Nürnberg, or Nuremberg as it’s known in English, is the second largest city in Bavaria, once known as the place where Nazism reached its peak.

Situated on the Pegnitz River, Nürnberg was at one time an important and majestic medieval town, a cultural and industrial centre which gave birth to masters like the painter Albrecht Dürer and the reformer Melanchthon; but all of this splendour was destroyed in the devastating bombing of World War II. Many of Nürnberg’s historic buildings have been restored; it’s again an important industrial centre (toys and gingerbread are among the more popular products!) and it’s again flooded with tourists.

Among Nürnberg’s most popular tourist attractions are the delightful Spielzugmuseum- the Toys Museum- a must for anyone who’s young at heart, and the Albrecht Dürer House, a Gothic building which houses Dürer’s paintings and memorabilia. St Lorenzkirche, the largest and most regal of Nürnberg’s cathedrals, with its twin towers, exquisite carved stone and lovely stained glass- a Gothic masterpiece; the Romanesque- Gothic church of St Sebalduskirche; and the rather macabre medieval prison of Lochgefängnis are also high up on the list of `what to visit’. Also worth a trip are the huge medieval fortress of Kaiserburg which was once the residence of the German kings, and the excellent German National Museum, the Germanisches National museum. The latter is the largest of its kind in the country and houses an impressive range of German art and handicrafts over the ages, extending from the Stone Age to medieval masters.

Nürnberg is pretty well connected to the rest of Germany and Europe by plane, train and road. The local airport, though small, has flights to a number of European cities, in addition to chartered flights; and the Nürnberg railway station has connections to most major German cities. Besides this, you can get to Nürnberg by bus, by car (the A9 autobahn, going north-south, links the city to Berlin and Munich), or even by boat- there are riverboats plying on the Main-Danube Canal.

Within Nürnberg, a rented car or bicycle is a good way to move around, as is the local subway and the bus network; the city’s main tourist attractions, though, are so close together that you might even consider seeing them on foot.

Nürnberg has a wide range of tourist accommodation, although options in the budget segment are relatively limited. Dining and entertainment in the city are both of a high standard, and offer quite a wide range of choices.

For more country information, see Germany.