The Henkersteg connects Trödelmarkt, with its many exclusive shops located idyllically on a small island in the Pegnitz, and Unschlittplatz.

It was over this wooden bridge that the "Henker" - the Executioner - would walk from his isolated house on the island into the city. In the Middle Ages, the executioner was not allowed to have contact with honorable citizens. The Henkersteg was built after the flood of 1595, which destroyed the previous bridge.