The City

Nürnberg is the second largest city in Bavaria and is a distinct mix of old and new. There is the picturesque Altstadt with the large Hauptmarkt, the beautiful churches and the river running through the middle. A good shopping spot and tourist attraction as people fall in love with the traditional Bavarian German architecture and atmosphere. But Nürnberg is much more than that – it has a strong industrial side with a headquarters of the global brand Siemens as well as strong links with technology and research industries in Nürnberg.

Transport

Nürnberg has a good transport system with the 2 (soon to be 3) U Bahn lines that take you to the centre of town and to the outskirts. You can buy a day ticket for under €4 and with this you can travel unlimitedly around the city using the U Bahn, S Bahn, Straßenbahn and the buses.

If you are arriving in Nürnberg, the airport is located in the north of the city and there is U-Bahn station where you travel to the Hauptbahnhof in about 12 minutes. There are always taxis outside the airport and shouldn’t cost you more than €15 / €20 to get to the centre of town.

If you have a set journey to work or university everyday then its best to get a Schüler Monatskarte – need to go to the Reisezentrum and ask for a form. Fill in your typical journey and basic information about yourself and get it stamped by your employee or school. Then you go back to the Reisezentrum and take a passport photo with you. The costs varies on how far you have to travel but are worth it in the long run and can use on a daily basis to get to most places in the area.

The University

The Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg is the second biggest university in Bavaria. The majority of the faculties and buildings are in Erlangen (20 minutes by train from Nürnberg) and only the business and social sciences schools are in Nürnberg. These buildings are located by Rathenauplatz and very central to the centre of town. All registering takes place in Erlangen and this is where the majority of students live.

There are around 2500 foreign students at the university so there are Erasmus societies and events held regularly in Nürnberg and Erlangen.

Food and Drink

Nürnberg offers every type of food possible….you won’t go hungry.

If you want something typically German then head to Bratwurst Röslein, just behind the Hauptmarkt, which is apparently the worlds biggest bratwurst restaurant! Very nice in summer as can sit outside in the square and watch the world go by.

If you fancy Italian then go to Al Fiume just off the Hauptmarkt by the river. Have two sections – a more upmarket section which is always busy on a weekend and a more relaxed rustic section. Same menu in both and very reasonable priced and the pizzas are massive.

For Mexican food go to Enchilada’s, again off the Hauptmarkt. Good food, good portions and happy hour cocktails

Rustika Steak and Fisch Restaurant near Rennweg and Rathenauplatz is especially good if you want a nice big steak – it’s quite small but the staff are so friendly and helpful.

If you want a relaxed night with friends and something to eat and drink then I would recommend Tapasitos near Lorenzkirche – big restaurant with really nice tapas and very good sangria.

If you are in Nürnberg then you have to take a visit to s’Baggers, a little way out from Fürth. You order your food via a touch screen computer and it is delivered to you from the ceiling on metallic rails….no waiters….amazing. The food isn’t amazing, it's supposed to be in the style of Franconian tapas but each dish are about €4 and it's well worth a trip just to watch your food come whizzing down from the roof. They also have a beer garden in summer.

Out on the Town

Nürnberg has a very relaxed feel about its nightlife. If it's big clubs and wild nights you are looking for then head to Munich or Frankfurt. Nürnberg does however have many other things to offer.

If you are looking for a typical student night out (cheap drinks, lots of young people etc) then head to Hirsch, near Frankenstraße. I would recommend going on a Friday night as there are lots of drinks offers, always busy will local university students and the music is good.

If you fancy drinks with friends then there are a few cocktails around which are open till late and always have a good atmosphere. There is Kon Tiki near the Hauptmarkt which is a Hawaiian style restaurant / bar and they serve cocktails in coconut shells. Always busy but worth a visit.  Stockholm on Innere Laufer Straße is nice too, a very modern feel and they have a happy hour.

If you want a relaxed night with friends sampling the famous German beer then head to Barfußer near the Hauptbahnhof – it’s a massive underground Bierkeller with high ceilings and long wooden tables – very traditionally Bavarian.

If you feel like mixing with some English speaking people, there are quite a few Irish bars around which serve traditional food and attract all nationalities, such as O’Sheas near Lorenzkirche. There is also an English Stammtisch every Thursday that is held in different places which could be helpful if eager to speak English.

Day Tripper

If you decide you want to visit somewhere new, Nürnberg is well placed to visit other German cities. You can buy a train ticket which allows up to 5 people to travel anywhere within the state of Bavaria for a whole day (till 3am the next morning) for €27 which is a very good deal. With this ticket you could travel to Munich which is only an hour away. Could also visit the “Franconian Lake district” about 30kms from Nürnberg which is lovely in the warmer weather.

