Historic Nuremberg is the perfect town for Christmas markets
The picture-perfect medieval Old Town hosts Germany's most celebrated Christmas market with locals claiming they make the world's best gingerbread
WALKING through the cold, eerie cellars below Nuremberg’s Old Town, it’s easy to imagine yourself as one of World War Two’s so-called Monuments Men.
Some of the 700-year-old vaults were used to store priceless art the Nazis plundered from all over Europe during the conflict.
It was up to the special Allied Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives unit to get the treasures back.
The mission was recounted in the 2014 Hollywood movie, The Monuments Men, starring and directed by George Clooney.
Nuremberg may forever be known for its darkest time in history — the Nazis hosted rallies in the city, while the Allies used it to hold the war crimes trials.
But modern Nuremberg has much more to offer than its sombre past.
With peace came the chance to restore the bomb-hit city.
As well as the picture-perfect medieval Old Town, it is now home to Germany’s most celebrated Christmas market, while locals claim they make the world’s best gingerbread.
We stayed in the Maritim Hotel Nürnberg, a ten-minute walk from the Old Town and 15-minute train ride from the airport.
Our next stop was the Kaiserberg, or Imperial Castle, which towers over the city.
The castle dates back to the 12th century and offers incredible views of the red-roofed city.
The Hexenhäusle in the Altstadt is the best spot to try Bratwurst.
Locals and tourists pile into this traditional restaurant to get their fix of the homemade sausages, served with sauerkraut and potato salad.
With such a rich history, the Hausbrauerei Altstadthof craft brewery is also worth a visit.
Its beers contain only local organic ingredients — and there’s no better way to try them than with the metre of beer platter, comprising 11 samples of their most popular brews.
The Nazi Party Rally Grounds and Documentation Centre on the outskirts is the place to explore the city’s central role in the war.
The Nazis hosted many rallies here but it is now a sports and concert venue.
It was originally commissioned by Hitler to host 50,000 spectators for one speech a year, but the outbreak of war stopped building work.
After 1945, Nuremberg was the site where Nazi war criminals were tried.
Courtroom 600 in the Palace of Justice was opened to the public in 2010 and is still used for high-profile cases today.
If you have an extra day or two, travel an hour by train to fairytale-like Rothenburg, Germany’s best-preserved walled town.
In the Middle Ages, when Berlin and Munich were just villages, Rothenburg was Germany’s second-largest city.
There’s 1,000 years of history packed between a web of cobbled lanes, higgledy-piggledy houses, walls with views over a vast valley and adorable bakeries on every corner.
A walking tour of the city’s ramparts bring history alive.
Our first stop is the Christmas shop, Kathe Wohlfahrt.
Founded in 1964 by Kathe and her husband Wilhelm, it is a sight to behold.
Entering the store you are greeted by a 16ft-high white Christmas tree decorated with 1,000 ornaments.
It is a maze of small rooms and has the most decorations I have ever seen in one place — it is worth a visit, no matter what time of year it is.
Upstairs is a museum, showing the mini-trees sent in boxes to World War One soldiers on the front line and the first glass baubles.
Then, taking a more sinister turn, we visited the Medieval Crime and Punishment Museum.
It is full of diabolical instruments of torture, so a word of caution to those with a weak stomach.
For somewhere special to eat, visit the Eisenhut next door to the Christmas shop.
A 12th-century house turned luxury hotel and restaurant, historic icons such as Winston Churchill and William Randolph Hearst have dined here.
The exquisite food and wine is sourced from local farms, fisheries and vineyards and is enjoyed in a dining room overlooking the countryside.
Nuremberg may have a dark past but it definitely has a great future as a cracking city-break destination.
Go: Nuremberg
GETTING THERE: BMI flies six times a week from Birmingham to Nuremberg from £81 one way, including 23kg of hold luggage and complimentary in-flight drinks and snacks. See flybmi.com.
STAYING THERE: Rooms at the Maritim Hotel Nuremberg start from £70 a night. Head to maritim.com.
OUT & ABOUT: The Nürnberg Card costs from €25 for access to many popular tourist spots and unlimited public transport for two days.
