During the Middle Ages the Imperial Castle in Nuremberg was one of the most fortified imperial palaces of the Holy Roman Empire. For centuries it was the center of European history and a secure outpost and famous accommodation for visiting emperors.
The castle was built around 1200, along with the Palace. There were residential rooms and reception halls. Part of the rooms today are used as a museum that tells the history of this place.
Here’s how the castle complex is laid out:
The view from the top out over Nuremberg:
Much of the castle complex was destroyed in WWII, then rebuilt. The chapel area was not completely destroyed, but remained standing. This is the entrance to the chapel.
From an art history perspective, the Imperial Chapel is the most important part of the Imperial Castle. It was built around 1200. This is a double chapel, where two chapels with identical floor plans are built on top of each other. There is an opening between them in the center of the floor. The upper gallery allowed the emperor direct access from the upper floor, but kept him a certain distance from the royal court.
The museum had so much historical information about every aspect of life here through the ages.
Hitler’s people actually came and occupied the castle during WWII. Hitler himself did some re-arranging of the furniture and took out many of the old things that didn’t suit him.
These poster explanations are a really good concise history of Nuremberg and the history of Germany. I read them 3 times, trying to get it all into my head.
From the weaponry collection:
Outside in the courtyard is a well house. For an extra small fee, you can join a short “tour” of the well room where they explain how water was provided for the castle and how the well was dug.
The tower above is quite tall, but in this display, you can see how deep the well is in relation to its height.
Leaving the castle and heading back into the old town:
Our Frankfurt Germany Mission 