Nuremberg

The site of a beautifully executed renaissance that restored the city of Nuremberg to its former glory after the war tore through its architectural core, the blemishes of turbulent times are fast fading in the light of its stunning revival. Nuremberg, Bavaria's second-largest city, was once the favored city of the Holy Roman Empire, vestiges of which can still be seen in impressive imperial castles and palaces that call the city home. Amid these is a generous sprinkling of half-timbered houses, churches that overflow with Gothic splendor and stone-carved beauties that sit firmly cemented in anciently laid-out streets and alleys. The city's prominence also transformed it into a stage for dictatorial Nazi activities and later served as the redeeming setting for the infamous Nuremberg Trials. While Nuremberg takes pride in the old, it also celebrates the new – with advanced science and technology, world-class museums, successful German enterprises (Adidas, Siemens), week-long Christmas time spectacles and a thriving troupe of bars, clubs, cafes and restaurants, Nuremberg is working toward embracing a new future.