Nuremberg is much larger than what I expected, and a center of commerce and industry for this area of Bavaria. It is right on the Danube Canal, which is a major transportation resource…..and then the city itself historically has been a major rail city.
We took the included tour of the City….as well as the walking…but suffice it to say that the city has put the Nazi movement in perspective, clearly indicating the size and power of Hitler and the party. The huge Nazi HQ building is still in place, as is the Congress Hall area, which is only 2/3rds completed…then we saw the area where Hitler would hold the rallies, which were attended by upwards of 300,000 party faithful.
The Old Town, for the most part, survived the bombings in WW II…and the Castle is a Medieval marvel. We had a great tour of the area, with a very knowledgeable tour guide that did college work in Oregon. It was an afternoon tour, so our final couple of hours was at the Christmas Market, which is the largest in Germany, and may be in Europe. There are a total of 4 large Christmas markets, but we were at the largest at the Old Town town hall,,,right in the square in front of the Catholic Cathedral, which was not very impressive, and near to the Lutheran Church, which was very impressive. The market itself was jammed with probably 10,000 folks doing their shopping, and this was a big day, as the last Saturday before Christmas.
The day ended with the Captains Dinner…..a full and fun day…Nuremberg is a must to see to fully understand the nature of the Nazi Party, and Hitler, and how Germany was learned and rebuilt from the War.
More to come…