Nördlingen is a town in the Donau-Ries district, in Bavaria, Germany, with a population approximately 24,000. It was first mentioned in recorded history in 898 and in 1998 the town celebrated its 1100th Anniversary year . The town was also the place of two battles during the Thirty Years' War,a war which took place between 1618-1648. Today it is one of only three towns in Germany that still has a completely established city wall, the other two being Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Dinkelsbühl.
Another tourist feature of this mediæval town is its 90 m steeple called "Daniel", being part of the Saint Georg's Church and made of an impact breccia called suevite containing shocked quartz. Other notable buildings are the town hall (13th century), St. Salvator church and the Spital, a former medieval hospital. The Ries crater museum is located in the well-preserved medieval tanner's quarter.
The city is home to several other museums, such as the Bavarian Railway Museum, the Nördlingen city museum (Stadtmuseum), the city wall museum (Stadtmauermuseum) and Augenblick museum with panoramas, magic lanterns, silent films, barrel organs, pianolas, music boxes and gramophones.
Nördlingen is also notable for the Scharlachrennen, a notable horse riding tournament that was first mentioned in 1463