Tucher Palace

Tucher Palace in Nuremburg, northern Bavaria, was built between 1533 and 1544 as a summer residence and garden palace for the Tuchers, one of Nuremberg’s most prominent patrician families.

Tucher Palace history

Unlike many of Bavaria’s grand palaces, the Tucher Palace, or ‘Tucherschloss’ in Nuremberg is a peculiar building, due in part to its intriguing owner, Lorenz Tucher, a 16th-century merchant who travelled the world.

As well as bringing back exotic works of art such as furniture and tapestries, he brought back the ideas for the Oriental-style turrets and small bay windows – known as oriels – that sit on an elephant-shaped base, presumably from Asia or Africa.

The palace and its beautiful gardens were built between 1533 and 1544 as a summer residence and garden palace for the Tuchers, one of Nuremburg’s prominent patrician families whose wealth was largely based on the foreign trade of ironware, spices, and coal.

While the Tucher Palace is now owned jointly by the Free State of Bavaria and the city of Nuremberg, the Tucher family foundation have loaned some amazing pieces to the residence including paintings by Michael Wolgemut, Hans Schäufelein and Nicolaus Neufchâtel.

Tucher Palace today

Today, visitors to Tucher Palace can marvel at its beautiful architecture and many ornate features inside.

Highlights include its Baroque and Renaissance-era furniture, including a very rare cupboard by Peter Flötner, one of the most important German designers of the age, and stunning ‘verre eglomisé’ – gilded glass – from the studio of Augustin Hirschvogel.

Commissioned by Linhard Tucher, the star of the show is however the spectacular 8-piece dinner service, complete with glasses and tapestries designed by none other than Wenzel Jamnitzer, the world famous German goldsmith and court goldsmith to a succession of Holy Roman Emperors.

Getting to Tucher Palace

Tucher Palace is located in Nuremberg in northern Bavaria, easily accessed from the 4R ring road. The nearest U-Bahn and tram stop is Rathenauplatz, a 5-minute walk away, while the 36 and 94 bus services stop at Nürnberg Innerer Laufer Platz, a 3-minute walk away. Nuremberg Central train station is also a 20-minute walk away.