Sunday, September 06, 2026

Southbound 2026 - Nuremberg

Nuremberg, Germany. Thursday/Sunday 04/06-September-2026.

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Intro.

Nuremberg was the real destination for our first city, both to explore and to do a parkrun on the Saturday. 

Thursday 04-September-2026.

The arrangement was to get to our Nuremberg HomeExchange about five o'clock so our hosts could hand over the keys before heading off to the airport for their holiday. It was their first house swap so seemed keen for it to go well. Their apartment is bright and airy and spacious - I'm sure it will be in demand. 

Our first act was to put on the first of several wash loads. One advantage of home exchange is that you staying in real homes so they always have a washing machine which means you can pack light and do regular laundry.

A relax until the laundry was ready to be hung up then out into the town. Wandering around the centre we found the traditional Franconian Lorenzer Wirtshaus and after a short wait got a balcony table with a view of the church and the square. As often our evening meal started with a weiss and red beer combo!

They served flammkuchen which I first met in Alsace and hadn’t had for a while so for me was an easy menu choice. Mary went for bratwurst and salad.

Friday 05-September-2026.

We booked a morning tour of the tunnels and secret passages in the castle walls. 


To quote Mary’s review: 

“Fascinating trip with Monica. She was so enthusiastic and well-informed about the castle and the underground defences that you could not help but be enamoured. She provided lots of interesting information about the historical context, how the castle defences were constructed and the impact of each of the design features. She was very careful to warn us of the hazards - uneven floors and stairs, damp conditions, steep slopes, etc - showing real concern for our welfare. We would definitely recommend this trip”.

The tunnels ran round the inside of the walls providing multiple ports for firing at would-be attackers. It was a hot day but down in the tunnel it was distinctly cool.

After the tour we dined at The Golden Posthorn, the oldest wine tavern in Germany. Mary had a delicious warm chanterelle salad whilst I just had a beer as I wasn't hungry.

The afternoon was spent wandering about the town. In Nuremberg Cathedral they have a cross made of nails from the bombed out Coventry Cathedral. My father submitted an unsuccessful entry into the competition held in 1950 to find an design for the new Coventry Cathedral, one of over 200 submitted [Wikipedia].

There is a river that runs through the centre of the old town with an island in the middle of the river.

Inside St Sebald's church, a local hermit made saint. His sepulchre is supported by 12 snails all pointing in different directions - very cute.

Frauenkirchen in the main square, one of many ornate churches in the city.

On the opposite side of the square was this very ornate and gilded fountain - a  restored replica of a 14th-century original, built to resemble a Gothic spire.

This house looks like it’s smiling!

That evening we went to an organ recital in St Lorenz cathedral.

Roberto Marini - Organ 

  • Julius Reubke (1834-1858) Sonate über den 94. Psalm 
  • Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Ciaccona d-Moll aus der Partita für Violine Nr. 2 BWV 1004 (Orgelbearbeitung: U. Matthey) 
  • Franz Liszt (1811-1886) Funérailles aus Harmonies poétiques et religieuses (Orgelbearbeitung: Roberto Marini) 
  • Max Reger (1873-1916) Fantasie und Fuge über den Namen B-A-C-H op. 46

The evening meal was a walk-in at Takumi Chinese restaurant we stumbled across for a delicious light supper. 

Saturday 06-September/2026.

As always Saturday morning is parkrun.

Wöhrder See 05/09/2026 31:12 [97/154].

The obligatory flag photo.

Mary went round with a woman with Nordic poles going exactly at the pace Mary wanted, so unwittingly became her pacer. She did really well - Mary was aiming for 50 minutes and actually came in at 49:56.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the town. We bought a self-guided tour from VoiceMap which led us around the town and where we learned that if we saw a timber-framed building it was a survivor as the stone buildings were demolished by the bombs.

More lovely survivors…

…and yet more.

The evening meal was a exquisite four course set menu with matching wines at Würzhaus: two starters, main course and desert plus a substantial amuse-bouche and a petit four. Thankfully the portions were modest so we were full but not stuffed.

Sunday 06-September-2026.

Up early for a long trip to Milan via Munich and Zurich. The original route was via Stuttgart luckily Mary re-checked on the Saturday, discovered that our train was not running and we were able to replan at leisure rather than a last minute panic at the station.

Next stop: Milan.

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