The construction of Nuremberg`s city walls stretched over five centuries — from the 11th to the 16th century. But the grandiose appearance that amazes tourists today took shape mainly by the year 1400. Imagine an irregular parallelogram exactly 5 kilometers long, tightly enclosing both parts of the city separated by the Pegnitz River. In the Middle Ages, Nuremberg`s city wall was not just a line of stones, but a highly complex engineering structure of several levels.
Structure of the Nuremberg City Walls
Around the entire length of the walls, a moat was dug which, contrary to popular myth, was never filled with water. Its depth reached 12 meters, and its width — up to 20 meters. The dry moat was studded with stakes and served as an insurmountable obstacle for battering rams and siege towers.
Behind the moat rose the outer wall — lower than the main wall. It was the first line of defense.
The space between the outer and main walls was called the zwinger — an open space about 15 meters wide. This was a "corridor of death" for attackers. Once inside it, the enemy came under crossfire from both walls and could not hide.
Finally, the high wall — the main one, the most impressive, up to 8-10 meters high, facing into the city. On its ridge ran a battlement walkway with crenellations.
At the height of its development, Nuremberg had about 130 towers on its walls and towers. Each of them had its own name, colour marking, and purpose. Seven main gates led into the city, and each of these gates was a powerful fortified complex.
Between 1538 and 1545, when the Ottoman threat became real, the western and northern parts of the walls (near the Castle) were reinforced with huge round bastions — among the first in Germany, built on the Italian model.
Life behind such walls
Life behind such walls was special. Until the 19th century, the gates were closed at night, and any citizen who was late could spend the night outside the walls. The four corner towers — Lauferturm, Frauenturm, Spittlerturm and Neutorturm — were veritable skyscrapers of their time, visible from afar.
What remains of the Nuremberg City Walls today
Unlike many German cities that lost their fortifications during the industrial revolution of the 19th century, Nuremberg was both lucky and unlucky at the same time.
The paradox of preservation is as follows. In the 19th century, when the active demolition of walls began to expand the city, Nuremberg was in an economic slump. The city simply did not have enough money to completely demolish the fortifications. Thanks to this "poverty" and the subsequent wars, the walls survived. Today, of the original 5 kilometers, about 4 kilometers remain.
Of the 130 medieval towers, 71 have survived to this day. Some of them were destroyed during the Second World War, others — during the construction of the subway and road junctions in the 1960s.
Today, the moat has been turned into a green park. Pedestrian paths run along the bottom of the moat and along the outer wall. This is a favourite place for walking, jogging and looking at the city from an unusual angle — from the bottom up.
The Königstor area — the southern gateway to the empire
The Königstor gate area is one of the most impressive and photogenic surviving sections of the southern wall. This is the place where the power of medieval fortifications is best seen. Königstor is located in the southern part of the Old Town, if you walk from the Main Station straight towards the centre.
What you will see today:
The Frauenturm tower is one of the four main corner towers, closing the southeast corner of the wall`s "parallelogram". It is a massive, powerful structure with a tent roof. If you look at it from below, from the bottom of the moat, you can appreciate the thickness of the walls and its height — over 40 meters.
The Spittlertor tower is the southwestern corner tower, the "sister" of Frauenturm. They are very similar, as they were built in the same period — between 1556 and 1564 — and received their modern appearance at that time, when they were "clad" in Renaissance stone shirts over the old Gothic cores.
The walls and moat — it is here that the moat has best preserved its depth, about 10-12 meters. Standing at the foot of the wall, you see the classic medieval profile: a high zwinger, loopholes and a powerful foundation.
Historical significance: In the Middle Ages, it was through Königstor ("King`s Gate") that the emperors ceremoniously entered the city after their coronation. In the 19th century, the border between the "old" city and the new industrial districts ran here. In the 1960s, they planned to drive a wide highway through here and fill in the moat, but, fortunately for tourists and historians, this plan was rejected.
Other preserved sections of the Nuremberg City Walls
Nuremberg`s walls are almost a continuous route. Walking around the perimeter, you will get a complete picture of the medieval city. Here are the key points besides Königstor.
1. North: The Castle complex and the Tiergärtnertor tower
Unlike the harsh south, the northern wall "embraces" the Kaiserburg. Here the walls are the oldest.
Tiergärtnertor is a picturesque gate with a round tower and a pointed spire, not to be confused with the massive square towers at the corners. The gate dates from the end of the 13th century. The name comes from the burgrave`s "menagerie" that was located nearby. Today it is one of the most recognizable "postcard" spots in Nuremberg. Albrecht Dürer`s house is nearby. Passing through the arch of the gate, you cross a bridge over the moat leading to the Castle.
