Fembo House City Museum, Nuremberg

We visited the Fembo House City Museum almost by accident — the castle was closed, we had free time in our schedule, and it was only a five-minute walk from our accommodation. Its central location is certainly a selling point — it’s easy to get to from the castle or the Hauptplatz — but it’s also an excellent introduction to the city of Nuremberg.

An enormous percentage of Nuremberg’s buildings were destroyed during World War Two, and the Fembo House is the only surviving late Renaissance merchant’s house in the city. It’s a great setting for displays about the city as a whole and the house and its inhabitants in particular.

Entrance is €5 (covered by Nuremberg Card), which includes an audioguide — this has a headphone jack for people who don’t like to hold the guides up to their ears. Your visit starts on the fourth floor, where, in a ten-minute presentation, an intricate wooden model of the city is illuminated and its central features explained with the aid of photos projected on the rear wall; a great chance to get your head around Nuremberg’s geography.

As you descend through the floors of the house, features of the building and aspects of city life in different eras are explained, with a different historical figure accompanying you on your audioguide on each floor. The texts are short enough to keep you moving but satisfactorily detailed, and there are lots of optional texts you can listen to if something catches your eye. Signs are all in German with occasional English titles, but I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything as the audio guide explained each room in detail.

The Fembo House is a great choice if you’re interested in knowing more about Nuremberg’s history, and especially if you want to know about the layout of the city. Some people might find it a little dry, and it isn’t really suitable for children, but I certainly recommend it — especially if you have a Nuremberg Card.

[box]The Fembo House Museum can be visited with the Nuremberg Card.[/box]