I have been to Nürnberg several times, only one time spending more than 24 hours. On my way to and back from LEGOLAND, I decided to have a longer stop, for more than three, four hours, to explore a bit more the city and maybe see some of its sightseeings.
First stop was relatively short, on the way to Günzburg: we had very few hours to kill, therefore we just had the chance to explore the surroudings of the main train station. Just opposite, after few minutes of walking we landed in the midst of a Middle Ages slice of world.
If you are looking to have a short introduction into the place and the region, here is the best start, because withing few hundreds of meters, one can encounter different locals, tourists as well as local threat, as sausages or traditional art and crafts.
One of the most surprising contrasts is the glass facade of the New Museum of Art and Design, ensconsed in the middle of old cobblestone streets.
I visited it few years ago, and I was impressed about the quality of the collections as well as its geographic diversity. It was officially opened in 1999, and has 3,000 square meters for collections and exhibitions.
The open air space in the front of the museum, was resonating from the voices of children playing around, which gave a special resonance to the entire surroundings.
As we left this small area of Nürnberg in a hurry, we kept in mind to explore more the last time, with a promise to get a renewed taste of the city later in the week.
And at the end of a great travel week, when we had the chance to finally visit Ulm, Nürnberg was welcoming with a sunnier weather. As an introduction to the city, keep an eye on the roof, as on the top you may discover different figures adding their own identity to the place.
The buildings were mostly destroyed during the WWII, but the new ones reinstated old symbols and statues. Nürnberg has some interesting figures that deserve some additional research probably.
The good weather encourges us to spend more time outdoors, therefore inevitably we ended up on Königstraße, the main shopping area in the old city. Not impressed by the architecture though, just trying to immerse into the everyday local vibe.
The offer as well as some logo design, may compensate for the lack of outdoors creativity.
Some buildings do share a bourgeois individuality, like the Toy Museum, a place that I´ve visited before but was happy to revisit few years later, this time accompanied by my curious little boy.
Until nowadays, Nürnberg and the surrounding area has a name for over 600 years in the field of toys production. All over the world, the toys made in Germany do enjoy a special prestige, and this city played a part in the building of this identity.
Toys do play a role in the further formation of a child, therefore, the toys they play with do create their identity as adults. For me, as a historian, visiting this museum is also a journey into mentalities and personal histories.
The museum is impressive both in terms of quality and diversity of toys exposed. One can write and read multiple childhood stories only watching around.
The collection advances chronologically, and there are many sections that can show a lot about local and general interpretations of childhood. Some more or less controversial than the others.
But thinking outside the ideological narrative, it may be enough to just enjoy the moment, as children from all ages and all over the world do when, for instance, carrying their beloved Teddy Bear.
That innocence we can regain, even for only few minutes while watching the toys. I wished the exhibition is more modern and interactive, but my son is enjoying his toy journey nevertheless.
Besides dolls, there are so many cars from all ages represented, a delightful encounter for my Junior.
If you are planning to visit this museum, keep in mind to keep aside at least three full hours, and I guarantee it is a time very well spent.
Back outside, we are continuing slowly our walk in the old city, trying to adapt to the rhythm of the local city life.
But instead of watching our steps, we just look right and left, trying to figure out the characters standing on the corners of the half-timbered houses.
As our time is about to end, we just use the few hours left, checking some local stores and discovering traditional handycrafts and artists.
Besides toys, Nürnberg is famous for its Lebkuchen - gingerbread - especially tasted during the winter time. We are many months before the winter, but we were able to find as our last bit of the city, a all-season one, with pistacchio and coconut, covered in a delicious black chocolate. Not a big fan of Lebkuchen, but those ones were intriguing, the sweet note that I needed to finish my trip here. Which means that I will be more than happy to return to explore the rest of the city and its history.
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