Travel Diary: Nuremberg, Germany

Germany, Germany, Germany, where to start with you! Well I can first say, I only got a tiny sliver of what Germany has to offer.

I experienced heartache, fast cars, colored pencils, pretzels on pretzels, and incredible people. Is that enough to convince you to visit?

No? Well trust me, just get some German food, listen to some live music, and then walk around a winter market and you’ll be HOOKED. Or at least I was.

Until I can get you a better guide on all things Germany, we’ll start with the fun version, the version where you see ALL of what I did, wacky pictures in all.

Day 1

We arrived in Nuremberg the only way I think we know how, at least in Germany, by train. And trust me when I say, we were well-rested.

We immediately set off for the most German meal we could find. And boy let me tell you, exploring the city at night with all of the colors made it feel like we were in a modern fairy tale.

We found a classic German pub at the bottom of someone’s house for a quick meal. It was one of those places that smelled like good food and old wood and had swords on the wall. My first taste of German food in Germany was a success and I soon became convinced I could eat my bodyweight in these pretzels.

Day 2

We got up bright and early and headed towards Munich in order to go to Dachau (just a few miles north of Munich).

If you don’t know, Dachau was a Nazi concentration camp during WWII, operating from March 1933 – May 1945. Initially, it was only supposed to encamp political prisoners, but during its 12 year terror period, claimed the lives of over 41,000 men, women, and children.

I didn’t take pictures because it didn’t feel right. And to be honest there is a part of me that is glad because the pictures ingrained in my memory will never fade. Instead of sharing pictures as I so often do, I figured I’d just share a little of my experience there.

In order to enter the camp, you must pass through the same gate the prisoners were once lead through. Welded on the gate’s front is the phrase “Arbeit macht frei” in German, which translated means “work will set you free.” This was the impression that so many of them were under–if they worked hard enough, they soon would be free, but that promise failed 41,000+ of them. Its hard not to get chills reading that sign.

The camp was eerily silent though there were so many people there. I think each person was just processing what truly happened there, myself included.

As we walked from building to building (most of which didn’t have heat and it was the middle of January) I remember shivering, wishing I put on another layer. It hit me then that not only was I healthy, but I was properly dressed for winter and I was still cold. The understanding of the weather conditions in which those prisoners spent their last days was something I didn’t really think about until right then.

It is hard to explain how much you can feel what happened while you’re in a place like Dachau. Maybe it’s the smell, maybe it’s the silence, maybe the weather, maybe it’s the fact that everything is just as it was left.

The prison cells remain mostly intact to what they would have looked like in operating order, similar to the shower rooms (gas chambers) and crematorium. Walking through these buildings, it’s hard not to get emotional as to the history, the terror, the lack of humanity that occurred in those places.

I could probably write a whole post on this, but I think as much as you travel to see and experience the show-stopping things in a place, you must also see and experience the hard things. It is important to understand the major parts of a country and what made that country what they are today. Experience the whole thing, not just the flashy parts of it.

After collecting ourselves for a few moments, we headed towards the BMW Motorworks factory. The factor itself is incredible, it makes sense that the building would match the beauty of the cars!

I wish I could show you some pictures, but we weren’t allowed to take any while in there. Even if you aren’t a car person, I’m sure you’d enjoy this tour!

We stayed in Munich for the rest of the night and ended up at a cute little burger place for dinner.

We wandered around Munich, enjoying the city, the winter markets, and honestly, the people. It was so beautiful just to walk and see what Munich had to offer.

If you didn’t know, Germany was where Birkenstocks originated, so it was obligatory that we stopped at a store in Munich.

Eventually, we found ourselves at the Hofbrauhaus (a Bavarian beer hall) for some snacks and live music. I didn’t have a beer (I know, blasphemy), but I did buy a pint beer mug and as I write this, I’m drinking a vanilla latte out of it. Definitely worth the purchase, do you know how much a pint of coffee is?

Before the train ride back, we managed to find the COOLEST hot chocolate stand. You purchased the type of hot chocolate you wanted as a solid piece of chocolate and then you stir it into the milk yourself.

So with our hot chocolate in hand, we walked around the city again, stopping at the Glockenspiel, and found our way back to Nuremberg.

Day 3

We headed bright and early to the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rallying Grounds Museum. It is the location of the former Congress Hall where the Nazi party rallied and Zepplin Field, where Hitler spoke to thousands, where Nazi festivals were held, and the Nazi party was built.

It also gave a deeper understanding to what the Nuremberg Trials were, how they went, and their significance.

The museum’s permanent exhibition is titled “Fascination and Terror” which I think perfectly describes the feelings going through. Everything from Nazi propaganda, Hitler’s recorded speeches, and interviews with former Nazi supporters, you waver between disbelief and the inability to stop reading.

The picture above is a memorial to all of those that lost their lives, each individual tag with a name, origin, and age.

Zeppelin Field, where 6 rallies were held between 1933-1938. These fields were FILLED with people cheering Hitler and the Nazi party on. Standing where Hitler stood and looking out to the field where those people stood was incredibly eerie.

Click HERE to look at what the field looked like during one of the rallies vs. what it looks like empty. It’s hard to wrap your head around what happened there.

We spent the night at an authentic German Restaurant processing all of what we just learned and that was exactly what we (well at least what I) needed. P.S. I think I fell in love with apple sterudel.