Almost 1000 years Nuremberg

Besides nature, which I adore, which inspires me and gives me strength, I also love architecture, mostly ancient. For me, it's best to walk around the city early in the morning, while the whole city is still asleep, and there are no crowds of tourists pursuit of the best photos for Instagram. This time of the day is very quiet and peaceful, and you can not only see every detail, look and gaze at the masterpieces of architecture, but also feel the spirit of this city, hear its stories of past years and even past centuries, feel its joy and sadness, glory and greatness.

NUREMBERG. Information.

• Located in Bavaria on the Pegnitz River.

• It was first mentioned approximately in 1050.

• More than 500,000 people live here.

• During the XIV-XVI, it was the unofficial German capital.

It was a damp Saturday in February, alternating with snow and rain. I arrived in Nuremberg at 09:20 in the morning and walked through the empty streets, watching how the city slowly woke up and prepared again for a new day. Tables and chairs appeared on the street near cozy cafes, the smell of freshly baked croissants became palpable, and I realized that I was already hungry and would not mind having a hot coffee and a delicious croissant. Not far from the Church of St. Lawrence, I saw a small bakery, where I drank almond coffee and ate some pretzels with spinach for only 4 euros.

The Church of St. Lawrence is built in my favorite style, Gothic. I can stare at such masterpieces of architecture for a long time to look at every little detail, and one more in that one, and another one in that one, and so on. The building was hugely damaged during the Second World War and was almost completely reconstructed. But till our days this building is one of the most notable points in Nuremberg and a spectacular masterpiece.

I didn't read on the Internet before going to Nuremberg what to see and what to do here, and I didn't plan any routes, I only knew that I wanted to go to the old part of the city. And it happened that while I was walking around the city from the call of my heart, I saw all the architectural masterpieces and important points.

Another Gothic church, the Roman Catholic Frauenkirche, the Church of Our Lady, is located on the market square, Nuremberg's Hauptmarkt, where the most famous Christmas market in Germany is held. After the bombings during the Second World War, only the walls and the facade remained. But now it is restored and attracts millions of people to come in.

The third Gothic church that adorns the city, St. Sebaldus, was built in the 13th century. The church was named after the missionary Saint Sebaldus, who was the patron saint of Nuremberg.

Unexpectedly, I came across Albrecht Dürer's street, the German Renaissance artist. All the houses were almost the same and in a doll style as if you were in a fairy tale. Everywhere I looked, I saw Dürer's name: Albrecht Dürer House, Albrecht Dürer Cafe, Albrecht Dürer Restaurant, Albrecht Dürer Hotel, etc. I got the feeling that I entered a city within a city that was dedicated to a specific person and it looked like the same Albrecht would come out of one of the buildings, sit on a bench under a tree, and start creating his new masterpiece....

He is called the "northern Leonardo" and the brightest star of German art. He became famous not only for his classical paintings but also for his engravings.

Another ancient place, a monument of medieval architecture, is Nuremberg Castle, which includes a royal palace, gardens, a tower, and a small square with a good panoramic view of the city.

Until 12:00, I slowly walked through the whole old part of the city and, when I was returning from Nuremberg Castle, I saw that the city had already woken up. Every corner of the city was full of the dinstinct aroma of coffee, almost all cafes were full of people and there were no free places, bustle enveloped the city and brought a new life into it....

March 4, 2023.