Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is really two tracks in one: a modern Grand Prix circuit, and the Nordschleife, a 20.8 km ribbon of tarmac through the Eifel forest that Jackie Stewart nicknamed the Green Hell. It’s where carmakers chase lap times, where the 24 Hours runs every spring, and where anyone with a road-legal car can buy a lap. Here’s everything you’ll want to know before you go, or before you fire it up in a sim: the history, the Karussell, a section-by-section lap, the lap records, what races there, the weather and how to drive it yourself.
Nürburgring at a Glance
Length 20.832 km / 12.944 mi Nordschleife; the GP circuit is 5.148 km / 3.199 mi
Turns 154 on the Nordschleife, by the usual count; about 73 have names
Elevation change About 300 m / 985 ft from Breidscheid, the low point, to Hohe Acht
Opened June 18, 1927 building work began in September 1925
Location & owner Nürburg, Eifel, Germany owned by NR Holding and run by Nürburgring 1927 GmbH & Co. KG
Fastest lap ever 5:19.546 Timo Bernhard, Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo, 2018
Nürburgring, Nordschleife or Green Hell?
They’re all the same place, more or less. Nürburgring is the name of the whole complex, named for the village of Nürburg and its castle ruin, which sits inside the loop. The Nordschleife (“North Loop”) is the long, old track that wraps around it, and the GP-Strecke is the shorter, modern Grand Prix circuit built next to the pits in 1984. For the 24 Hours, the two are joined into one 25.378 km (15.769 mi) lap.
“The Green Hell” (die Grüne Hölle) comes from Jackie Stewart, who won the 1968 German Grand Prix here in heavy rain and thick fog and described the track that way afterwards. The name stuck, because it fits: the lap runs through dense forest, with blind crests, jumps and very little run-off. Fans also just call it “the Ring.”
There used to be a Südschleife (South Loop) as well, but it’s long gone. When people say they “did a lap of the Ring,” they almost always mean the Nordschleife, and usually the 20.832 km tourist lap from the entry gate to the exit.
Nürburgring History
The Nürburgring is nearly 100 years old, and for most of that time it has been the place where Germany’s carmakers proved themselves. It hosted Formula 1 for decades, until the cars simply got too fast for a 20 km track with trees at the edge. Instead of disappearing, the Nordschleife found a second life as a test track, an endurance-racing venue and a toll road anyone can drive.
- 1925 The foundation stone is laid on September 27. The track is built partly as a job-creation project for the poor, rural Eifel region.
- 1927 The circuit opens on June 18 with a motorcycle race, followed by the car race the next day. Otto Merz wins the first German Grand Prix held here, for Mercedes.
- 1951 The Nordschleife becomes the usual home of the Formula 1 German Grand Prix, through 1976 (apart from 1959, at Berlin’s AVUS, and 1970, when the race moved to Hockenheim).
- 1968 Jackie Stewart wins in rain and fog by four minutes, and the “Green Hell” nickname is born.
- 1970 The first 24 Hours Nürburgring is held. Today it’s one of the biggest races of the year, with more than 150 cars on the grid.
- 1976 Niki Lauda crashes near Bergwerk on August 1 and is badly burned. It’s the last Formula 1 race on the Nordschleife.
- 1983 Stefan Bellof laps the Nordschleife in 6:11.13 in a Porsche 956 during qualifying for the 1000 km race. The time stands for 35 years.
- 1984 The new GP-Strecke opens, and Alain Prost wins the European Grand Prix on it in October.
- 2009 A big leisure park opens next to the track. Its costs lead the state-owned operator into insolvency in 2012.
- 2014 The circuit is sold. Since 2016, NR Holding has owned 99% of it.
- 2018 Timo Bernhard sets the all-time lap record of 5:19.546 in the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo.
- 2020 Formula 1 returns for one year as the Eifel Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton wins and Max Verstappen sets the GP circuit lap record.
- 2025 Motorcycles are banned from the Nordschleife tourist drives.