Can travel to anywhere in Germany with the ICEs from the Hauptbahnhof. As long as you book in advance you can save 50% on your travels with the Sparpreis 50 offers. I would also recommend buying a Bahncard25 as can get 25% of your travel at whatever time.

Museums;

As Nürnberg is such a historical city there are many museums to visit.

Albrecht-Dürer-Haus- a museum dedicated to the life of the famous German painter who lived in the house from 1509 to 1528.

Germanisches Nationalmuseum (Opernhaus U Bahn Stop)- the largest museum on German art and cultural achievements. Multilingual guided tours of the collections and exhibitions are also available.

Spielzeigmuseum- Nürnberg is famous for making toys and this museum celebrates the toy industry with special collections and lots of entertaining features.

Reichsparteitagsgelände Documentation Centre- if you visit Nürnberg, then this is a must. The Nazi past is still evident with the huge coliseum style building and the zeppelin field and there is a permanent museum telling the story of the rally grounds and the Nazi rule, their atrocities and the Nuremberg trials.

Cinema;

There are quite a few cinemas around to suit all tastes. There is the Admiral Filmpalast by Lorenzkirche, very typical cinema but have a nice bar, the Skybar, on the top floor and has a great view of the whole city from there if you fancy a pre or post drink.

The Cinecetta multiplex is the biggest multiplex cinema in Germany and also has an IMAX.

There is a cinema which shows films in their original language, the Roxy Cinema, in Südfriedhof and you can reach it by Straßenbahn. Not a very good cinema, feels like you are sat in someone’s living room and not the best sound quality but if you are fed up of dubbed German films its worth a visit.

Zoo;

The Tiergarten is located on the outskirts of the city in a large forest and is easily reached by Straßenbahn. A nice day out when the weather is good, if only to see the baby polar bares born in 2008! Quite inexpensive at about €6.

Annual Events

Rock im Park– German music festival which takes place over a weekend in June. With over 85 bands and 40 000 visitors, both German and international bands play here.

Christkindlesmarkt– the world famous Christmas market attracts over 2 million visitors a year to drink Glühwein and buy handmade gifts. Held in the Hauptmarkt, the town is beautifully decorated and always has a great atmosphere. Not to be missed.

The boring stuff

Anmeldung; it is required for you to register at the local Rathaus when you arrive in Germany. All you need to do is go to the Rathaus on Innere Laufer Straße and explain that you need to register. You will be given a form to fill out and then have to wait in line. It’s pretty simple; just take your passport and something to prove your address (copy of your tenancy contract). Whilst you are there if you intend on working, make sure you ask for a Lohnsteuerkarte to ensure you don’t pay taxes and it will save you hassle in the future. It is important you do this – you can’t buy anything electrical or even a SIM card without them having your details.

Internet; there are internet cafes all over the city, usually costing €1.50 for an hour. If you are not staying for a long period of time in Germany it is difficult to get internet access in your house. Most large providers only offer 24 month contracts. However perhaps go to Vodafone who were very understanding with students.

Bank account; pretty essential that you open up a German bank account. You will need it to pay rent etc and withdrawing from your English account will incur a lot of charges. I would suggest going to Deutsche Bank on Karolienstraße near the Lorenzkirche U Bahn stop – they have a good Jugendkonto and it’s easy to set up. If you need to withdraw money from your Deutsche Bank account whilst in the UK you can do so for free with Barclays. If you are going to need to withdraw money from your English account (i.e. to get to your loan money, Erasmus grant etc) then open a Nationwide account – they don’t charge you to withdraw abroad.

Shops; in the centre there are two main shopping streets, which are easily reached by the U Bahn by getting off at the Hauptbahnhof, Weißerturm or Lorenzkirche. All the mainstream clothing shops are here, and there are some more expensive shops leading down Kaiserstraße. The department stores Karstadt and Kaufhof sell most things you could need.

There is an Ikea on the outskirts near Fürth on Hans-Vogel-Straße which is useful for when you first arrive and need things like cheap furniture, bedding etc. It's quite hard to find such things in the centre.

As for supermarkets there is a small Aldi near the Hauptbahnhof but most supermarkets are located in the suburb areas. There is Rewe, Kaufmarkt, Lidl, Norma and others all easily reached and will be one near to where you live. There is a supermarket in the basement of Karstadt by Lorenzkirche will sells many international brands and products from home. They sell English cheese which is a major advantage!

There is one major disadvantage to Germany……nothing is open on a Sunday! Nürnberg may be bustling on a Saturday but it is a ghost town on a Sunday. Only a few bakeries and some restaurants are open so be prepared.

Useful Links

www.bahn.de
www.vgn.de
www.nuernberg.de

Guide written by Lauren Alexander, English exchange student Nurnberg, 2007/2008.

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