Gardens at the Imperial Castle

An oasis of peace

The Imperial Castle Garden

The most well-known castle garden is located on the upper and lower  bastions of the Imperial Castle. Coming from the Imperial Stables – which today contains the Youth Hostel – you walk left of the massive Five-Cornered Tower through a small gate on to the upper bastion into the rose garden. In summer, the sea of blooms in the stone-lined beds invites you to stop and smell the roses. Those who stroll through the stately gardens will notice that the peace and quiet is only disturbed by the chirping of birds.

The Mayor's Garden

The well-hidden mayor’s garden is a secret even for many from Nuremberg. In contrast to the stately gardens on the bastions, it seems like something enchanted from a fairy tale. Stone gates and steps, stone sculpture surrounded with ivy and romantic benches line the crooked paths and give the mayor’s garden its own special atmosphere. Before it was opened to the general public in 1975, the garden was reserved for the mayor of Nuremberg – hence its name.

The mayor’s garden can be reached from two sides, from the castle garden which lies above and the staircase next to the Neutor. On the north, upper end of the mayor’s garden, a stair leads to the battlements on the castle wall. This is the only place in Nuremberg where the castle wall is open to the public. From there you have a wonderful view of the Imperial Castle above, the Tiergärtnertor Square, the Albrecht Dürer House and part of the Old Town and its narrow lanes. With a glance at the half-timbered houses of the Old Town, you can easily image the look of medieval Nuremberg.