A day in Nördlingen, starting at the Daniel Exploring Nördlingen
The Daniel stands right next to our house, and the town wall is only a short walk away. Here are our tips for your day in Nördlingen.
A day is enough for Nördlingen if you don’t start too late. Climb the Daniel, walk once around the old town on the wall and look in at the RiesKraterMuseum. You can do it all on foot. In between, you’re very welcome at our café on the market square, for a coffee, lunch or a slice of Rieskratertorte.
What to see in Nördlingen
- The DanielThe tower of St George’s Church stands right next to our house. 350 steps take you up almost 90 metres. From the top the round old town lies below you, and on a clear day you can see out to the rim of the crater. In the evening the watchman calls his “So, G’sell, so” across the town from up there.
- The town wallThe wall survives all the way round, and you can walk the whole length of it. The wall walk is roofed, so it works on a rainy day too. You climb up at the gates and decide along the way where to come down.
- The Ries craterNördlingen sits in the middle of a crater about 25 kilometres across. An asteroid struck here some 14.8 million years ago. The RiesKraterMuseum in the old town shows how it happened. Much of the Daniel, by the way, is built of suevite, the rock the impact left behind.
- Lanes and museumsBetween the market square and the wall, getting a little lost is half the fun. If you want to know more about the old imperial city, try the Stadtmuseum. And if you like trains, the Bavarian Railway Museum is near the station.
In between
Coffee at the foot of the Daniel
Coming down from the tower, you’re only a few steps from our door. In the cabinet you’ll find tortes, strudel and the Rieskratertorte from our bakery, its slanting layers a nod to the crater.
At lunchtime we serve a daily lunch. And if you’d like to take a bit of Nördlingen home, there are chocolates and our Stadtpasteten, a little local pastry, at the counter.
For fans
Nördlingen and Attack on Titan
A round town behind a high wall: plenty of Attack on Titan fans are reminded of the manga and anime the moment they arrive. Whether the artist really had Nördlingen in mind, nobody knows for sure.
Best to compare for yourself from the top of the Daniel, where you have the whole wall in view. Then walk the wall and through the gates, and finish with a coffee at ours.
Our suggestion
How your day might go
In the morning, while it’s still quiet, the Daniel first. Then the RiesKraterMuseum, and lunch with us or at one of the inns in the old town.
In the afternoon, once around the town on the wall, with a detour or two into the lanes. To finish, coffee and torte with us on the market square.
If you stay the night, you’ll hear the watchman call in the evening. The next morning you’ll have the market square almost to yourself.
Opening hours for the tower and museums change with the season. The tourist office on the market square has the current times.
Stay
Stay the night, in the middle of the old town
Questions about visiting Nördlingen
What can you see in Nördlingen in one day?
In a day you can easily fit in the Daniel and its view over the town, a walk around the town wall and the RiesKraterMuseum. Everything is within walking distance. For a break, come and see us at the café on the market square.
Can you walk on Nördlingen’s town wall?
Yes, all the way round. The wall walk is roofed, and you go up at the town gates.
How tall is the Daniel?
89.90 metres, with 350 steps to the top. It is the tower of St George’s Church and stands right next to our house on the market square.
Is Nördlingen the town from Attack on Titan?
Many fans recognise the walled town from the anime in Nördlingen. It has never been officially confirmed. From the top of the Daniel, though, you can see why the two are so often compared.
Your question isn’t here? Call us or send us a message.