Nordlingen

Nördlingen is a walled Bavarian town on the Romantic Road, unique for sitting inside the Nördlinger Ries, a roughly 24-km-wide crater formed by a meteorite impact about 15 million years ago. Its medieval town walls survive intact and fully walkable — with 11 towers and 5 gates — making it one of very few German towns where visitors can circumnavigate the entire historic centre on the ramparts. The crater's origin, long debated, was confirmed through the presence of shocked quartz and other impact evidence, and the local Rieskrater Museum (with Moon rock on loan from NASA, since Apollo astronauts trained here to study impact geology) explains the science.

By train

Nördlingen is on a regional rail line, which generally connects to the main rail hubs through the town of Donauwörth to the south. Arverio Bayern operates regional train service to Munich (€38, 2 hours), Augsburg (€22, 1 hour), and Aalen (€8, 45 minutes).

Nördlingen railway station

( Bahnhof Nördlingen ),

Bürgermeister-Reiger-Str. 5 .

  ( updated Aug 2024 )

By bus

Verkehrsverbund Großraum Nürnberg (VGN) Regional Bus 501 operates between Nördlingen's Rathaus and Dinkelsbühl and Feuchtwangen with further connections to Nuremberg .

The town centre of Nordlingen is compact and walkable. Local buses connect the main districts and nearby attractions. Taxis are available from the train station.

St. Georgskirche .

Built in 1499, it is one of the largest churches in Germany. Climb the 90-m tower for the best views overlooking the city and the crater.

Church free; watchtower €2 .  

Rieskrater Museum ,

Eugene-Shoemaker-Platz 1 .

Tu-Su 10:00-12:00 &13:30 - 16:30; closed Mondays .

Situated in an old barn, this museum shows the impacts of meteor collisions with earth. Moon rock, on loan from NASA, is on display.

€4 .  

Bayerisches Eisenbahn Museum ,

behind the Hauptbahnhof .

100 trains on display. On Sundays in the summer, you can take a 2 hour return trip to Dinkelbuhl on an old-fashioned locomotive.

Museum: adult €6, child 5 - 14 years €3; train ride: adult €18, child €12 .  

Stadtmuseum Nördlingen ,

Vordere Gerbergasse 1 .

until 5 Nov: Tu - Su 13:30 - 16:30 .

Displays local costumes.

€3 .  

Rathaus .

City hall.  

Stadtmauermuseum Nördlingen ,

An der Löpsinger Mauer 3 .

Apr-Oct: Tu-Su 10:00-16:30 .

Shows the history of the wall surrounding the city.

€1 .  

Citygates

Reimlinger Tor .

 

Deininger Tor .

 

Berger Tor .

 

Baldinger Tor .

Walk along the City Walls .

The city walls are completely preserved and available for touring. It represents the longest continuous walkable battlements in Germany. The fortification includes 11 towers and 5 gates. It takes about an hour and 2.6 km to circumnavigate the city.

Free .   ( updated Jul 2016 )

Festivals

Nördlinger Pfingstmesse .

14-day exhibition of local crafts, food, and beer.

Schlössle ,

Würzburger Straße 1 ,

☏

+49 9081 8056061 ,

[email protected] .

Daily (except Tu): 11:00-14:30 and 17:00-23:00 .

mains €8-15 .   ( updated Dec 2015 )

Xaver ,

Marktplatz 7 ,

☏

+49 1512 2845790 .

M-Sa 11:00-14:00, 17:00-23:00 .

  ( updated Jun 2025 )

Sixenbräustüble ,

Bergerstr. 17 ,

☏

+49 176 2154 7222 .

  ( updated Jun 2025 )

Living ,

Bürgermeister-Reiger-Str. 1 ,

[email protected] .

Living Nördlingen is a popular nightclub, bar, and event venue in Nördlingen, located at Bürgermeister-Reiger-Straße. It offers a vibrant atmosphere with regular live music, DJ nights, and themed events, making it a central spot for nightlife in the region.   ( updated Jun 2025 )

elaya hotel ,

Beim Klösterle 1 ,

☏

+49 9081 87080 .

Check-in: 15:00 , check-out: 12:00 .

  ( updated Dec 2015 )

JUFA Hotel Nördlingen ,

☏

+49 9081 2908390 .

Check-in: 16:00 , check-out: 11:00 .

  ( updated Jun 2025 )

• Dinkelsbühl — another walled Romantic Road town, reachable by bus
• Augsburg — the northern terminus of the Romantic Road, reachable by train