Europe > Germany > Bavaria > Nuremberg > Articles > Northern Bavaria

At the heart of Europe, in the green rolling lands bordered by the German Danube, Northern Bavaria holds myriad cultural treasures. Museums, palaces and castles mingle with lofty Gothic churches and the long-standing passion for music flourishes in every corner.

In Nüremberg, history goes back 1000 years. In its privileged position at the crossroads of trading routes, the medieval city attracted craftsmen and merchants and remained the favourite residence of German emperors for centuries. It invented the thimble, the clarinet and the lathe, saw the launch of the first German train and was home to artist Albrecht Dürer and the Master Singers immortalised by Wagner. Today, choristers share the musical scene with a Symphony Orchestra and Jazz and Organ Festivals. Christmas brings carols and a renowned traditional market but year round, crowds flock to trade exhibitions, among them the International Toy Fair, the largest of its kind in the world.

In this bustling city, culture of every sort is on display in a unique range of museums, from beer glasses and clocks to garden houses, modern art, toys, transport or carrier pigeons. The most impressive collections are found in the Germanic National Museum, copper engravings, coins, armour, dolls’ houses, paintings and much more, while not so far away, bleak memories of World War II still haunt the deserted Rally Grounds.

Meanwhile in the old walled town, half-timbered houses jostle along the cobbled lanes and the air smells of gingerbread and Nüremberg sausages no bigger than your little finger. According to legend, they had to be small enough to fit through the keyholes to feed prisoners. Look out for the richly decorated fountain on Market Square, the twin spires of St Sebald’s and the Holy Spirit Hospital reflected in placid waters like a perfect picture postcard. Up on the hill, the imperial castle comes straight out of a fairytale, with its circular tower framed by the gateway and its panoramic views over the city, the parklands and glistening lakes and beyond, the dark pine forests on the edge of ‘Franconian Switzerland’.

Follow in the footsteps of romantic poets and artists and in this lush Nature Park covering 600 000 acres, life soon slows down to a leisurely pace. This is a land of broad meadows and wooded slopes, winding valleys and crystalline streams babbling over polished stones, towering rocks, mysterious caves where tales of giants and devils send shivers down your spine, and orchards scattering their blossom in the breeze. Sleepy villages nestle in the greenery, all steep red roofs and flower-draped façades, cheerful inns invite you to sample the local beer, wine, plum cake or cherry brandy. At Easter, wells are decorated with painted eggs on sticks and the tempting aroma of freshly-baked bread drifts from the old brick ovens.

You could spend days walking or cycling along the trails, canoeing on the cool river Wiesent, trout fishing or rock climbing. All around you, wild flowers carpet the land then when you least expect it, you come across a wayside shrine, a Baroque church or a castle peeping above the trees. There are over 150 of them, recalling the area’s strategic importance, ever since the Franks came down from the North Sea shores to defend Charlemagne’s borders and gave their name to Franconia.

Don’t miss Forchheim with its elegant townhall, Bamberg, the ‘Little Venice’ and its bishops’ palace, Tüchersfeld and its Franconian Museum full of traditions or the neat town of Coburg tucked away to the north.

Coburg has its own claims to fame, from the Hummel figures first designed by the Rödental nuns to Samba festivals and extra long sausages, grilled over pine cones on the town square. But history remains at the forefront, with the lovely country house of Rosenau, birth place of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s consort, the Ehrenburg palace, former residence of the Dukes of Coburg, the ornate Court Church and the hilltop fortress acclaimed for its art collection. The Rose Garden contains a memorial to Johann Strauss who took up citizenship to marry his second wife in the city.

Coburg is justly proud of its illustrious connections but where music is concerned, Bayreuth stands in a class of its own, ever since Princess Wilhelmina transformed the town into a showpiece of 18th century German art and culture. Alongside the New Palace, grand avenues and mansions sprouted unhampered and in the midst of it all, the Margravial Opera House was built in just four years, its small but lavish interior lit by 500 candles and heated by four open fires. Wagner conducted on the stage for its 59th birthday but judging it too small and the décor too distracting, he had commissioned a new Festival Theatre where he organized private concerts for the retiring Ludwig II. Among the many museums, the city holds a special place for those dedicated to Liszt and Wagner, the latter in his home, Wahnfried, surrounded by peaceful gardens where he rests in a simple grave.

Bayreuth’s musical tradition continues to thrive, in world famous concerts and festivals and the lively cultural centre of the Steingraeber family who have been nurturing the arts and building pianos for over 175 years. They designed a custom-made instrument for Wagner, adding the deep notes required for ‘Percival’, and often listened in wonder as artists and composers performed in the upstairs room, Wagner, Richard Strauss or Liszt working on his free style Bagatelle.

Close your eyes and you can almost see the enchanted audience and the glittering receptions of a glorious age, epitomised perhaps by the old Hermitage, magically transformed by Wilhelmina into the dazzling summer palace, on the edge of town. Marble and gold, Chinese mirrors, English gardens, music room of course and a stunning Temple of the Sun and colonnade crescent mirrored in the pool, it is one of the many treasures in the rich cultural palette of Northern Bavaria.

Articles

• More from Solange Hando