- 2026 Mercedes-AMG wins the 24 Hours in May with the No. 80 car of Maro Engel, Maxime Martin, Fabian Schiller and Luca Stolz.
The Karussell at the Nürburgring
The Karussell (“carousel”) is the corner everyone wants a photo of. You come up a short straight from Klostertal, turn in blind, and drop the inside wheels onto a narrow strip of steep concrete banking. Then you hold the car there, rattling over the slabs, as it swings round about 210 degrees, before climbing out over the top of the bank toward Hohe Acht. It’s rough on the car, on your wrists and on your nerves.
About 210°
Banked hairpin
A long, tight left that wraps around on itself, with a steep concrete bank on the inside.
Steep climb
Up to Hohe Acht
The road climbs hard after the exit, toward the highest part of the lap.
Caracciola
The name
Officially the Caracciola-Karussell, after the pre-war Mercedes driver Rudolf Caracciola.
The story goes that Rudolf Caracciola started it by hooking his inside wheels into the drainage gully here to get round faster. Other drivers copied him, and the gully was later paved over as proper banking. It’s not a place to pass, but it’s one of the best places to watch, because cars go round it slowly enough to see the driver working. Sadly, it was also the scene of a fatal crash in a 24 Hours qualifying race in April 2026.
Nordschleife Track Guide: A Lap, Section by Section
Nobody learns the Nordschleife corner by corner. There are too many: about 154 by the usual count, and only around 73 have names. Instead, drivers learn it in named sections, the same ones you’ll hear on 24 Hours commentary. The lap runs clockwise, and it climbs and falls about 300 m on the way round. Here’s how a lap goes, from the tourist-drive entry at Döttinger Höhe.
01
Hatzenbach
Right after the tourist entry, a twisty run of esses through the trees. Rhythm matters far more than speed here, and it’s where cold tyres catch people out.
02
Flugplatz
Named for an old airfield. You cross a bridge, crest a rise where the car goes light, then take two fast right-handers.
03
Schwedenkreuz and Aremberg
A very fast left over a crest, then a hard stop for the long right at Aremberg. Get your braking point wrong here and you’ll know it.
04
Fuchsröhre
The “Fox Hole”: a flat-out plunge downhill into a big compression, then a quick left-right. It’s one of the most intense moments on the lap.
05
Adenauer Forst
A tight, slow, chicane-like section. It’s easy to run wide, and the gravel and barriers are close.
06
Metzgesfeld to Breidscheid
Fast, flowing bends downhill to the lowest point of the lap, under the road bridge at Breidscheid.
07
Bergwerk
The left kink before it is where Lauda crashed in 1976, then comes a tight right. Your exit speed here sets up the long climb that follows.
08
Kesselchen
A long, fast uphill valley with sweeping bends. Big power pays off, and so does commitment.
09
Klostertal and Karussell
A short uphill straight, then the famous banked hairpin. Drop into the concrete and hold it there.
10
Hohe Acht to Eschbach
Steep climbing rights at the top of the lap, then fast bends where the kerbs can bite.
11
Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten
Downhill rights at Brünnchen, the popular “YouTube corner,” then the jumps at Pflanzgarten, where cars leave the ground.
12
Schwalbenschwanz to Döttinger Höhe
Switchbacks and the small banked Kleines Karussell, then Galgenkopf and the 2.1 km straight back to the start.
The GP-Strecke is a different animal: a 5.148 km (3.199 mi), 15-turn modern circuit with wide run-off, starting with the twisty Mercedes Arena section added in 2002 and ending with a slow chicane before the pits. It’s where the pits are, and it’s the part Formula 1 last used, in 2020.
Nürburgring Lap Records
Nordschleife lap times are a big deal, because carmakers use them to sell cars. The official timed laps run on the 20.832 km layout, from the gantry at the start of Döttinger Höhe all the way round, and the circuit publishes them as “record runs.” Here are the numbers people usually ask about.
