the Schütt Island so that its building did not encroach too much on the city centre. The best view of it can be had from the Museumsbrücke bridge, or from the Pfarrgasse on the opposite bank. Today it houses a home for the elderly, so its original purpose of caring for people has been preserved.
7. Germanic National Museum - the complete history of the German nation and its predecessors under one roof. The museum has been operating since 1852 in a Gothic monastery, which was then further expanded with new modern buildings. The collections are very extensive indeed, after all, they chart the national culture since prehistoric times, so make sure you allow plenty of time for your visit. Admission for an adult costs €10. For more detailed information about the exhibitions, opening hours or longer admission options, please visit the official website here.
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| Source: Germanisches Nationalmuseum - https://www.gnm.de/ |
8. Zoo (Tiergarten Nürnberg) - supposedly this is the most visited zoo in the whole of Germany, and I can actually understand that. It may not be as big as, say, Prague Zoo, but the enclosures are nicely nestled among the trees and rocks, which gives a very natural impression and makes for a very pleasant walk for visitors. The biggest attraction was the dolphin lagoon, where several times a day there are also guided shows - I recommend to find out the times in advance on the official website or at least immediately after entering the zoo, so that you are not deprived of this experience. To give you an idea, there were demonstrations at 11:00, 13:30 and 15:00 in the autumn.
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Other interesting animals you can see include polar bears, penguins, tigers, lions, giraffes... and many more. Our favourites for the second time are the sea cows in the tropical pavilion... which probably nobody even notices, because most people admire the butterflies flying around and the monkeys running free :)
Admission for an adult will come to €18 (2023), children are charged from the age of 4, or you can take advantage of discounted family tickets, more info here. There is no charge for parking. If you visit with children, then another item on the budget could be a train ride (one way €1.50, return €2) or hire of a wooden trolley for €4. Further children's activities are on offer in the large playground located by the pet pens, where you can also let your little ones loose in the goat enclosure.
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9. Playmobil FunPark - we always tried to avoid such attractions and amusement parks, but... this weekend was not about us. So it was on the agenda to grit our teeth and go have a good time with Kobliha. Playmobil park can basically be described very simply as one giant playground. One that you can spend the whole day on in peace and still not manage to go through everything.
The outdoor area is thematically divided into different Playmobil worlds such as western, farm, police station, dinosaurs, pirates, etc... There are lots of different activities waiting for children in each such area. Many of them are closely linked to water (raft or pedal boats, unicorn washing, pearl hunting, boat launching, etc.), so my biggest recommendation in relation to visiting a Playmobil park is to pack spare clothes for your children , including shoes. Forgetful people can then use the local dryer for I think €2, however shoes were not allowed to be put in it.
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In the roofed part of the HOB centre you will find refreshments (with corners for the little ones), a large playground with climbing frames (more for older children) and a zone with building sets again divided according to the individual Playmobil worlds. You could spend hours and hours here putting together the tiny blocks. Nina, for example, missed her lunchtime snack because of the constant rearranging of the figures in and out of the car, she won't miss such a fuss, will she... well, besides lunch, we managed to have a coffee, because we couldn't get her out of there :)
Tickets MUST be purchased online here, you can't buy them at the door, so beware! In high season you pay €17,90 per adult, discounted admission is (quite hilariously) €16,90 and children under 3 pay nothing, but watch out you still have to have a ticket for them. After paying this essential amount, you have unlimited access to the outdoor and indoor zones until closing time. For a small extra charge you can buy gold panning in the western section, which means you get a bag of "diamonds" to hide in the sand and the little one gets a rake. You can also invest in your own Playmobil figure - you choose the hair, clothes and you can even have the character's name written on the back. I think this is a pretty nice souvenir that you can at least bring home and continue to use.
Of course, most of the attractions don't work in the winter months, so Playmobil is preparing Winter Magic with a special program and a large ice rink (€9.90). Plus between the summer and winter seasons only the indoor playground (€4,90) works for a few weeks, oh and the shop as well, but that's probably something most parents try to avoid all year round. One last item on the budget I'll mention is parking - a day's parking in the parking house comes to €5, or you can try to park somewhere in the surrounding streets, but those spaces will be gone very quickly.
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10. Fackelmann Therme - if you or your kids are water lovers, you can still stop at this waterpark, which is sort of reasonably on the way to/from the Czech Republic. Personally, I was more impressed by the local sauna offer than the water - in fact, there are 8 types of saunas on the "menu", and that's quite a selection isn't it? All info about opening hours and prices can be found on the official website here.
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| Source: Fackelmann Therme - https://www.fackelmanntherme.de/ |
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