RNT Paddock · Nürburgring track guide
Nürburgring spectator guide: where to watch, park, camp and eat
Eight spectator points on our own Nordschleife map, the car parks and campsites that go with them, and what changes between an NLS race day and the 24 Hours. Checked against the organisers’ own information.
In short
Two tracks, one long lap and a lot of forest
- Where: the Nürburgring is in the Eifel in western Germany. Navigation address: 53520 Nürburg, Otto-Flimm-Straße.
- Getting there: from Cologne take the A1 to its end, from Trier or Luxembourg the A48 to exit Ulmen, from Koblenz the A61 to exit Wehr.
- Time: local time is Central European Time (CET), in summer CEST. All times in this guide are local.
- Free or ticket: at the NLS most of the Nordschleife is free to watch; Brünnchen, Pflanzgarten and the grandstands need a ticket. At the 24 Hours every spectator needs a ticket.
- Sleep: at the NLS you can only stay overnight at Brünnchen. At the 24 Hours campsites ring the whole Nordschleife, first come, first served.
- Tip: pick one or two spots and stay there. The Nordschleife is 20.8 km long and the roads around it fill up on race days.
The two tracks
The NLS and the 24 Hours race on both circuits at once
The Nürburgring has a modern Grand Prix circuit and, wrapped around the villages to the north, the old Nordschleife: 20.8 km with 73 corners, 33 left and 40 right, according to the NLS. Neither endurance race uses just one of them.
NLS: 24.358 km
The NLS lap combines the short version of the Grand Prix circuit, including the Mercedes Arena and the motorbike chicane, with the full Nordschleife.
24 Hours: 25.378 km
The 24 Hours uses a longer combination of the Grand Prix circuit and the Nordschleife: 25,378 metres according to the official 2025 results.
Both run clockwise: part of the Grand Prix circuit, then the whole Nordschleife, and back via the long Döttinger Höhe straight.
The GT World Challenge is different: it races on the Grand Prix circuit only, 5.137 km with 17 turns. In 2027 the Nürburgring is round 7 of the Endurance Cup, on 27-29 August.
Nordschleife map
Nordschleife map with eight spectator points
Our own drawing of both circuits, made from OpenStreetMap data. Tap a red number to jump to that spot. Blue marks parking, green camping; the yellow box enlarges the Grand Prix circuit.
Where to watch
Eight places to stand, from the jump to the grid
The numbers match the map. What we list per spot comes from the organisers and the circuit. Toilets, food stands and wheelchair access are not listed per spot by the organisers, so check on the day.
Brünnchen: the most popular spot on the Nordschleife
The NLS calls Brünnchen its most popular spectator point, with plenty of overtaking. It is easy to reach from the B412 and has a large car park beside the track (P96, opposite the spectator area).
- NLS
- Ticket area: you need a spectator ticket to get in and to park. The only place where you can stay overnight at an NLS race.
- 24 Hours
- Spectator area and campsite. The 24h shuttle bus (route 1) and a bus to Adenau stop here.
Pflanzgarten: the jump where cars go light
Pflanzgarten is known for its small jump, where the cars get very light and some lose contact with the track. Parking is at P98.
- NLS
- Ticket area, like Brünnchen.
- 24 Hours
- Spectator area and campsite (Pflanzgarten and Brünnchen II). Shuttle route 1 and the Adenau bus stop here.
Schwalbenschwanz: the small carousel, seen from both sides
The “small carousel” is the only part of the track where you can see the cars from both sides, according to the NLS. The inner side is a walk along a gravel road from the B412; park on the opposite side of the road (P100) or use the small pedestrian tunnel.
- NLS
- Free, except at the double-header weekends, when it is a ticket area.
- 24 Hours
- Campsite and shuttle stop (route 1).
Hatzenbach: a kilometre of overtaking on foot
After a slow left-hander the track drops downhill, with a footpath running alongside on the right for about a kilometre. Drivers brake for the slow and medium corners halfway down, so there is a lot of overtaking.
- NLS
- Free.
- 24 Hours
- Campsite Hatzenbach. Gate 37 at the Hatzenbach tunnel is one of the entrances to the Grand Prix area. Shuttle stops on routes 1 and 2.
