Nuremberg Old Town & Hauptmarkt

Nuremberg's Altstadt, encircled by roughly 5km of surviving 14th-century city walls studded with 80 towers, is among the most complete medieval town centres in Germany, rebuilt carefully after severe wartime damage. The Hauptmarkt square anchors the old town, dominated by the Gothic Frauenkirche and its animated Männleinlaufen clock, which performs a mechanical figure display daily at noon, and by the gilded, spire-like Schöner Brunnen fountain, whose ring is said to bring luck when turned. From the square, narrow lanes lead past the half-timbered houses of the Weißgerbergasse and across the Pegnitz River via the historic Fleischbrücke to Nuremberg Castle (Kaiserburg), which overlooks the whole town from its northern hill. A walk of the old town, Hauptmarkt, and castle grounds takes 3-5 hours; visitors interested in 20th-century history often add the Documentation Centre at the former Nazi Rally Grounds south of the city. Each December, the Hauptmarkt hosts Germany's most famous Christkindlesmarkt, drawing enormous crowds; outside the market season, midday in high summer is the busiest period, while early morning offers uncluttered views of the square and fountain.