The first thing I did was to take a walking tour just to get a basic idea of where things were and what there was. Supposedly a 2 1/2 hour tour, ours lasted another hour because our guide took the time to answer questions as well as adding more information when the group showed more interest. Walking around the town also showed us very quickly just how steep the terrain was going up to the base of the castle. And from the base on up to the castle grounds was even more so!
We started at the Hauptmarkt, or the main market area.
The photo on the left shows the booths set up by the vendors. They filled the entire large otherwise open square. This square is the main market area of ancient Nürnberg where farmers brought their fruits, vegetables, eggs, animals, etc. to sell on market days. As you can see, this still occurs (but without the animals).
The twin spires in the background are part of St. Sebaldus church, the church Maria Sybilla Merian Graf attended and where her second daughter, Dorothea, was baptized. The family lived just a short way up the hill from this church.
The white stuff in the photo on the right is white asparagus. This was the season for fresh asparagus and many of the sellers had it for sale.