Nazi Party Rally Grounds tour Nuremberg: Documentation Center

The Rally Grounds, the Trials, and How Nuremberg Remembers

A guided tour of Nuremberg's Nazi Party Rally Grounds led by a local guide in English, covering the Kongresshalle, Luitpoldarena, Zeppelinfeld and the Great Street. The tour contextualizes the architecture and propaganda machinery with the Nuremberg trials and Germany's modern reckoning with the Nazi era, including how the city's education and collective memory address this heritage.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Nazi Party Rally Grounds history

• Visit Kongresshalle and Documentation Center
• Walk through Luitpoldarena parade ground
• See the Great Street parade route
• Explore Zeppelinfeld rally site

The experience

The Kongresshalle anchors this tour: a horseshoe-shaped structure designed in the 1930s to seat 50,000 people, inspired by Rome's Colosseum but never finished because of World War II. It now houses the Documentation Center, which educates visitors about the Nazi era while preserving the building itself as a physical reminder. Your guide, a Nuremberg native, walks you through what the architects intended, what the Nazis built it for, and what it means to leave it standing today rather than tear it down.

The tour moves across the former rally grounds: the Luitpoldarena, a vast parade ground that once held over 100,000 people and now functions as a public park; the Zeppelinfeld, where Hitler addressed crowds from a grandstand designed by Albert Speer; and the Great Street, a 1.5-mile granite road Speer laid out as a central axis for marches and military formations. None of these were heavily used before the war ended, yet they remain as evidence of the scale of Nazi ambition and the resources devoted to spectacle and control. The guide contextualizes each site not as isolated monuments but as part of a deliberate propaganda apparatus.

Beyond the physical sites, the tour addresses the Nuremberg trials (the legal reckoning that followed the war), and how modern Nuremberg, modern Germany, and modern education systems reckon with this history. The guide discusses how the city has chosen to preserve rather than erase, to educate rather than forget, and how this Nazi past is reflected in contemporary culture and collective memory. This is not a tour that sanitizes or distances. It is one that examines how a place lives with its own history.

What’s included

A local guide fluent in English leading the tour across all four major sites on the former Nazi Party Rally Grounds.

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday, Thursday, Saturday and SundayDeparts at 14:30Last departure this season: 22 Dec

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (under 18): free

GroupUp to 25 · max 6 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Nuremberg Free Walking Tour

Is this one for you?This tour suits anyone who wants to understand Nazi architecture and propaganda machinery in their original setting, with a guide who can explain not just what was built but why Nuremberg chose to preserve it and how the city teaches this history now. The moderate walking pace covers substantial ground across the grounds. If you prefer a slower pace or need mobility assistance, confirm accessibility details before booking.

Traveler reviews

4.95★★★★★★★★★★

19 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (under 18): free.

What exactly is the Kongresshalle and why does it still stand in Nuremberg?

The Kongresshalle is a massive horseshoe-shaped building designed in the 1930s to hold 50,000 people, modeled on Rome's Colosseum. It was never completed because of World War II. After the war, it was left largely untouched and now houses the Documentation Center, which educates visitors about the Nazi era. Nuremberg chose to preserve it as a physical reminder rather than demolish it.

How long is the Great Street and what was it built for?

The Great Street is a 1.5-mile-long granite road designed by Albert Speer as a central axis for Nazi Party marches and parades during rallies. It was oriented toward the imperial city of Nuremberg to link the Nazi regime to Germany's historic past, but it was barely used because World War II broke out before the rallies could fully utilize it.

How many people could the Zeppelinfeld hold and what happened to it after the war?

The Zeppelinfeld was designed to host up to 200,000 people and featured a massive grandstand where Hitler addressed crowds. The site was famous for its enormous swastika, which Allied forces blew up after the war. Today it stands as a symbol of Nazi power and is preserved as a historical site.

Does the tour explain how Germany teaches about the Nazi era in schools today?

Yes. The guide discusses how the Nazi past is reflected in modern German education, collective memory and culture. The tour goes beyond the physical sites to address how Nuremberg and Germany have chosen to reckon with this history through education and preservation rather than erasure.