From Fürth to Nuremberg along the Pegnitz river

From the main station, walk along Fürther Freiheit in the direction of Nürnberger Straße. For a refreshment beforehand with a cappuccino, cake or hearty snack, the Fürther Markt or the charming Milchhäusle café are ideal. Once on Nürnberger Straße, turn left behind the Babylon cinema and after a few metres you will reach the Stadtpark.

Fürth's city park is considered the "secret love of the people of Fürth". Anyone who strolls through the varied park will share this enthusiasm. As early as 1867, the factory owner Johann Willhelm Engelhardt received permission to transform the then fallow land into a green space. The "Engelhardt-Anlage" was created. Numerous trees and shrubs were planted on the banks of what is now the Stadtparkweiher. After the death of the factory owner, his widow donated the funds for a pond with a waterfall, the Swan Pond. In 1911, the grounds were developed into a spacious recreational area. The park was given the Lion's Gate, several baroque stone statues, a fountain and a school garden.

However, the foundation stone for Fürth's intimate relationship with its park was laid by the city garden director Hans Schiller in 1951 with the garden show "Grünen und Blühen". The following were created according to his designs: Rose Garden, Reception Garden, Fountain Courtyard and Rhododendron Garden. They all enchant people every year with their splendour of blossoms. The municipal school garden was also redesigned. Here there are sections for medicinal plants, vegetables and spices, water plants and many different species of native and exotic flora, among others. The large playgrounds, an open-air stage and the city park café invite visitors to spend their free time in a fulfilled way, enjoying exercise and fun, peace and culture. The tree trail, which is open all year round, offers intellectual nourishment to those hungry for knowledge. In the Stadtparkcafé, visitors can relax with a glass of wine or a cappuccino.

On the south-eastern edge of the park is Fürth's second oldest church, the Protestant Church of the Resurrection, built between 1825 and 1826. At that time, the Catholic and Jewish communities also contributed to the financing of the construction. In this respect, this church also stands for ecumenism in action.

From the Church of the Resurrection, turn right along the avenue to the school garden and from there down to the Pegnitz. Cross it and follow the path to the right. About 200 metres further on you come to a crossroads. A small "stream" points the way to the little Mainau (POI 2), a hidden park with a healing spring temple - the perfect place to rest and enjoy the sun. Along the Pegnitz you reach the Nuremberg city border via the Fuchslochsteg and past the Pegnitztal West landscape conservation area. Following the Pegnitz, you pass the water wheel at Lederersteg and walk a short distance through a residential area. Under the subway, continue along the Pegnitz over the Maxbrücke bridge and then left to the Henkersteg footbridge. The hangman - who in the Middle Ages was not allowed to have anything to do with respectable citizens - used to sneak over this wooden footbridge from his flat in the hangman's house into the city. Today, city visitors stroll over the footbridge to the flea market.

One of the most beautiful places in Nuremberg is located on the small Pegnitz Island: the flea market. Markets were already held here in the Middle Ages. In the beginning, it was used as a transhipment point for pigs - hence its old name "Säumarkt". From the 16th century, second-hand goods were sold at the flea market, which is how the square got its present name. Today you won't see any second-hand goods here, instead small, fine shops, galleries and restaurants are lined up in lovingly restored houses and invite you to stroll and linger. After a chat in one of the beautiful cafés, you can take a leisurely stroll to the eastern tip of the flea market island, also called "Liebesinsel" by the people of Nuremberg. Venetian gondolas at Liebesinsel invite you to take a ride on the Pegnitz.

You continue along the Pegnitz via the Schleifersteg and reach the Lorenz district via the Fleischbrücke. To reach your next destination and the namesake of the old town district - the Lorenzkirche - turn right along Kaiserstraße to Königstraße. Opposite the Nassauer-Haus and Tugend-Brunnen, you can already see the filigree decorated façade of the venerable church.

It is one of the most beautiful sacred buildings of the German Gothic period: the imposing church of St. Lorenz, one of the city's landmarks. A Romanesque chapel once stood on the site of today's Lorenzkirche. Nuremberg continued to grow in the Middle Ages, and so a representative citizens' church was built between 1250 and 1477 with donations and endowments from the citizens.

The "Star of St. Lawrence" - a stone rosette - and the imperial coat of arms welcome the visitor on entering via the west façade. Inside the church are precious testimonies of Nuremberg artists, including the Angel's Greeting by Veit Stoß and one of the largest organs in the world. When the three-part Lorenz organ with its more than 12,000 pipes and 165 stops comes into play, it is a very special sound experience. The bells of St.Lorenz sound just as impressive; the oldest of the 16 bells date back to the 14th century.

The main service takes place on Sundays at 10 a.m. and on Thursdays guests are cordially invited to the service with communion. (6:30 p.m.) Visits are not possible during the other services and devotions.

Continue along Königstraße, past the Fränk'ness restaurant, which invites you to take an enjoyable break with regionally inspired top cuisine from the stone oven. In front of the Königstor, turn right to the Handwerkerhof.

"Small town at the Königstor": that's what the people of Nuremberg call their Handwerkerhof, a charming ensemble of alleyways, shops and half-timbered houses at the foot of the Frauentorturm. In former times, the armoury belonging to the tower was housed here; today, locals and visitors stroll over historic cobblestones and enjoy the medieval flair of the place. The Handwerkerhof was built in the Dürer Year of 1971 - as a tourist attraction, but also as a reminder of the old craftsmen's city of Nuremberg.

Among the many shops that invite you to browse here, you will also find a gingerbread bakery, a wine tavern and a bratwurst restaurant. If you're looking for a typical souvenir, you're sure to find it among the craftsmen. There are pewterers, leather makers, glass grinders, potters, wax artists, gold and silversmiths, glass painters, gingerbread bakers and doll makers who have set up their workshops in the impressively recreated half-timbered houses.

Before you head back to the main station, the traditional Bratwurstglöcklein restaurant in the Handwerkerhof offers you the last opportunity to try some real Nuremberg specialities of the hearty kind - be it the widely praised grilled sausages or delicacies for those who like to try, such as salted heart and Züngerl. When you leave the Handwerkerhof through the Frauentor gate, you are already directly at Bahnhofsplatz.