Hauptmarkt Audio Guide

Hauptmarkt: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Hauptmarkt

   Welcome to the Hauptmarkt, the main market square of Nuremberg and the beating heart of the city's historic Old Town. Take a moment to turn slowly on the spot. This is where medieval prosperity, Renaissance artistry and the long work of rebuilding after war all meet in one open space. Two landmarks give the square its character. The Gothic Frauenkirche, the Church of Our Lady, defines the view. Close by stands the slender, golden Beautiful Fountain, known in German as the Schöner Brunnen. The square has been inseparable from that fountain for centuries, and in the next few minutes you will find out why. The Hauptmarkt is also a very handy base for exploring. From here you can reach the Albrecht Dürer House, Nuremberg Castle and the church of Saint Lorenz on foot. But first, let's stay put and ask a simple question: why is there such a big square right here at all?

2. 02

   An Emperor's Square

   The answer leads back to Charles the Fourth, Holy Roman Emperor. This main market square is credited to him, and it had a clear purpose: to unite what had previously been two separate walled cities. Think of it as a great civic hinge, joining two halves of Nuremberg into one town with a shared center. The story of the square also has a dark chapter, and it deserves to be told plainly. In 1349, Charles the Fourth presided over a cruel pogrom against the Jews of Nuremberg, which put an end to the old Jewish quarter. The same ruler is named as the founder of the Gothic Frauenkirche, which today defines the Hauptmarkt, and as the initiator of the Beautiful Fountain. So the space around you carries two truths at once. It is a place of civic ambition and lasting beauty, and it also stands on ground linked to the destruction of a community. Few squares in Europe ask you to hold both so openly.

3. 03

   The Beautiful Fountain and the Frauenkirche

   Now look for that tall, pointed, golden spire. The Beautiful Fountain is the centerpiece of the square, and it was much more than decoration. It brought in clean drinking water, which mattered a great deal in a medieval city. Tanneries, slaughterhouses and the hospital all dumped their byproducts into the river, so a clean supply was a genuine civic gift. The fountain and the square belong together, and both trace back to the reign of Charles the Fourth. Beside it, the Frauenkirche gives the square its Gothic backdrop. Keep an eye on its balcony, because it plays a starring role every winter, as you will hear in a moment. If you enjoy old images, there is a view of the square from 1855 that shows the fountain and the church together with colonnades. Those colonnades no longer stand today. The square you see has changed over time, even though its heart has not.

4. 04

   Market Days and Christmas Lights

   Above all, the Hauptmarkt is a working market, and it has been one for centuries. On weekdays the stalls fill with fresh fruit and vegetables, bright flowers and crusty bread, with regional and international specialties alongside. You can chat with the market women and soak up the medieval flair of a very old square. Then comes winter. From the Friday before the first Advent, the whole square turns to Christmas. Red and white wooden stands glow under a sea of 1,000 lights, and the air smells of mulled wine and gingerbread. The world-famous Christmas Market is opened by the Nuremberg Christmas Angel, who speaks a famous prologue from the balcony of the Frauenkirche. This lively scene stands on rebuilt ground. The Hauptmarkt and its surroundings were largely destroyed in the Second World War and later reconstructed, which is part of why the square reads as a story of resilience as well as commerce. Today the old and the new sit side by side.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off

   The Hauptmarkt works beautifully as a starting point, so let your curiosity pick the next step. South of the square stands the Germanic National Museum, dedicated to the cultural history of the German-speaking world. Its German art collection includes works by Lucas Cranach the Elder and the only original Albrecht Dürer paintings in town. If your feet point toward lunch instead, about a block away you will find places to try the Nürnberger, the city's famous pinkie-sized bratwurst. The locals insist that size doesn't matter, and they have a saying for it: in der Kürze liegt die Würze, meaning in the shortness lies the tastiness. Before you leave, glance once more at the fountain's golden spire, the Frauenkirche balcony and the market stalls. Ask yourself which of them you think has seen the most change, and which one has stayed exactly where it was.