Castles and towers in Nuremberg

Castles and Towers of Nuremberg

Beyond the famous Imperial Castle, Nuremberg’s landscape is dotted with defensive structures and aristocratic retreats. This collection features medieval gate towers like the 13th-century Weißer Turm and surviving elements of the city's penultimate fortifications. It also highlights the 'Herrensitze'—manor houses belonging to Nuremberg's patrician families—ranging from the Renaissance Pellerschloss to the atmospheric ruins of Schloss Oberbürg and the moated Wolkersdorfer Wasserschloss. These sites reflect the city's strategic military history and the wealth of its merchant nobility.

Castles and Towers of Nuremberg — Map

Derzno / CC BY 3.0

A

Pellerschloss

A Renaissance-style moated manor house in the Fischbach district, rebuilt around 1560. It features a distinctive sandstone facade and served as a rural retreat for the wealthy Peller merchant family.

Magnus Gertkemper / CC BY-SA 3.0

B

Weißer Turm

A 13th-century gate tower that formed part of Nuremberg’s penultimate city wall. Constructed around 1250, this brick and sandstone structure now serves as an entrance to the U-Bahn system at Ludwigsplatz.

C

Imhoff’scher Herrensitz

A late medieval manor house in the Ziegelstein district. Historically owned by the influential Imhoff patrician family, it represents the fortified residential architecture typical of the Nuremberg countryside.

RicardoKnows / CC BY-SA 3.0

D

Ruine Schloss Oberbürg

The preserved ruins of a late medieval castle complex. Once a grand manor, it was largely destroyed during World War II, leaving behind evocative masonry that marks the site of the former von Bürg family seat.

Schlaier / CC BY-SA 3.0

E

Wasserturm

A defensive tower on the Pegnitz River, built between 1320 and 1325 as part of the city’s second fortification ring. It stands adjacent to the Henkersteg bridge.

F

Waldstromer-Schlösschen

A historic manor house in Reichelsdorf, originally built for the Waldstromer von Reichelsdorf family. The site reflects the traditional architectural style used by local nobility.

G

Harsdorf’sches Schloss

A Baroque manor house located in Fischbach. Rebuilt in the 17th century for the Harsdorf von Enderndorf family, it is one of three historic castles situated within this district.

H

Wolkersdorfer Wasserschloss

A medieval moated castle located on the southern outskirts of the city. It retains its characteristic water-surrounded site and served for centuries as a fortified noble residence.

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