Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kaiserburg
(
www.schloesser.bayern.de
;
adult/child incl museum €7/6; 9am-6pm Apr-Sep,
10am-4pm Oct-Mar)
Construction of Nuremberg's landmark, the immensely proportioned
Kaiserburg, began during the reign of Hohenstaufen King Konrad III in the 12th century
and dragged on for about 400 years. The complex, for centuries the receptacle of the Holy
Roman Empire's treasures, consists of three parts: the Kaiserburg and Stadtburg (the Em-
peror's Palace and City Fortress), as well as the Burggrafenburg (Count's Residence),
which was largely destroyed in 1420. Wedged between its surviving towers are the
Kaiserstallung (Royal Stables), which today house the DJH hostel (
Click here
)
.
The
Kaiserburg Museum
chronicles the history of the castle and provides a survey of
medieval defence techniques. Other Tardis-like sections open to visitors include the royal
living quarters, the Imperial and Knights' Halls, and the
Romanesque Doppelkapelle
(Twin Chapel). The latter poignantly illustrates the medieval hierarchy: common folk sat
in the dimly lit lower section, with the royals entering up above directly from the palace.
Enjoy panoramic city views from atop the
Sinwellturm
(Sinwell Tower; 113 steps) or
peer into the amazing 48m-deep
Tiefer Brunnen
(Deep Well) - guides lower a platter of
candles so you can see its depth; it still yields drinking water.
The grassy knoll at the southeast corner of the
castle gardens
(open seasonally) is
Am
Ölberg
, a favourite spot to sit and gaze out over the city's rooftops.
CASTLE
Deutsche Bahn Museum
( 0180-444 2233;
www.db-museum.de
;
Lessingstrasse 6; adult/child €5/2.50, free with
InterRail pass; 9am-5pm Tue-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun)
Forget Dürer and Nazi ral-
lies, Nuremberg is a railway town at heart. Germany's first passenger trains ran between
here and Fürth, a fact reflected in the unmissable German Railways Museum, which ex-
plores the history of Germany's legendary rail system.
If you have tots aboard, head straight for the
Eisenbahn-Erlebniswelt
(Railway
World), where lots of hands-on, interactive choo-choo-themed attractions await. Here
you'll also find a huge model railway, one of Germany's largest, set in motion every hour
by a uniformed controller.
The main exhibition charting almost two centuries of rail history starts on the ground
floor and continues with more recent exhibits on the first. Passing quickly through the his-
torically inaccurate beginning (as every rail buff knows, the world's first railway was the
Stockton-Darlington, not the Liverpool-Manchester), highlights include Germany's old-
MUSEUM
