Germany: Nuremberg

June 22-23: Our third stop in Germany is Nurnberg, or Nuremberg in English. It is 170 km north of Munich. Situated on the river of Pergnitz, Nuremberg is not only a paradise for lovers of its famous gingerbread and sausages, it is also the symbol of Germany's history.

photo: the red sandstone buildings and mostly Gothic architecture were really charming, and the city walls surrounding the old town still remain.

History: The earliest records of the town, the second largest in Bavaria, date drom 1050 when it was a trading settlement. From 1219, Nuremberg was an important centre of craft and commerce. Its most rapid development took place in the 15th and 16th centuries, when many prominent artists, craftsmen and intellectuals worked here, making Nuremberg one of the cultural centres of Europe.

For centuries, Nuremberg was the unofficial capital of the Holy Roman Empire and the preferred residence of German kings, who kept their crown jewels here. However, most people today still connect Nuremberg with the Nazis. Below are a slideshow of the pictures we took in Nuremberg.

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Accommodation: We stayed at Probst-Garni Hotel. According to the Lonely Planet travel guidebook, it is a pleasant, family-run outfit in the old centre. It is also near the train station, which is convenient as we are only staying one night in Nuremberg. The hotel, however, has no website for internet booking or communication by e-mail. A German friend helped to book the room by phone. The cost is Euro 70 per night. Note however that in Europe, most of the red light districts are located in close proximity of the train station.

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Nazi era: Nuremberg held great significance during the Nazi Germany era. Because of the city's position in the centre of Germany, the Nazi Party chose the city to be the site of huge and fanatical Nazi Party conventions – the Nuremberg rallies. The rallies were held annually from 1927 to 1938 in Nuremberg. After Hitler's rise to power in 1933 the Nuremberg rallies became huge state propaganda events, a center of Nazi ideals. At the 1935 rally, Hitler specifically ordered the Reichstag to convene at Nuremberg to pass the infamous anti-Semitic Nuremberg Laws which revoked German citizenship for all Jews.

source: Eyewitness Travel Germany; wikipedia; Lonely Planet, Germany