5:19.546
Fastest lap ever
Timo Bernhard in the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo, a de-restricted Le Mans car, in June 2018. That’s an average of about 234 km/h (145 mph).
6:11.13
The Bellof lap
Stefan Bellof in a Porsche 956 during qualifying for the 1983 1000 km race. It stood as the record for 35 years.
6:29.090
Production-car record
Maro Engel in the Mercedes-AMG ONE in 2024, the road-car time carmakers are still chasing.
1:28.139
GP circuit race lap
Max Verstappen in a Red Bull at the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix, on the 5.148 km GP-Strecke.
Recent manufacturer laps keep coming. In 2025 and 2026, cars like the Ford Mustang GTD, the Corvette ZR1X, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Taycan Turbo GT with Manthey kits, and the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra all set timed laps, and a pre-production Ford GT Mk IV ran a 6:15.977 in early 2026. Prototype and track-only cars are listed separately from road cars, so always check which class a claimed “record” is in.
Races and Events at the Nürburgring
There’s no Formula 1 or WEC at the Nürburgring right now, but the calendar is still packed: DTM, GT World Challenge Europe, the ADAC Truck Grand Prix, motorcycle racing and the Rock am Ring music festival all come here, on top of track days and manufacturer testing. Here are the headline events, with 2026 dates for reference.
May
ADAC 24h Nürburgring
Endurance Nordschleife + GP
The big one. More than 150 cars race day and night on the combined 25.4 km lap. The 2026 race ran May 14–17, and the No. 80 Mercedes-AMG won after 156 laps. From 2027 it heads a new ADAC 24h Nürburgring Series.
March to October
Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS)
Endurance Club to pro
Four- and six-hour races on the Nordschleife, with everything from small hatchbacks to GT3 cars on track together. Entry to most of the spectator areas is free, which makes it an easy first visit.
August
AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix
Historic racing GP circuit
One of Europe’s big historic race meetings, with classic sports cars, touring cars and Formula cars. The 2026 event ran August 7–9.
March to November
Touristenfahrten (tourist drives)
Public driving Your own car
The part that makes the Ring unique: on many evenings and weekends, anyone with a road-legal car can buy a lap. The 2026 season runs March 7 to November 15.
Nürburgring Race Calendar: 2026 and 2027
Here are the big public weekends at the Nürburgring, so you can plan a trip around the racing you want to see. Track days, manufacturer testing and club events fill many of the other days, and they close the Nordschleife to tourist drives, so always check the official calendar before you set off. 2027 is also the track’s 100th year: it opened in June 1927.
2026 season
| Dates | Event | Series | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 7–Nov 15 | Touristenfahrten season | Public tourist drives | Ongoing |
| Mar 21–Oct 10 | Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) | Endurance racing (round 1 was cancelled for weather) | Done |
| Apr 18–19 | 24h Qualifiers | Endurance racing | Done |
| May 14–17 | ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring | 24-hour race | Done |
| Jun 5–7 | Rock am Ring | Music festival | Done |
| Jun 12–14 | Nürburgring Classic | Historic racing | Done |
| Jul 10–12 | ADAC Truck Grand Prix | Truck racing | Done |
| Aug 7–9 | AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix | Historic racing | Done |
| Aug 14–16 | DTM | DTM | Done |
| Aug 28–30 | GT World Challenge Europe | GT3 | Done |
| Sep 4–6 | IDM | German superbike championship | Done |
| Sep 18–20 | ADAC 1000km | Endurance racing | Done |
| Oct 16–18 | ADAC Westfalen Trophy | Club racing | Upcoming |
| Oct 24 | RCN season finale | Club racing on the Nordschleife | Upcoming |
2027 season
| Dates | Event | Series | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| March (TBA) | Touristenfahrten season opens | Public tourist drives | Date TBA |
| May 27–30 | ADAC 24h Nürburgring | 24-hour race, part of the new ADAC 24h Nürburgring Series | Upcoming |
| TBA | NLS, DTM, Truck Grand Prix and Oldtimer Grand Prix | Various | Date TBA |
| June (TBA) | Rock am Ring | Music festival | Date TBA |
Nürburgring Weather by Season
The Nürburgring sits high in the Eifel hills, so it’s cooler and wetter than the Rhine valley below, and the weather changes fast. With a 20 km lap, it’s common for one part of the Nordschleife to be dry while another is wet or covered in fog. The numbers below are typical daily highs and lows from Nürburg (1981–2010 averages); always check the forecast, and the track’s own webcams, on the day.
