Planespotting Nuremberg — EDDN
Nuremberg's Albrecht Dürer Airport lies only about 7 km north of the old town and has its own U-Bahn station, so it is one of the easiest German airports to spot without a car. A single runway, 10/28, about 2,700 m long, handles everything; both directions are used, with 28 the preferred one. Terminal, tower, cargo and the general aviation area all sit along the south side, which means most good spots have the sun behind you from morning to mid-afternoon — the forest tracks on the north side are mainly for early summer mornings and late evenings. Traffic is a mix of holiday jets, hub feeders and a surprising extra: chartered airliners and freighters serving the US Army garrisons at Grafenwöhr and Vilseck in north-east Bavaria. Many spots along the fence need a small two- or three-step ladder, and heat haze over the runway is a real problem on summer afternoons.
- BAW277 B788 39 000 ft
- TKJ8KT A21N 30 050 ft
- FLD980 PC12 24 000 ft
- DEVAT P28A 6 600 ft
- HOP41PR E190 1 825 ft RWY 10
- EDL3 EC45 1 725 ft
- L 1
- N604BA CL60
Conditions right now
Runways
- 10/28 RWY 10 2,694 × 45 m · 8,839 × 148 ft asphalt
Ask the sky
What flew over this morning? Where was that loud one heading? Ask in plain words — the answer comes from real recorded traffic.
Airport profile
Typical traffic by hour
Relative intensity by local hour — a typical day, not live data.Peak: 07:00
Typical traffic mix
- Narrowbody72%
- Turboprop8%
- Bizjet7%
- Cargo5%
- GA4%
- Widebody2%
- Military2%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
Irrhainstraße crash gate (south-west)
The crash gate on Irrhainstraße at the western end covers taxiing, line-ups and touchdowns for runway 10, plus heavy 28 arrivals as they roll out to the end. A local favourite because both runway directions give you something.
- Getting there
- Walkable from the terminal; by car follow the access road round and park on the grass strip on the opposite side of the street — never in front of the gate. No facilities. A two- or three-step ladder is needed.
- Best time
- Runway 10 movements and heavy 28 vacators, about 08:00–16:00 (taxiway until around 17:00).
- Lens
- 50–300 mm; around 100 mm for a 777 on the taxiway, 230 mm for an A321 on the runway.
Irrhainstraße south of the runway axis
A little further along Irrhainstraße, standing south of the extended centreline. Runway 10 arrivals and line-ups pass in front of you, and you keep the light from late morning onwards.
- Getting there
- Park at the roadside without blocking the lane. Ladder needed; no facilities.
- Best time
- Runway 10 arrivals late morning to afternoon; line-ups from afternoon to sunset.
- Lens
- 70–400 mm; a 767 lining up needs about 300 mm.
Tower and Luftamt
The area either side of the control tower west of the terminal gives views of both runway directions and of aircraft parked on the western apron — the place to catch military charters and freighters on stand. Night shots of parked aircraft work well here too.
- Getting there
- Walk west from the terminal, or take bus line 30 one stop west to Luftamt (check the current timetable). Stand on the road to the gate or the grass strip by the fence; a short ladder helps, but shooting through the mesh also works.
- Best time
- 08:00–16:00 for runway action, evenings and night for parked aircraft.
- Lens
- 24–400 mm; a C-5 at close range needs as little as 70 mm.
Visitor terrace (Besucherterrasse)
The airport's visitor area on the second floor of the terminal, reached between departure halls 1 and 2. It looks over the apron and both runway directions, but you shoot through glass — fine for logging, less so for sharp photos.
- Getting there
- U-Bahn line U2 to Flughafen, then signs to the Besucherterrasse. Opening times change — check with the airport before you go. Food and toilets in the terminal.
- Best time
- Any runway direction; light is good roughly 08:00–16:00.
- Lens
- 24–300 mm; a lens hood pressed to the glass cuts reflections.
Forest track south-east (past the cargo terminal)
Along the fence south of the runway's eastern end you get taxiing, line-ups and touchdowns for runway 28 at close range, plus heavy 10 traffic vacating. It is the 28 counterpart to the Irrhainstraße gate.
- Getting there
- Walk east from the terminal past the cargo terminal and follow the fence for about 15 minutes until the taxiway opens up. The path is unpaved — skip it after rain. Ladder needed; facilities only at the terminal.
- Best time
- Runway 28 operations, about 08:00–16:00.
- Lens
- 18–300 mm; about 40 mm for a 767 on the taxiway.
Rathsbergstraße mound (north-east)
A mound east of Rathsbergstraße facing the eastern end of the runway, for runway 28 line-ups and arrivals. It is a morning-only spot: from late morning the sun is in front of you.
- Getting there
- Park in the small walkers' car park just west of Rathsbergstraße, cross the road and climb the mound. A ladder clears the fence; without one, go further up the slope and use a longer lens.
- Best time
- Runway 28 line-ups from sunrise to late morning; 28 arrivals only in early summer mornings.
- Lens
- 70–300 mm; around 280 mm for a 777.
Respect private property, signage and the airport security perimeter. Spotterra predicts the active runway from live weather on the dashboard.
What you'll see
Lufthansa to Frankfurt, KLM to Amsterdam, Air France to Paris, Turkish Airlines to Istanbul and Air Serbia to Belgrade provide the hub links, with easyJet adding London and Manchester flights from winter 2026/27. Leisure traffic dominates: Ryanair, Corendon and Marabu all keep based aircraft here, and SunExpress, Pegasus, Freebird and Egyptian carriers such as Air Cairo and Nesma fill summer weekends with 737s and A320s to the Mediterranean, Turkey and Egypt. Wizz Air serves Romania and the Balkans. The rarities come from the US military: chartered airliners and freighters from Omni and Atlas move troops for the Grafenwöhr training area. Bizjets and air ambulances fill the gaps.
What actually flew over Nuremberg in the last 30 days
Measured from our own ADS-B data — not a schedule, but what really passed overhead.
- B738 27.2 %
- EC45 13.7 %
- A320 12.3 %
- A21N 10.7 %
- B38M 10.5 %
- A20N 10.5 %
- C172 8.7 %
- A319 6.5 %
FAQ
What's that plane over Nuremberg?
Spotterra's live map shows every aircraft over Nuremberg and Franconia in real time — type, registration, route and altitude — straight from ADS-B, free and without installing anything.
Can I spot at Nuremberg Airport by public transport?
Yes. U-Bahn line U2 runs from the main station to the terminal in about 12 minutes, and most south-side spots — the Irrhainstraße gate, the tower, the forest track past cargo — are walkable from there.
Do I need a ladder at Nuremberg?
At most fence spots a two- or three-step ladder makes a big difference. The visitor terrace and the tower area work without one.
Why do US military charters land at Nuremberg?
The airport is the nearest civil gateway for the US Army's Grafenwöhr and Vilseck garrisons. These flights are not in the public timetable, so a Spotterra alert is the reliable way to catch them.
Spotterra watches the sky over Nuremberg
A live ADS-B map of your area and smart alerts on military transports, warbirds and rare types — with 10–30 minutes lead on long-haul arrivals. Free forever, no card.
Start spotting freeMore in Germany: Frankfurt · Munich · Hamburg Finkenwerder · Hamburg · Dusseldorf · Berlin Brandenburg · All 204 airports →