2. East: Ruins and the breach at Laufertorturm
The breach in the wall. At the Laufertorturm, there is a huge gap in the wall — more than 310 meters. This is not the work of medieval battering rams, but the consequences of the bombings of 2 January 1945. The blast wave and fire destroyed everything here. The continuous wall was not rebuilt, leaving this gap as a stark reminder of the war.
What to see: The Laufertorturm itself survived and stands like a lonely sentinel. On the inner side of the wall, a fragment of the zwinger and the so-called Bear Bastion have been preserved.
3. West: Bastions by the water
The Pegnitz River`s flow, as it left the city, was once blocked by a powerful fortification called the Fronfeste. It was both a prison and a defensive structure.
The White Tower (Weißer Turm) is the remnant of the old 13th-century fortifications in the west. Today it stands in the middle of a busy street and serves as the entrance to the subway station of the same name. A very clear example of how the Middle Ages have been integrated into modern transport.
The Water Towers (Wassertürme) — by the bridges on the Pegnitz, towers have survived that once sealed off the river with chains, preventing enemy sabotage boats from entering. Although full-sized ships never sailed here, the defense of the waterway was important.
4. The zwinger and Renaissance bastions
In the northeast, on the wall next to the Castle, there is a round Renaissance bastion, built in 1527. Today there is a cosy restaurant and open-air exhibitions are held there. This is one of the best places to feel the power of late medieval fortifications while sitting at a table with a view of the moat and walls.
How to walk along the Nuremberg City Walls today — a practical route
The best way to get acquainted with the walls is not to enter the city straight away, but to take a "detour". A walk around the perimeter will take between two and three hours at a leisurely pace.
Recommended route:
Start from the station. Exit the Main Station and walk north. You will immediately run into Königstor and the Frauenturm tower. This is your first stop.
Move clockwise. Walk along the bottom of the dry moat westwards along the wall. You will pass the Spittlertor tower. Notice how the character of the wall changes: from harsh medieval stone to more elegant Renaissance details.
Turn north. After reaching the western end of the moat, go up to the Plärrer area and turn along the wall northwards towards the Pegnitz River.
The White Tower. You will see the White Tower standing right in the middle of the street. This is a good place to take a break at one of the nearby cafés.
The Castle hill. Walk towards Tiergärtnertor and the Kaiserburg. Here the walls transition into the rocks on which the Castle stands. Be sure to examine the 16th-century bastions at the northern gate.
Descent to Laufertorturm. Walk along the northern wall eastwards, descend to the Laufertorturm and look at the gap — the site of the terrible 1945 bombing. This is the most silent and touching section of the route.
Finale. Return to the centre through the eastern part of the Old Town or along the Pegnitz embankment, admiring the water towers.
Interesting details about the Nuremberg City Walls
Colour marking for illiterate guards
All the gates and towers of Nuremberg, including those of the castle, were marked in the Middle Ages with letters of the Latin alphabet and four colours: black, blue, red and green. If the enemy attacked, say, the "blue D", the guard shouted exactly that combination, and all the citizens understood where to run. Even an illiterate militiaman memorized colours faster than letters.
The legend of the knight`s leap
On the eastern side, near the Laufertorturm, there is a legend about a robber knight named Eppelein von Gailingen. Sentenced to death, he spurred his horse and jumped over the moat and wall, escaping. It is said that the hoofprints of his horse can still be seen on the stone. Historians are sceptical, but the legend lives on.
The Imperial falcon — the living guardian of the towers
The falcons living on Nuremberg`s towers are not random birds. The city still has a position of city falconer. Birds of prey protect the towers from pigeons, whose droppings destroy the masonry. Thus the medieval walls are protected by a medieval method.
The nocturnal curfew
Until the mid-19th century, the city gates were closed at sunset and opened at dawn. If a citizen stayed too long in a tavern outside the walls, he had to spend the night there or pay a fine for an unscheduled entry. Special guards ensured that no one climbed over the walls.
Youth hostel in the city wall
In the eastern part of the city, in the former Imperial Stables building and in the Luginsland tower, there is a youth hostel. This is perhaps the only place in the world where you can sleep inside a 13th-century medieval city wall. The rooms are spartan, but the atmosphere is absolutely authentic.
Secret passages and dungeons
Beneath some sections of the walls, underground passages and casemates have been preserved, used for sorties and storing supplies. Most of them are closed to visitors today due to their dilapidated state, but local historical societies sometimes organize special torchlight tours. Ask at the tourist office.
Nuremberg`s old city walls are not just a tourist attraction. They saw the triumphal entries of emperors, when banners flew and trumpets blared. They survived the nights of terrible bombings, when the city itself turned into a sea of fire and a heap of ruins. But they have survived to this day.
