NUERNBERG’S HISTORICAL MILE highlights the major architectural and artistic landmarks of an historic city whose Golden Age was the late Middle Ages and which has been substantially rebuilt since the devastation of the Second World War (when ca 90 % of the Old Town was destroyed!).

The HISTORICAL MILE was designed as a self-guided walking tour to the old city's most important sights. It is meant to provide a concise introduction to Nuernberg's historic attractions and to whet the appetite for more detailed exploration and discovery – whether the following day or on a subsequent visit to the city!

A system of directional markers along the route of the HISTORICAL MILE identifies the city's major historic monuments, giving tourists a compact overview of the city's rich and venerable heritage. But those well-acquainted with Nuernberg and its history are equally welcome to stop for a moment and savor the charm of familiar monuments and picturesque urban ensembles.

As a result of its political influence as the foremost imperial city of the Middle Ages and repository of the imperial regalia, combined with its economic prosperity as a strategically-located commercial center, Nuernberg came to be one of the largest and greatest cities in Europe ca 1500. Such names as Albrecht Dürer, Veit Stoss, Adam Kraft, Peter Vischer, Willibald Pirckheimer and Hans Sachs reflect the city's artistic and intellectual prowess at that time. Technical achievements (e.g. Peter Henlein's portable timepieces and Martin Behaim's globe) or Dr. Hartmann Schedel's Nuernberg Chronicles testify to the innovative spirit of the age.

But it was precisely because of its historic rank and reputation that, in 1933, Nuernberg was co-opted by the National Socialist regime as the "City of the Nazi Party Rallies". And ultimately, after the war, the devastated city became the symbol of the Nuernberg Trials.

The route of the self-guided walking tour

Historical Markers:
Distinctive numbered markers identify the individual monuments and direct the visitor from one point of interest to the next.

Brochure:
A compact bilingual brochure containing a city plan marked with the route of the HISTORICAL MILE and brief descriptions of the individual monuments has been available for a minimal fee at tourist information offices, hotels and major points of interest along the route. This brochure is sold out. You can now download a PDF version of this brochure here >>

Side Excursions:
At several junctions along the way, side-excursion markers point in the direction of sights of interest beyond the HISTORICAL MILE.

Die HISTORISCHE MEILE NÜRNBERG will be

and sponsored by