What we think of as the original Nürburgring is more properly known as the Nordschleife ('the Northern Loop') because there was another part to the original circuit: the Südschleife ('the Southern Loop').

Although the Südschleife was effectively destroyed as part of the Ring when the current Grand Prix circuit was built, about half of it was turned into a road, some of it is now access road to part of the Grand Prix circuit car-park and part of it is just abandoned tarmac.

Robin Lord created this map:

I used the map to find it during a trip there. After finding a way onto the abandoned tarmac on foot, I decided to see if I could actually drive on it. I started by getting a GPS fix on the section I'd walked on and then drove around access roads until I found my way onto it. I was then able to drive the entire length of the section marked above in blue. :-)

The top section is used as a car-park access road
and is in good condition, with Nordschleife-style paint-marks visible

The lower section is completely abandoned,
with grass growing through the tarmac, boulders in the road, etc

The end of the abandoned section -
the part which is now road is visible across the grass

It seemed rude not to help myself to a piece of the broken-up tarmac :-)

The section which is now a road