Germanisches Nationalmuseum (German National Museum)

The Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg is the largest museum of cultural history in the German-speaking world and one of the top things to do in Nuremberg. Spread across a medieval Carthusian monastery and striking modern wings, it tells the story of German-speaking lands from prehistory to the present, with treasures such as the oldest surviving globe of the Earth and paintings by Albrecht Dürer. If you only have time for one museum in the city, make it this one.

Where it is and how to get there

The museum sits on the southern edge of Nuremberg's walled Old Town, about a 10-minute walk from the main train station (Hauptbahnhof). Nuremberg is roughly 1 hour 10 minutes from Munich by ICE high-speed train, and around 2 hours from Frankfurt, which makes it an easy day trip. From Nuremberg Airport, take subway line U2 to the Opernhaus stop (about 15 minutes); line U1 stops at Lorenzkirche, also close by. Local trains and subways are covered by the Deutschlandticket. The museum has no parking lot of its own; the museum recommends the Sterntor parking garage.

A short history

Franconian nobleman Hans von und zu Aufseß founded the museum in 1852, in an era when there was not yet a unified German state. His goal was an inventory of German history and culture as a whole. In 1857 the Kingdom of Bavaria and the city gave the museum the former Carthusian monastery, whose Gothic church and cloister still form the heart of the complex. After heavy damage in World War II, architect Sep Ruf led the reconstruction, and a glass-roofed entrance hall was added later. Today the collection holds around 1.3 million objects, of which some 25,000 are on display.

Highlights not to miss

• The Behaim Globe (1492): the world's oldest surviving terrestrial globe, listed in UNESCO's Memory of the World register in 2023. It shows no Americas, because Columbus had only just set sail.
• The Golden Hat of Ezelsdorf-Buch: a Bronze Age ceremonial cone of thin gold sheet, one of only four known.
• Albrecht Dürer: including his portraits of the emperors Charlemagne and Sigismund.
• Musical instruments: more than 3,000 objects from the 16th to the 20th centuries.
• Toys and dollhouses: a collection of over 20,000 objects that families love.
• The Way of Human Rights: Dani Karavan's outdoor installation of white columns engraved with the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Opening hours and tickets

As of October 2026, the museum is open Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with late opening on Wednesdays until 8:30 p.m.; it is closed on Mondays, and special hours apply on public holidays. Admission is €10 for adults and €6 reduced (including ages 7 to 17 and students); a family ticket costs €14, and children under 6 go free. Entry is free on Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. The media guide costs €3 and is available in eight languages, including English, Chinese and Spanish, with a highlights route called "600,000 years of cultural history in 60 minutes."

Note that several areas of the permanent exhibition are closed in 2026 for major renovation work; check the museum's floor plan online before you go.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, especially if you are interested in art, medieval history or how everyday life has changed over the centuries. Plan at least two to three hours. Photography without flash or tripod is allowed in the permanent collection, bags larger than letter size must be stored in lockers, and nearly all galleries are wheelchair accessible via ramps and elevators. Café Arte offers seating in a quiet monastery courtyard.

Nearby

• Neues Museum, the state museum for art and design, a few minutes' walk away
• Handwerkerhof, a small crafts village by the Königstor gate
• St. Lorenz, the great Gothic church of the southern Old Town
• DB Museum, Germany's national railway museum
• Nuremberg Castle, where the museum also runs the Kaiserburg Museum