Nuremberg Castle

On another Sunday off, we visited Nuremberg and spent some time at the city’s castle.

The castle is a group of medieval buildings on a ridge in the historical center of Nuremberg. It was once an important part of the Holy Roman Empire and was considered one of the best medieval fortifications in Europe.

In the Middle Ages, the Holy Roman Emperors (which were German Kings coronated by the Pope) didn’t have a home base. Instead, they journeyed from castle to castle to maintain their rule. Every German King stayed at Nurmberg Castle at some point because of its strategic position within Bavaria.

During WWII, air raids destroyed a large part of the castle. It took about 30 years to rebuild.

Today you can take a tour of the buildings, which Brev and I did. We learned about:

• The Sinwell Tower: built in the 13th century, this tower served defensive and status purposes. Today it has a viewing platform with panoramic views of the city. There are also photos of what the city looked like following WWII, which you can compare to the rebuilt city that we see today.  
• The Deep Well: a small timber house which holds the castle’s only source of water, with a shaft 165 feet down. When the emperor would visit, additional water would need to be brought in on wagons from the city.
• The Imperial Chapel: Romanesque double chapel with two chapels on top of each other, the higher chapel for the nobility and the lower story chapel for the commoners. There’s an opening in the ceiling connecting the two.