We purchased a combination ticket for the four us for 20€. This allowed us entrance to the museum, the well, and the tower. In order to visit the apartments, you need to be part of a guided tour, which isn’t offered in English. This was a great disappointment to us, as we had looked forward to visiting the staterooms and the chapel.

We began by visiting the museum. The first floor has several models of the castle to familiarize you with the evolution of the fortifications over the years. The Kaiserberg was a fortified imperial residence for the Holy Roman Emperor since the 11th century. It was used as such into the early 19th century. Prior to World War II, it had only fallen once. Most of what we see today is a recreation of what was here before the Allied bombing. Reconstruction was ongoing until the early 1980s.

There are three floors of exhibits in the Kaiserberg. In addition to the models, the first floor includes a collection of spurs, bits, saddles, and other accouterments of the medieval knight. To reach the second floor, you need to climb a very steep circular staircase. Here we find weapons, swords (some almost 1,000 years old), crossbows, daggers, pikes, early cannons, and armor (helmets, breastplates, and chain mail).

The third floor has a wonderful collection of firearms. The 16th-century guns fascinated us. They were so big that we could not figure out how one man could handle them. A visit to the Germanisches National Museum answered our question. They were placed on a rolling stand, much like a cannon would use, and suddenly it all made sense.

To really appreciate the view, you must climb the tower. It is 110 steps up. This is a difficult walk on winding wooden stairs, but the view is worth it. You get a 360-degree perspective of the city of Nuremberg. While you are up there, look for Al’s and my name on the wall. It looks like everyone who has ever climbed the tower has signed his or her name. While Bob was signing his name, we noticed the camera suspended from the ceiling. We half expected to be snabbed when we reached the bottom again, but we weren’t.

The Kaiserburg (Emperor’s Fortress) is one of the most important buildings in Nuremberg’s history. It appropriately dominates the skyline and can be seen from far. Visiting it takes some energy as it is located high on the hill and the only way up is by walking.

Nuremberg’s role as an Imperial residence dates from 1050 but the current castle is mainly the work of the Staufen Emperors Konrad III and Friedrich Barbarossa in the twelfth century. The Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire (of German states) had no permanent seat of government and moved with a train of followers between Imperial residences. All Emperors between 1050 and 1571 stayed in Nuremberg at least once and in total 300 royal visits were made by German Emperors. The castle was often unfurnished with leading local figures providing furniture and tableware whenever royalty was in town. In almost a millennium the fortress succumbed only twice to enemy assault (1130 and 1945).

It is possible to visit the interior of the castle as well as the deep well (over 50 meters deep), which provided water for the castle, and the Sinnwell Tower, the high round tower that has been the symbol of Nuremberg for centuries. Also located inside the castle is the Kaiserburg Museum, part of the German National Museum. It has a large collection of medieval arms and armor with explanations of how the armor functioned first as protection in war and then as protection in the rather rough sports at knights’ tournaments.

During winter most of the castle gardens are closed due to the danger of ice and in addition the view can be restricted by fog. However, even with less than optimum weather the views of the old town are best from here. In addition to the medieval houses much of the city walls, which reach up to eight meters at places, can be seen as well as several of the remaining 71 towers that formed part of the city’s fortifications. Entering the castle from outside the walls rather than from the Old Town is through slightly less steep walkways but still a challenge to the infirm. In winter the exit at Tiergärtner Gate, close to the Dürer Museum is closed, requiring a bit of back tracking down the same steep roads.

Open daily: 09 - 17 (9:30 - 16 from October - March)

The Kaiserburg is one of the most important castles in the history of the German Empire, and sits high above the Old Town. It has the distinction of being Nuremberg's major cultural and historical landmark. It grew to its massive present size in three stages of construction between the 11th and the 15th centuries. During its first 500 years, it was the residence of German Kings and Emperors and hosted virtually all important leaders and royalty of the time.

Tours were available but we chose to just walk around and discover the castle on our own. It was fascinating. We never knew when a pathway would lead us. We found ourselves at the back of the castle in beautiful, romantic gardens overlooking the Old Town. We walked down tunnels leading to other parts of the castle and pathways that intrigued us. It is a place where your imagination can run wild with thoughts of how life might have been centuries ago. You should allow plenty of time to see this landmark. It is well worth the time.