It’s hard to imagine Nurnberg, and Germany in general, without its famous architectural landmarks. St. Lorenz, Documentation Center, Central Station, Paulus Buchhandlung, and Church of Our Lady have shaped the historical and architectural look of Nurnberg. Let’s take a closer look at these landmarks from an unusual perspective – simply fly over the main sights! The supporting video includes a virtual tour around the above mentioned architectural landmarks of Nurnberg in HD format. Below, we will add the most exciting historical facts regarding every place of interest. The overview map of all iconic landmarks of Nurnberg can be found at the bottom of the webpage.
St. Lorenz, Nurnberg
Location on the map: 
Facts:
» St. Lawrence’s Church stands on the foundation of ancient St. Lawrence’s Chapel. It dates back to 1235. 
Facts:» In 1350, the construction of a full-fledged church began. It was during these years that an openwork stone rosette with a diameter of 10 metres was created on the facade between the two towers. Later, people started to call it St. Lawrence’s star.
» The towers of the temple often caused fires started by lightning that struck high spires. The bombing of 1943-1945 was just as destructive for the church.
» The church’s valuables were prudently hidden in city cellars. The restoration of the church ended in 1952.
» Today, you can see the 1477 stained-glass windows and a wonderful 20-metre tabernacle of 1496 in the St. Lawrence Church. The tabernacle is decorated with carvings and sculptural scenes from Christ’s life. Besides, there’s a valuable old sculpture of the Holy Mother (1290) and many other ancient treasures.
Documentation Center, Nurnberg
Location on the map: Facts:
» The Documentation Center became a museum in 2001. The area of the museum is 11 square metres. Facts:» It houses Hitler’s unfinished project – the creation of a territory that would belong to the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. It was planned to erect a building for party congresses and other party meetings, and many other facilities here.
» The main architect of the project was Albert Speer. Nuremberg was chosen by Hitler because it was his favourite city.
» In 1935, the construction of the Congress Hall began. It resembled the Colosseum on the outside. It was to be designed for 50,000 delegates. But the building remained unfinished. The outbreak of war diverted attention from the construction of facilities.
» Walking around the museum, visitors can look at the photographs on stands near each building, watch films and study documents denouncing Hitler’s ideology.
» There’s an exhibition about the Nuremberg trials, which lasted for almost a year (1945-1946).
» Nowadays, rock festivals have been held on the zeppelin field for several years now.
Central Station, Nurnberg
Location on the map: Facts:
» Central Station is the country’s largest transport hub. 460 trains and 200,000 passengers go through the station daily. Facts:» The railway station was built in 1846. Then it was expanded and reconstructed from 1900 to 1906. An impressive arched central entrance with a domed roof appeared there then.
» During the time of the Third Reich, the city and the station were overwhelmed by constant flows of delegates arriving for congresses and other party events. Sometimes, as many as 2 million people arrived at the station. To feed this huge number of people, entire kitchen trains were plying around.
» The station has 2 ground and 2 underground floors. Below are metro, commuter trains, and trams that connect the city districts to the city centre.
» The appearance of the waiting room has remained the same since 1906.
» The left and right wings of the building house shops, cafes, and bars. There are elevators and ramps inside. Passengers can find the information they need through electronic screens and signs.
Paulus Buchhandlung, Nurnberg
Facts: » There’s an interesting bookshop in Nuremberg. Korn & Berg is located on Market Square. It has been hosting Christmas markets (Christkindlmarkt) for centuries.
» Those passionate about printed editions should definitely drop into Korn & Berg. It is justifiably considered one of the oldest shops in Germany. The museum shop was founded in 1531.
» Its large window openings are made in the form of arches. You can easily see the interior of the store through the glass. At the entrance, there is a shelf with latest books and a stand with useful information.
» The book depository managed to fit in small two-level halls. You can climb to the second floor using a wide staircase. The old oak shelves are filled with books from floor to ceiling. There are spotlights above each rack for a better view of the products.
» The ceilings have unusual decorations. Reproductions of paintings by German artist Dürer are painted across the entire ceiling surface. One ceiling has the face of Christ, while the other one has the image of a girl.
» The area with children’s literature has unusual shelves among colourful illustrated texts. They display children's stories about death.
Church of Our Lady, Nurnberg
Facts: » The Church of Our Lady stands on the site of the synagogue destroyed during the pogrom of 1349. The old foundation fragments were used during the construction of a new church. The drawing of the Star of David can still be seen on the floor.
» The church was consecrated in 1358. In 1509, the facade of the church was decorated with a unique clock. At noon, a group of human figures appear from the clockwork and take an oath.
» In 1806, when the Lutherans transferred the church to the Catholic community, the interior decorations (the organ, altars, benches) were removed. Including the clock figures.
» The interior of the church was gradually restored with the help of monastic communities’ donations. The clock was also restored twenty years later.
» The British bombings during the war destroyed the church building. Only the walls managed to survive. The church had been restored up until 1955. The last renovation took place in 2003.
