Nuremberg Central Station, Nuremberg

Nuremberg Central Station stands on the southeastern edge of the Old Town, opposite the medieval King’s Gate, and ranks among Germany’s highest-category railway hubs.

Nuremberg itself occupies a special place in railway history: in 1835, Germany’s first steam railway, the Adler, began running between Nuremberg and Fürth. The first station on the present site was built in 1844–1847 in Neo-Gothic style. As traffic increased, it was replaced between 1900 and 1906 by the much larger Neo-Baroque building. Its protected façade is faced with limestone, while the richly decorated portals display symbols of technological progress, including a winged wheel above the central hall entrance.

Inside, tourists should look for the former waiting room, now occupied by the DB Travel Centre. German architect Bruno Paul designed this elegant Art Nouveau interior in 1904–1905, with mosaics and restrained ceiling stucco; it was one of the few parts of the station to survive World War II. Plans around 1950 to return the building to a Neo-Gothic appearance were largely abandoned, preserving its Neo-Baroque character. Its extensive rail connections also helped Nuremberg accommodate the enormous crowds attending Nazi Party rallies, although political and symbolic reasons were central to the Nazis’ choice of the city. For tourists, the station is an ideal gateway to the Old Town, with the Crafts Yard just across the road and the DB Museum and Nuremberg State Theater nearby.