Emperors, Trials and Rebirth Self Guided Tour of Nuremberg

For nearly four centuries, the crown, sceptre, and orb of the Holy Roman Empire were locked inside a hospital chapel in this city — until Napoleon's army forced their evacuation and Hitler ordered them brought back. This self-guided audio tour of Nuremberg traces the stories behind that kind of history across 22 stops. From the medieval Meat Bridge engineered like Venice's Rialto to the tunnels where citizens hid priceless art from Allied bombs, this Nuremberg walking tour covers 600 years of empire, rebellion, and reinvention. You'll stand where the Reformation took hold, walk a corridor of pillars confronting the city's darkest chapter, and discover a fountain built to disguise a subway vent. The app guides you stop by stop with maps and narration — no fixed start time, no group to keep up with. Pause for a Bratwurst, linger in a Gothic church, or skip ahead. Over 20,000 travelers have used our self-guided tours, and a full refund guarantee means there's nothing to risk.

1. 1

   Ehekarussell

   Pass by

   Walk around the bronze marriage scenes that were built to hide a subway ventilation shaft.

2. 2

   Stop 2

   Pass by

   Stand before the toll gate that helped keep a city unbesieged for the entire Middle Ages.

3. 3

   Strasse der Menschenrechte

   Pass by

   Pass through thirty pillars inscribed in thirty languages — placed here to answer for laws once written in this same city.

4. 4

   Stop 4

   Pass by

   Step inside one of the first churches in Germany to break with Rome and embrace Luther's revolution.

5. 5

   Stop 5

   Pass by

   Read a stone Bible carved for a congregation that couldn't read a single word.

6. 6

   Stop 6

   Pass by

   Look up at the wooden masterpiece that survived the war only because citizens carried it into tunnels beneath the castle.

7. 7

   Fleischbrucke

   Pass by

   Cross a bridge engineered like Venice's Rialto, then find the stone ox that was never a calf.

8. 8

   Heilig-Geist-Spital

   Pass by

   Peer into the chapel where the Holy Roman Empire's crown jewels were guarded for nearly four centuries.

9. 9

   Hauptmarkt

   Pass by

   Stand in a market square built on ground that was cleared by a pogrom — and sanctioned by an emperor.

10. 10

    Stop 10

    Pass by

    Search for the loose brass ring locals say grants wishes — and notice who's watching from the pillar above.

11. 11

    Frauenkirche

    Pass by

    Wait for noon and watch mechanical figures re-enact an oath sworn to an emperor in this very square.

12. 12

    Frauenkirche

    Pass by

    Spot the altarpiece panel where a medieval painter hid Nuremberg's own skyline inside a biblical scene.

13. 13

    Nurnberger Rathaus

    Pass by

    Pause at the building where diplomats once feasted upstairs while prisoners suffered in dungeons directly below.

14. 14

    St. Sebaldus Church

    Pass by

    Face the crucifix that was carved with its eyes open — and consider why that unsettled an entire congregation.

15. 15

    St. Sebaldus Church

    Pass by

    Trace the carved figures flanking the entrance and find the prince holding a church in the palm of his hand.

16. 16

    St. Sebaldus Church

    Pass by

    See the bronze shrine where a saint's bones rest inside a masterwork that took its creator over a decade to finish.

17. 17

    Albrecht-durer-haus

    Pass by

    Enter the studio of the artist who turned a simple watercolour of a hare into one of the most recognised paintings on earth.

18. 18

    Kaiserburg Nurnberg

    Pass by

    Climb to the fortress where every Holy Roman Emperor was required to hold court — and find out what happened when one refused.

19. 19

    Kaiserburg Nurnberg

    Pass by

    Look down from walls that were never breached and trace the layers of power built into the hilltop over five centuries.

20. 20

    Historischer Kunstbunker

    Pass by

    Descend into the tunnels where Nuremberg hid its greatest treasures from the bombs — and where American soldiers found a stolen crown.

21. 21

    Weinstadel

    Pass by

    Walk the bridge once reserved for the city's executioner — the one man nobody in Nuremberg would live beside.

22. 22

    Weissgerbergasse

    Pass by

    Stroll the last intact row of medieval half-timbered houses and ask why this street survived when ninety percent of the Old Town didn't.

• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.