Nuremberg was rebuilt after World War II, and remains committed to connecting the past with the present and future, from its outstanding architecture to its cultural agenda. You can walk from a historic downtown market downtown straight to the New Museum, where mirrored walls reflect — both literally and figuratively — on the past while curving into the city. At the Memorium Nuremberg Trials, there’s an exhibition space above the original court and, as of 2020, a public Courtroom 600, where the Nuremberg Trials were held.
Memorium Nuremberg Trials Courtroom 600. Photo: Steffen Oliver Riese / City of Nuremberg
In 2026, work will finish on the Documentation Center, where visitors can engage with a new permanent exhibition and dynamic art spaces exploring political propaganda and world politics. The original building was a Nazi Party Rally Ground, and standing there is intentionally unsettling. The Austrian architect Günther Domenig designed a modern structure to cut diagonally through the historical building, exposing materials and inviting visitors to question the building as well. Inside is Café Arthur, a meeting place that aims to foster diversity, inclusion, and tolerance.
Cultural and historical sites abound on Nuremberg’s streets. A walking tour covering the architectural highlights takes 2-to-3 hours. Don’t miss the Main Market Square, where the Church of Lady Nuremberg and the Beautiful Fountain are, or the Hospital of the Holy Spirit that built over a river so blood from surgeries could easily be washed off into the water. Albrecht Dürer’s House is a favorite place for locals to sit on the floor and have a picnic, and the gorgeous Imperial Castle Nuremberg (one of Germany’s great castles to visit) has a panoramic view of the city.
All of that walking can be rewarded with a taste Franconian food and local beer or wine. Frankness, run by the chef-turned-celebrity Alexander Herrmann, offers a contemporary take on regional cuisine that’s prepared in front of guests in a wood-fired stone over using local ingredients.
To get to Nuremberg, fly into Frankfurt or Munich then take a direct train. Nuremberg and its surrounding area can be explored by bike, car, or regional trains.The UNESCO World Heritage Sites Regensburg and Bamberg are two of the best-preserved medieval old towns in Germany an hour or less away by train.
Margravine Wilhelmine street art in Bayreuth. Photo: Debbie Canada Gonzalez
Bayreuth, also one hour by train, is a perfect mini-trip worth tacking on in 2026. The art-filled city has street art honoring Margravine Wilhelmine, the 18th-century woman who helped bring so many artists to Bayreuth. She was the force behind some most outstanding buildings in the city, like the Margravial Opera House, two open-air theatres in the Hermitage Court Garden, and the Sanspareil Rock Garden. Among other artists, her efforts attracted Wagner, who ended up constructing his Opera House in Bayreuth. The 150th Opera Festival will run from July 24 to August 26 in 2026, but Bayreuth is well worth visiting any time of year.
Extend your time in Bayreuth with a stay at Liebesbier Urban Art Hotel, which is on the premises of Maisel & Friends brewery. The hotel has a panoramic sauna and an immersive art gallery. Seventy international street artists transformed every room and countless indoor and outdoor walls into breathtaking canvases. 