The Complex Guide To The Nürburgring

Image via Complex Original

Read the bucket list of any real automotive enthusiast and "Visit and drive the Nürburgring" is sure to be in the top five. Built in the 1920s to provide racers a safer alternative to racing on public roads, the 'Ring has gone through a number of changes and revisions resulting in the set-up we have today: a modern Grand Prix track built in 1984 and a longer, wilder North Loop called the Nordschleife.

It's the track auto companies use to test their performance cars, the track a Chinese company attempted, but failed to replicate, the track racing legend Jackie Stewart called The Green Hell. It's legendary. Even if you have no plans to drive it, you should still visit and set up shop with the spectators and watch the amazing array of cars fly around the 73 corners.

This Sunday, the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Germany will take place at the Nürburgring Grand Prix track. While it's too late for you to plan a trip to go watch it in person, we thought it to be the perfect time to prep you on what to do should you decide to make the trip to the 'Ring.

Fly: Cologne Bonn Airport

Address: Grengel, 51147 Cologne, Germany

Three airports service the area surrounding Nürburg: Frankfurt Main which is 100 miles away; Frankfurt-Hahn which is 50 miles away, but has no direct flights from NYC; and Cologne Bonn Airport which accepts international flights and sits about 40 minutes away from the town of Nürburg. We recommend flying into Cologne. If you're leaving from one of the major cities on the east coast, you can hop on a direct flight. 

Stay: Lindner Congress & Motorsport Hotel 

Address: Stefan-Bellof-Straße D-53520 Nürburg

Flip through some guide books or scroll around some message boards and websites and you'll be directed to stay at the Hotel Tiergarten. We understand why: It's close to the Nordschleife (the North Loop and oldest section of the track, also the section you can actually drive on). However, for our greenbacks-turned-Euros, we'd rather stay at the Linder Motorsport Hotel. 

That lobby is adorned with motorsport memorabilia, the rooms are named after famous race car drivers, and if your room is properly positioned, you can stand on your balcony and see some wondrous machines ripping down the back straight of the Grand Prix circuit. 

Once you leave your room, you can take a stroll around the grounds and see the cars up close. And, on the rare occasion that the roller coaster is working, you can take a ride while scoping out the entire track. Now, that sounds better, right? 

Eat: Pistenklause

Address: Kirchweg 4, 53520 Nürburg

When it comes to local eaterys, there's no disputing where you must go before your time in Nürburg is up. Pistenklause. Every famous racetrack has a place where the drivers and the fans would congregate and talk shop, this is the Nürburgring's. A bit cramped with the appeal of a local pub, Pistenklause has a wide selection of beers on tap and serves up many great dishes, but the one you must try is the Hot Stone Steak. Like the name implies, the Hot Stone Steak is simply a choice cut of prime meat served on a searing stone which allows you to cook your steak the way you want it. Here's the rub: It's right outside of Hotel Tiergarten. We know, we know... 

Shop: ED Gas Station

Address: Meuspath, 53520 Nürburg

Shopping at a gas station? Yes. Seems odd, we know. We were hesitant when we were brought to ED for the first time, as well. Then we saw a BMW M3 GTS and a Porsche 911 GT3 pull in to fill their tanks before heading to the Nordschleife and decided to stay a while. Besides the crazy array of race-prepped cars that flow in and out of the gas station, the adjoined shop stores a great selection of Nürburgring memorabilia like shirts, DVDs, posters, awesome books, and steering wheels. Walk to the back room and you'll be completely surrounded by one of the sickest model car collections we've ever seen. Any car you like, ED has a model for it. You're going to pass it going to and from the 'Ring, you might as well stop in. 

Drive: RSR Nürburg

Address: Antoniusweg 1a, Nürburg

If you're travelling to the 'Ring we're assuming you don't have a race-prepped car waiting for you at the airport. No worries, you can rent one. RSR Nürburg lets you choose between hot hatches and super cars, depending on your skill level and price range. For as little as $400 you can rent a Renault Clip Cup for two hours to drive on the track. If you think you want something a little more potent and have the dough to get it, you can opt for a Porsche GT3 Cup, GT3 RS 997, the amazing GT3 997 3.8, a Lotus Exige 240S , or a BMW M3. RSR also offers one-day on-track instruction for those looking to improve their wheel game. 

See: BMW Ring-Taxi

Address: Nürburgring Nordschleife

No matter how fast you're able to lap the 'Ring on Gran Turismo, nothing compares to the real thing. You can rent a car and try to tackle it, and you should, but you're going to be driving extremely slow because if you don't, there's a good chance you'll run your car into the guardrails. To truly experience The Green Hell, you should hire a driver with a bigger skill set and a faster, more capable car. You should hire the BMW Ring-Taxi. 

Since 1986, BMW has taken over 90,000 visitors around the 'Ring in one of their M models, driven by one of their factory race drivers like Claudia Hürtgen. Whipping around the track's 73 corners at race speed is the only way you'll ever come to grips with how amazing the Nürburgring is.