Nuremberg Castle

Nuremberg Castle stands on a sandstone ridge above the old town of Nuremberg, a group of medieval fortified buildings that once guarded the Holy Roman Empire. Its walls and towers still dominate the skyline, showing why it was one of Europe’s strongest medieval fortresses. The castle served as an imperial residence for kings and emperors who travelled from castle to castle across the empire. Three main parts make up the site: the Imperial Castle, the Burgraves’ Castle, and the buildings added by the free imperial city. The castle’s history stretches back to around the year 1000, with major building phases under the Salian and Hohenstaufen rulers. Emperors such as Henry III and Henry IV stayed here during their campaigns, and the castle hosted imperial diets where decisions for the realm were made. After the Thirty Years’ War it lost its political role, but in the 19th century it became a symbol of medieval revival. Heavy bombing in 1944 and 1945 destroyed much of the complex, and thirty years of rebuilding restored it to its present form. Visitors enter through the Heavenly Gate and walk into the outer courtyard where the Sinwell Tower rises above the Deep Well. The well’s shaft descends fifty metres to the water table, and a small half-timbered house shelters the entrance. The Palas, once the emperor’s residence, now holds an exhibition on the castle’s imperial past. Nearby, the Romanesque Imperial Chapel shows the division between noble and common floors, while the Heathens’ Tower preserves traces of its original sculptures. Beyond the inner gate, the Kunigunde Lime Tree marks a spot first planted in the 15th century.