3–4°C
Winter · Dec–Feb
Daily highs of only 3–4°C (37–40°F) and lows just below freezing, around −2 to −1°C (28–30°F). Snow and ice are common up in the Eifel, and the Nordschleife is closed to tourist drives from mid-November to early March. It’s a quiet time to visit the area, but not to drive the track.
8–16°C
Spring · Mar–May
Daily highs climb from about 8°C (46°F) in March to 16°C (61°F) in May, and lows from 1°C to 7°C (34–45°F). May is the wettest spring month. Pack warm layers for the 24 Hours: nights in the forest are cold even when the afternoon is sunny.
20–22°C
Summer · Jun–Aug
Daily highs of 20–22°C (68–72°F) and lows of 10–12°C (50–54°F), so it’s mild rather than hot. August is the wettest month of the year, and showers and fog can roll in fast. Rock am Ring, the Truck Grand Prix, the Oldtimer Grand Prix and DTM all run in this season.
7–17°C
Autumn · Sep–Nov
Daily highs drop from about 17°C (63°F) in September to 7°C (44°F) in November, with lows from 9°C to 2°C (48–36°F). Wet leaves and fog make the track slippery as the season goes on, and the tourist-drive season ends in mid-November.
Visiting the Nürburgring: Where to Watch, Tickets and Getting There
Visiting the Ring is different from most racetracks. The Nordschleife runs through the countryside, so for many events you drive or hike between spectator areas around the outside of the lap, and you’ll need a car to see more than one or two spots.
Where to watch
- Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten. The classic spots, easy to reach by road, with cars braking, turning and jumping right in front of you. Brünnchen is where most tourist-drive videos are filmed.
- The Karussell and Hohe Acht. Park at the Hohe Acht hiking car park and walk down. You’ll see cars dive into the banking up close.
- Breidscheid and Adenau. A path runs along the fence at the low point of the lap, and it’s a popular camping area during the 24 Hours.
- Wippermann, Schwalbenschwanz and Hatzenbach. Quieter spots that photographers like. Bring a long lens, because the fences are high.
Tickets
For NLS races, entry to most Nordschleife spectator areas is free, and children up to 14 go free; Brünnchen, Pflanzgarten, Schwalbenschwanz and the GP circuit grandstands need a ticket. Parking is about €10 a day. For the 24 Hours, DTM and the other big events, buy tickets from the official Nürburgring shop, and book a campsite or hotel early; Nürburg, Adenau and the nearby villages fill up fast for the 24 Hours and Rock am Ring.
Getting there and what to bring
The nearest airports are Frankfurt-Hahn and Cologne/Bonn, both about 100 km away, with Düsseldorf and Frankfurt a bit further. Trains get you only as far as Ahrbrück or Mayen, about 25 km away, and local buses are infrequent, so renting a car is the easy option. Bring rain gear and warm layers whatever the month, and sturdy shoes for the walk between spectator areas. The ring°werk museum next to the GP circuit is closed for renovation at the moment, with no reopening date yet.
Can You Drive the Nürburgring?
Yes, and that’s what makes it special. During Touristenfahrten (tourist drives), the Nordschleife is legally a one-way toll road. Anyone 18 or older with a road-legal, registered and insured car can buy a lap at the gate. In 2026 a lap costs €30 Monday to Thursday and €35 Friday to Sunday and on holidays, and the season runs March 7 to November 15. Typical opening hours are weekday evenings and event-free weekends, but they change constantly, so check the official schedule before you go. The GP circuit is open for 15-minute sessions at €35, too.
