Nibelheim is the hometown of both Cloud and Tifa. It is located in the north western area of the westernmost continent. Mount Nibel and the Nibel Reactor are close by and you can access the Shinra Mansion in the north section of the town.
There are two separate occasions where the story of the game will lead you through the town of Nibelheim, but there are also a number of side quests you can complete and return trips that you can make later on in the game.
The first time the story takes you to Nibelheim is during the flashback sequence when the team arrives at the Kalm Inn. This flashback involves a young Cloud, Tifa and Sephiroth as they make their way through Mount Nibel to the Nibel Reactor. Check out the Kalm walkthrough page for additional details.
The second time you head through Nibelheim is when the team arrives there in the current time period. They will simply pass right through the area on their way to Mount Nibel and through to Junon. Check out the Nibelheim walkthrough page for more details regarding this visit.
During the second visit on Disc 1 you can take the opportunity to venture in and explore the Shinra Mansion. This is where you complete the side quest to obtain the optional secret character: Vincent Valentine. Check out the Secret Character section by clicking on the link below:
You can also return on two separate occasions to obtain the following items:
Elemental Materia
Final Heaven
Check out the “Return to Nibelheim” side quest section for additional details:
There is a shop in Nibelheim where you can purchase the following items:
The map below shows the location of Nibelheim on the World Map: