Kaiserburg

Description:

• "The Burg" looms above the city from its hilltop at the northern edge of the Altstadt. From 1050 to 1571, it was the official residence of the German kings and emperors, including Frederick Barbarossa. The castle is divided into three complexes: the Kaiserburg (Imperial Castle), the Burgraves' Castle, and the Municipal Buildings of the Free City.

  The oldest portion is the Pentagonal Tower (1050). It probably dates from the previous palace of the Salian kings, over which the Burgraves' Castle was constructed. Although the Burgraves' Castle has been in ruins since it was destroyed by fire in 1420, the remains offer visitors a look into the layout of a feudal castle. The watchmen and guards used the heavy ramparts with the parapet walks and secret passages to protect the burgraves and the emperors, who lived in the inner core of the castle complex.

  Kaiserburg, grouped around the inner court within the ramparts of the Burgraves' Castle, was the residence of the kings and emperors of Germany. Most of the buildings were constructed during the 12th century and centered on the once magnificent Palas, built by Konrad III in 1138. The great Knights' Hall on the ground floor and the Imperial Hall on the floor above look much as they did when King Frederick III rebuilt them in the 15th century, with heavy oak beams and painted ceilings. The rooms are decorated with period Gothic furnishings. Adjoining the Palas is the Imperial Chapel -- actually two chapels, one above the other in cross section but united at the center by an open bay. Thus, the emperor could worship to the same liturgy with his court in the upper chapel while the lesser members of his retinue worshipped in the lower.

  The third set of buildings, outside the Burgraves' Castle, was erected by the council of Nürnberg in the 14th and 15th centuries, when it took over the responsibility of protecting the emperor. This section includes the imperial stables (now a youth hostel), the massive bastions of the fortress, the Tiefer Brunnen (Deep Well), and the castle gardens. Even more impressive than the fortress is the view of the roofs and towers of Nürnberg from its terraces.

  The complex also includes the new Kaiserburg Museum (tel. 0911/2009540), which contains antique weaponry, armor, and paintings, and explains the history of the castle.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010