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) Three views of Nürnberg |
This was my first time in Southern Germany as well as Susan's first trip to Germany, and we selected Nürnberg as our initial destination because of its convenient location. It is best known to foreigners as the site of the post-World War II Nuremberg War trials, but there is more to it than that. The city is nearly one thousand years old, has a population of about a half-million people, and is well known for its museums, theatres and galleries. When we arrived in Nürnberg on Friday night we headed straight for the old city centre, an area of town within the aged and long-outgrown city wall, and found a hotel for the night. Turns out we had planted ourselves right next to the Hauptmarkt (main market square, with rows of vendors surrounded by scores of shops) and one beautiful Gothic church, and were only minutes away from the Kaiserburg (Imperial Castle) and a couple of other churches. (European churches are beautiful pieces of art and architecture, and they are well worth visiting regardless of your spiritual beliefs.) We spent the following day wandering the market and walking through the churches and the castle. In St. Lorenz church we met a man with whom we began conversing in a combination of broken German, Spanish and English. We were really enjoying the way we were able to communicate with this man using this mishmash of language when we were interrupted by a "typical" American tourist; this woman was in Germany visiting her husband (an Army soldier stationed nearby) and made sure to complain about "how he dragged her over to Europe and it wasn't as good as being at home blah blah blah." I think that was when Susan and I looked at each other and decided we never wanted to be mistaken as "typical" Americans. I enjoyed Nürnberg. Granted, we only saw the old town area, but it was charming in an old-European kind of way, with quite a bit of history to boot. |
) The Church of St Sebaldus |
) Schöner Brunnen |
) The gate to the Kaiserburg |
) Bridge across the (dry) castle moat |
