Motto: “Come as a guest, leave as a friend”

As Nuremberg Greeters, Monika and Paul do not offer a traditional city tour. They show visitors their city from their very own perspective - free of charge and on a voluntary basis. The two retirees are also happy to cater to the wishes of their guests and put together appropriate routes. The focus is not on dry facts and figures, but on anecdotes, tips and personal stories.
personal stories. It's the exchange that counts. That's why the groups are small: a maximum of six people. The greeter's motto:

“Come as a guest, leave as a friend”.
There are “Greeter” groups all over the world. The idea originated in New York. There are only four Greeter cities in Bavaria; after Munich and Augsburg, Coburg in Upper Franconia and, since March 2024, Nuremberg are among them.
Greeters like Monika and Paul read up on their knowledge, study travel guides and put together their own routes.
put together their own routes.

On the other side are the professional city guides. There are 80 active guides in Nuremberg. Annette Gebhardt is one of them. She studied history. Her training at the “Verein der Gästeführer Nürnbergs - Die Stadtführer e.V” took a year. She completed 100 hours of theory and practice. Trial tours, visits to museums for further training and
and lectures are all part of the association's training program.
Annette Gebhardt paid for the training herself, but later receives a fixed fee for each tour. She is not employed by the city of Nuremberg - as many people think. She works as a freelancer. She would like to see more recognition for the profession of tour guide, which is not protected.
Last year, Nuremberg's professional guides sold around 14,000 tickets for public tours. In addition, there were almost 3,200 private group tours. The city guides offer a wide range of tours, from public walks and group tours to themed tours - in 17 different languages.

The volunteer greeters cannot keep up with this offer. They only receive a handful of requests per week. The 13 active volunteers, some of whom are still working, could not cope with any more. Founder Astrid Klier-Marx emphasizes that the volunteers do not want to compete with the professionals, but rather complement them for a target group that wants more personal support.

Free guided tours in Bamberg too
There are also free city tours in Bamberg, for example the “Free Walking Tours”. However, the tour guides expect a tip at the end as recognition. The tours are intended for those who have made a last-minute decision. They often attract a younger audience. Visitors can also count on many personal tips here: whether it's about the best bar for the Sandkerwa or the most beautiful soap boutique in the old town.