Sommer in Nürnberg, Pegnitz, Foto: Florian Trykowski Pegnitztal, Nürnberg, Foto: Christine Dierenbach Sommer in Nürnberg, Pegnitz, Foto: Florian Trykowski Trödelmarkt, Nürnberg, Foto: Uwe Niklas Trödelmarkt, Nürnberg, Foto: Uwe Niklas Stadtpark Fürth, Foto: TI Fürth Liebesinsel , Foto: Uwe Niklas Lorenzkirche, Foto: Uwe Niklas Handwerkerhof, Nürnberg, Foto: Florian Trykowski
Destination

From Fürth to Nuremberg along the Pegnitz river

Fancy a nature trail that connects two metropolises? Then this is the tour for you! Big city hopping past idyllic parks, flowering gardens and unspoilt floodplain landscapes.

Start
Fürth
Duration
3 h
Distance
9 km
Key facts of the tour
One nature trail, two metropolises: If you set out on foot from Fürth to Nuremberg, you will be amazed at how many green oases criss-cross the two neighbouring Franconian cities. So you can walk leisurely from one main station to the other - past idyllic parks, flowering gardens and primeval floodplain landscapes - without setting foot in noisy urban areas. The main route is marked by the course of the Pegnitz, the gently rippling lifeline that connects Fürth and Nuremberg. Start at Fürth's main railway station, continue through the wonderfully peaceful city park and the somewhat hidden "little Mainau" - always along the banks of the Pegnitz to nearby Nuremberg. The old town of Nuremberg attracts visitors with the "Liebesinsel" (Island of Love) and the Lorenzkirche (St. Lawrence's Church) as well as many other sights, until the tour ends at Nuremberg main station.
A hiking tour for explorers, connoisseurs and culture lovers

Start and end station

Start station
Fürth (Bay) Hbf
4 tour steps
9 km / 3 Stunden
End station
Nürnberg Hbf

Our tip: Please make sure to check your train connection and the expected capacity before you start your journey.

Schedule

Tour starts on Fürth (Bay) Hbf

Direction

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 City Park

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 turn 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.

Stadtpark Fürth, Foto: TI Fürth
Stadtpark Fürth , Foto: Heuckeroth, Lizenz: TI Fürth
Stadtpark Fürth, Foto: Millerfilme

Direction

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.

Flea Market with Love Island

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.

Monday: 12:00am - 11:59pm
Tuesday: 12:00am - 11:59pm
Wednesday: 12:00am - 11:59pm
Thursday: 12:00am - 11:59pm
Friday: 12:00am - 11:59pm
Saturday: 12:00am - 11:59pm
Sunday: 12:00am - 11:59pm
Liebesinsel , Foto: Uwe Niklas

Direction

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 down Kaiserstraße to Königstraße. Opposite the Nassauer-Haus and Tugend-Brunnen, you can already see the filigree decorated façade of the venerable church.

St. Lawrence

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.

Lorenzer Platz 1
90403
Nürnberg

Monday: 09:00am - 05:00pm
Tuesday: 09:00am - 05:00pm
Wednesday: 09:00am - 05:00pm
Friday: 09:00am - 05:00pm
Saturday: 09:00am - 05:00pm
Sunday: 09:00am - 05:00pm
Lorenzkirche, Foto: Uwe Niklas
Lorenzkirche, Foto: Uwe Niklas
Lorenzkirche, Foto: Uwe Niklas

Direction

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. Turn right in front of the Königstor gate to the Handwerkerhof.

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. Once 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. Here you will find 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.

Königstraße 82
90402
Nürnberg

Monday: 08:00am - 10:30pm
Tuesday: 08:00am - 10:30pm
Wednesday: 08:00am - 10:30pm
Thursday: 08:00am - 10:30pm
Friday: 08:00am - 10:30pm
Saturday: 08:00am - 10:30pm
Sunday: 10:00am - 10:30pm
Handwerkerhof, Nürnberg, Foto: Florian Trykowski
Handwerkerhof, Nürnberg, Foto: Florian Trykowski
Handwerkerhof, Nürnberg, Foto: Florian Trykowski

Tour ends on Nürnberg Hbf

Direction

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.

Tour map

Start

Fürth (Bay) Hbf

Bahnhofsplatz 9

90762 Fürth

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