Where to stay

The classic German half-timber house finds full expression in Nuremberg's center. Book a room in the Sebalder Altstadt, along the northern bank of the Pegnitz River, to spend days in quiet streets that have not changed much since the famed artist Albrecht Dürer called the city home. Museum buffs will love Marienvorstadt district, which, though marked by a more distinctly modern architectural style, is packed with cultural institutions alongside pleasant hotels. For a thorough reckoning with Nuremberg's darker past, find accommodations in Dutzendteich, whose parks are dispersed among sites that changed the course of the 20th century.

From sausages and schnitzel to beer and mulled wine, Bavaria, and Nuremberg in particular, has one of the most famous food cultures in all of Germany. Stay in the center of the action in the Knoblauchsland neighborhood, which clusters around the Hauptmarkt, the location for the city's annual Christmas Markets. Farmers sell their wares here all summer. Drink traditional Bavarian beer in medieval pubs and go home to a medieval hotel in the Lorenzer Altstadt, the livelier part of the Old Town. For a more upscale experience, book accommodations in Nordstadt, which is known for its parks and fine dining.

Nuremberg is known for its agricultural countryside, whose fields provide the bounty that fills the trestle tables in the city's restaurants. Feel thoroughly far from the city, even though it's right nearby, in the Gebersdorf neighborhood. Take walks every day in the Wohrder Wiese when staying in leafy Oststadt, particularly good for families. More walks are available in the famous St. John's Cemetery that anchors the residential St. Johannis District, whose hotels are a perfect home base for exploring the area.