So we left Rothenburg (sadly -- I really liked it and our hostel was nice too) and, on the way home, stopped for a couple of hours in Nuremburg. Kyle had already been there, but I hadn't and wanted to since it was on our way. We basically just took a self-guided walking tour to hit the high points, which starts at the train station and ends at the castle. Over 90% of the city was destroyed in world war II (it had been one of hitler's primary bases and rallying grounds) and that was my most lingering impression of Nuremburg: it is incredibly new. It doesn't have the same european "look" that I am used to, as close to every building in the city has been rebuilt in the past few decades. After the war, towns like nuremburg had to decide if they wanted to use pictures and records and reconstruct the old town how it was, or if they wanted to go modern. Nuremburg kind of did neither. They used the same type of stones and building materials, but did a sort of updated building plan. The buildings there thus look very distinct. The castle, I think, wasn't destroyed in the war, but we were there too late to tour (there was only a german-language tour, anyway). We did get to walk around the grounds, see the big square in town, see Durer's (the artist) house, and spin this gold ring in the middle of the market square three times for luck (virtually everywhere I go there is some sort of lucky charm; it is bizarre). After walking around for awhile, we finished our trip home to Regensburg. I leave day after tomorrow, so I am busy getting everything figured out and sorted through before I go.
|