Adenauer Forst: fifteen minutes’ walk from Adenau
A tightening uphill right, left, right that, in the NLS’s words, separates the men from the boys. Fans often walk up in about 15 minutes from the school in Adenau.
- NLS
- Free.
- 24 Hours
- Day-visitor parking and a campsite. Shuttle route 2 stops at the Adenau school.
Wehrseifen: the slowest corner of the Nordschleife
The slowest point of the lap, and a fan favourite, easy to reach from the main road. A few hundred metres later is Breidscheid, at 320 metres the lowest point of the track.
- NLS
- Free.
- 24 Hours
- Campsite, without early arrival, to protect the residents. Shuttle route 2 stops at Breidscheid.
Mercedes Arena: grandstands on the Grand Prix circuit
The twisty section just after the start, and part of the NLS lap. The grandstands here include T4 and T4a.
- NLS
- Grandstand T4 (Bilstein) is open with an NLS ticket.
- 24 Hours
- In 2026 grandstands T3, T4, T4a and T5 to T12a were open to all ticket holders.
- GTWC
- One of the best places to watch the GT World Challenge, which races on the Grand Prix circuit only.
Start/finish: the grid walk and the paddock
The start of the race, the pits and the paddock. At the NLS every ticket holder can walk the grid on the start and finish straight. The ring°boulevard is right next to the start and finish area.
- NLS
- Grandstand T3 (BMW M Power), the paddock grandstand T12a, the paddock, pit walk and grid walk with your ticket.
- 24 Hours
- Grandstands and paddock with every ticket; open grid on Saturday before the start (see below).
- GTWC
- Start, pits and paddock of the GT World Challenge round in August.
Paddock and grid walk
Your ticket gets you into the paddock
At both races a normal spectator ticket includes the paddock behind the pits. The times below are the organisers’ own and can change per event.
Getting there and parking
Nürburgring parking: cash, P numbers and an early start
By car. From Cologne the A1 to its end, from Trier or Luxembourg the A48 to exit Ulmen, from Koblenz or Bonn the A61 to exit Wehr. The circuit’s navigation address is 53520 Nürburg, Otto-Flimm-Straße. Roadworks around the Ring can mean diversions, so follow the signs on the day.
At the Grand Prix circuit. Car parks A1, A2 and D8 use a number-plate system run by Avantpark and are open all the time. At the 24 Hours of 2026 the day-visitor zones were A1, B5 and B5a, C7 and D9.
Along the Nordschleife. P96 opposite Brünnchen, P98 at Pflanzgarten, P100 at Schwalbenschwanz and parking around Adenauer Forst.
What it costs at the NLS. A flat rate of 10 euros per day for most car parks at the Grand Prix circuit and the Nordschleife, except D8, A1 and A2. At a double-header or a 24h qualifier you pay per day. To park at Brünnchen you also need a spectator ticket.
At the 24 Hours. You cannot pay by card at the outdoor car parks; there is a cash machine at the info°center. The ring°boulevard car park is reserved for guests with disabilities. The organisers advise car sharing and arriving on Thursday or Friday.
Without a car. During the 24 Hours shuttle buses run between the Grand Prix circuit and the Nordschleife. In 2026 route 1 went from the Dorint hotel via Hatzenbach to Schwalbenschwanz, Pflanzgarten and Brünnchen, route 2 via Hatzenbach and Breidscheid to Adenau. A fan shuttle also links the info°center with Adenau town centre.
Camping
Nürburgring camping: one field at the NLS, a ring of tents at the 24 Hours
At the NLS you can only stay overnight in the Brünnchen area. It costs 35 euros per night per vehicle, including everyone in it; arriving on Friday for a double-header or a 24h qualifier costs 70 euros. At least one person in the vehicle needs a spectator ticket.
At the 24 Hours the campsites around the Nordschleife open in race week (on the Monday morning in 2026). They cannot be booked: places go first come, first served, and you pay the fee and a waste deposit at the entrance. You need a multi-day ticket and a camping wristband. In 2026 the Nordschleife sites were full after the first two arrival days. Named areas include Brünnchen, Pflanzgarten, Schwalbenschwanz, Karussell, Hohe Acht, Wippermann, Hatzenbach, Adenauer Forst, Wehrseifen and Metzgesfeld. Camping before the official opening is forbidden and checked by police and circuit staff.
