Nuremberg Medieval Dungeons and Rock Cellars: Which Underground Tour?
4 min read
For most visitors, the Medieval Dungeons guided tour at €10 per person is the one to book: 45 minutes under the Old Town Hall, with twelve cells and a torture chamber. It is not for everyone: children under 10 are not admitted, and the listing excludes people with claustrophobia and mobility impairments.
Three different underground places
Nuremberg has three tours that are easy to confuse. They are in three different places.
| Tour | Where | Length | From | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medieval Dungeons | Old Town Hall, Rathausplatz 2 | 45 minutes | €10 per person | Guided; English at set times |
| Historical Rock Corridors | Altstadthof, Bergstraße 19 | 1 hour | €16 per person | German guide, audio guides |
| Tunnels in the City Wall | Obere Schmiedgasse 52 | 1 hour | €12 per person | English, German |
Medieval Dungeons
The dungeons lie in the vaulted cellars of the Old Town Hall. From the fourteenth century they held prisoners awaiting judgement; the tour walks through the twelve small cells, the mostly original furnishings and the torture chamber. The listing warns that you will hear reports of torture and that food and drink are not allowed. The city museums add that the dungeons are not barrier-free, that sturdy shoes are needed, and that people with claustrophobia cannot take part because the route leads through narrow passages. According to the city museums, tickets have to be bought in advance. The public tours run on the hour from 11:00 to 18:00, and English tours run at set times (Monday to Thursday, for instance, at 15:15, 16:15 and 17:15), so book the slot that matches your language.
Rock cellars at the Altstadthof
Citizens dug these passages into the red sandstone under the city; the first document mentioning them dates from 1380, and they were used mainly to mature and store beer. Today the Altstadthof house brewery still uses a small part of the system. The listing includes the cellar, a World War II air-raid shelter, the house brewery and distillery, the whisky warehouse and audio guides in several languages. The live guide speaks German. It is listed as unsuitable for people with mobility impairments, claustrophobia and wheelchair users. The booking page lists “Beers” among the inclusions, but its description only says the specialities can be sampled afterwards in the tasting shop, the brewery tavern or the bar, so ask the provider whether a tasting is part of the ticket.
Tunnels in the city wall
This tour is about defence rather than prisons: the corridors in the walls and the passages under the Imperial Castle, with a guide in English or German. The listing says it involves climbing many old stairways and ramps, and that sandals and flip-flops, food and drinks and pets (assistance dogs excepted) are not allowed.
Which one for you
If you have time for one, take the dungeons: it is the shortest and the clearest story. If you are interested in Nuremberg’s beer history, the rock cellars are the better fit, but plan for the German-led tour. English-speaking visitors who like fortifications should try the wall tunnels. All three list mobility impairments among the exclusions.
