Nuremberg

A medieval Imperial Castle and half-timbered old town, the Christkindlesmarkt, Nuremberg sausages and the history of the WWII trials, with Bamberg and Rothenburg within a day trip.

Nuremberg lies in Franconia in northern Bavaria, Germany, and is Bavaria's second-largest city. In the Middle Ages it was the "unofficial capital" of the Holy Roman Empire, where emperors resided at the Imperial Castle on the castle hill, and Albrecht Dürer lived and worked here; in the 20th century it entered the history books through the Nazi Party rallies and the post-war Nuremberg Trials. About 90% of the old town was destroyed in WWII and rebuilt to its original appearance after the war, and the 5 km city wall survives largely intact. The city divides into three areas: first, the walled old town, split by the Pegnitz River – the north bank has the castle, Albrecht Dürer's House, the Hauptmarkt, St. Sebaldus Church and Weißgerbergasse, and the south bank has St. Lorenz Church, the pedestrian shopping streets and the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, all walkable; second, the WWII history trail, with the Nazi Party Rally Grounds and Documentation Centre in the south-eastern outskirts and the Memorium Nuremberg Trials in the west; and third, day trips to the World Heritage town of Bamberg (about 40–60 minutes away) and Rothenburg ob der Tauber, star of the Romantic Road (about 1–1.5 hours). The climate is mild continental, with cool, pleasant summers; the Christkindlesmarkt, from late November to 24 December, is the busiest time of year, so book accommodation months ahead; winters are cold, so pack warm clothes. Getting there: the U-Bahn runs directly from Nuremberg Airport to the city centre, though travellers from China usually connect via Frankfurt or Munich and take an ICE train for about 1–2 hours; the U-Bahn and trams cover the main sights. Allow 2–3 days (including one day trip). Don't miss Nuremberg Rostbratwurst, Lebkuchen gingerbread and Franconian red beer. Many museums close on Mondays, so plan accordingly.

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