The circuit’s rules include: no campfires, barbecues only in a suitable container and never unattended, no fireworks, no home-built wooden platforms (only Layher scaffolding), no lifting platforms or masts, drones only with permission, dogs on a lead, and quiet hours at night.
With facilities. Camping am Nürburgring in Müllenbach lies right next to the Grand Prix circuit, with about 1,200 pitches, electricity and toilets, and lists the 24 Hours of 2027 on its calendar. The circuit’s own Nürburgring Caravan Park has 39 motorhome pitches that can be reserved online.
Where to eat
Nürburgring restaurants: from the Pistenklause to the Devil’s Diner
A short list of places at and next to the circuit that publish their own information. Opening hours change with the events, so check before you go.
Pistenklause
Founded in 1969 by the Schmitz family, the parents of Sabine Schmitz, two-time overall winner of the 24 Hours. About 150 metres from the Tiergarten section of the Nordschleife. Restaurant and café are open all year, according to the hotel.
am-tiergarten.deGasthaus Lindenhof
Traditional and modern German-European cooking, fresh, regional and homemade, in the centre of the village at the Ring.
lindenhofnuerburg.comEvent catering
At the 24 Hours a catering area with seats and a video wall is set up in the paddock, near the Ferris wheel. The ring°boulevard opens from Thursday.
24h-rennen.deStaying near the Ring
Nürburgring hotels: four places to look
- Nürburg: the village at the circuit, below the castle ruin, between the Grand Prix circuit and the Nordschleife.
- Müllenbach: next to the Grand Prix circuit on the south-west side, home of Camping am Nürburgring.
- Adenau: the town on the Nordschleife side, about 5 km north of the start as the crow flies. Walk up to Adenauer Forst; at the 24 Hours shuttle route 2 runs from here.
- Mayen: a larger town about 20 km east as the crow flies, for more choice when the villages are full.
RNT Paddock will list partner hotels later; we do not recommend any hotel yet.
Tickets
24h and NLS tickets: buy them from the organiser
RNT Paddock is an independent news and editorial service from RNT-Motorsports. We do not organise the NLS, the 24 Hours or any other event, we are not linked to the organisers or the circuits, and we do not sell event tickets.
24 Hours
Official tickets at 24h-rennen.de. Advance sales for 27-30 May 2027 start in December, according to the organiser. Children up to and including 12 go free with an adult; reduced prices up to 15. In 2026 every weekend ticket sold out, and Saturday tickets were not sold at the gate.
24h tickets →NLS
Tickets online from the NLS or at the Nürburgring box offices. In 2026 a day ticket cost 25 euros and covered grandstands T3 (BMW M Power), T4 (Bilstein) and T12a (paddock grandstand), the paddock, pit walk, grid walk and the Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten areas. Children up to and including 14 go free.
NLS tickets →Want to drive the Nordschleife yourself? The circuit opens it for tourist drives with your own car, without booking; check the opening hours on nuerburgring.de.
NLS vs 24 Hours
One race day at the NLS, a festival week at the 24 Hours
GT World Challenge
GT World Challenge at the Nürburgring: 27-29 August 2027
The GT World Challenge Europe returns to the Nürburgring as round 7 of 10 in 2027, an Endurance Cup weekend one week after the DTM. It uses only the Grand Prix circuit (orange on the map), so the Nordschleife spots 1 to 6 are not part of this weekend: watch from the Mercedes Arena (7) and the start and finish (8).
Tickets come from the Nürburgring itself (info and tickets: 02691/302-630). Parking and camping rules for this event are not published yet; we add them here when they are.
Planning your weekend
Pick your race, then pack your pass
The dates, the entry lists and the results of every race at the Ring are on RNT-Motorsports. Going this weekend? The RNT Paddock Race Weekend Pass puts your schedule, what is open at this event and the news of your weekend in one place. For the history, the layout and the lap records of the circuit, see our Nürburgring circuit guide.
Information checked on 30 October 2026. Times, parking and camping rules can change per event; always check the organiser’s website.
Which spot is your favourite at the Nordschleife, and what should we add to this guide? Tell us via our contact page.