The German town of Nurburg, at 45 km from Bonn, near the Belgian border, is a traditional West German town in the middle of the Eifel mountains. A medieval castle guards the top of the 678 m (2,224 ft) hill where the city stands, surrounded by the longest racetrack in the world, the legendary Nurburgring, which translates as "The Circuit of Nurburg" or as is commonly known, The Ring. Remarkable altitude changes, blind corners, a severe lack of runoff areas, and 223 rainy days on average during the year are some of the factors that make this racetrack one of the most dangerous and exciting in the world.
This motorsport racing complex consists of two independent racetracks, The Nordschleife (the north loop) and the GP Strecke (Grand Prix Track). The first one is almost 100 years old and is also known as the Green Hell, a monicker given to it by the F1 champion Jackie Stewart back in the 70'. As Formula 1 cars developed higher speeds over time, racing in the northern loop became so dangerous that, after several fatal accidents, the purpose-built GP Strecke came into operation. The north track remains open to the public (for a fee) from March to November, and drivers from all over the world make the pilgrimage to Nurburgring for a test drive (Touristenfahrten)
Nurburgring's Nordschleife is not only a tourist attraction: it is the world's longest permanent racetrack, where several official motorsports competitions such as the Nurburgring Endurance Series or the Nürburgring 24 Hours take place. On racing days, the toll stations at the starting bridge and the gantry gore at the end make way for an additional 1-mile straight segment closing the Nordschleife, increasing the circuit's average speed to a mind-blowing 170 km/h (106 mph).
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