The rules are simple, but they matter. German road law applies: overtake only on the left, never stop on track, slow right down and don’t pass under yellow flags, and don’t time yourself, because racing isn’t allowed. Motorcycles have been banned from Nordschleife tourist drives since 2025. Check your insurance carefully, as many policies exclude the track, and if you crash you’ll pay for barrier repairs and the marshals’ time, which can easily run past €1,000.
No car of your own? Several local companies rent track-prepared cars by the lap; the firms we checked started at about €169 for a first lap in a Mini Cooper S in early 2026, and passenger “Ring taxi” rides start at around €300. To learn the lap first, you’re spoiled for choice: the Nordschleife is in Gran Turismo 7, iRacing, Assetto Corsa and Forza Motorsport, and plenty of people put in hundreds of sim laps before their first real one.
Talk Nürburgring With Other Enthusiasts
Planning your first tourist lap, heading to the 24 Hours or chasing a Nordschleife time in a sim? Share what you’ve learned, ask questions and find people going the same weekend in the AutoGathering community.
- 24 Hours trips
- Tourist-drive tips
- Best spectator spots
- Ring rental cars
- Karussell photos
- Lap-time talk
- Sim racing the Nordschleife
- Eifel road trips
Nürburgring FAQ
How long is the Nürburgring?
The Nordschleife is 20.832 km (12.944 miles) long. The modern GP circuit is 5.148 km (3.199 miles), and the combined layout used for the 24 Hours is 25.378 km (15.769 miles).
Why is the Nürburgring called the Green Hell?
Jackie Stewart called it that after winning the 1968 German Grand Prix in heavy rain and fog. The lap runs through dense forest, with blind crests and very little run-off.
What is the fastest lap of the Nürburgring?
Timo Bernhard’s 5:19.546 in the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo in 2018. The production-car record is 6:29.090, set by the Mercedes-AMG ONE in 2024.
Can anyone drive the Nürburgring?
Yes. During tourist drives, anyone 18 or older with a road-legal car can buy a lap. In 2026 a lap costs €30 Monday to Thursday and €35 Friday to Sunday, and the season runs March 7 to November 15.
Can you ride a motorcycle on the Nordschleife?
Not during tourist drives. Motorcycles have been banned from Nordschleife tourist drives since 2025, though they can still use some GP circuit sessions.
Does Formula 1 still race at the Nürburgring?
No. The last German Grand Prix here was in 2013, and F1’s last visit was the one-off Eifel Grand Prix in 2020, on the GP circuit.
When is the 2027 24 Hours Nürburgring?
May 27–30, 2027. The 2026 race ran May 14–17 and was won by the No. 80 Mercedes-AMG.
What is the Karussell?
A banked, roughly 210-degree hairpin on the Nordschleife, officially the Caracciola-Karussell. Drivers drop their inside wheels onto steep concrete banking and hold the car there.
Explore More Racing Circuits
The Nürburgring is one of 40 circuits in our European racing directory. Making a trip of it? Spa-Francorchamps is about an hour and a half’s drive west, just over the border in Belgium.
Photo credits
- Header image: BedaNo1, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped and resized.
- A Ford Mustang GT3 during a pit…: RAVENOL2018, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- The No. 440 Porsche at round 2…: SunflowerYuri, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- A 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR at…: Lothar Spurzem, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, cropped and resized.
- A white Porsche 997 GT3 entering Brünnchen…: Dennis Irrgang from Deutschland(Germany), CC BY 2.0, cropped and resized.
- Track map of the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the…: Will Pittenger, Public domain, cropped and resized.
- The banked concrete Caracciola-Karussell corner on the…: Hejnjahns, CC0, cropped and resized.