Nuremberg

The Kaiserburg, the rally grounds and Courtroom 600 in two days

Two days in Nuremberg cover the medieval old town and its 20th-century history. Day one runs from the Kaiserburg and Dürer's House to St. Sebald, the Hauptmarkt and St. Lorenz; day two takes in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, the Nazi rally grounds and Doku-Zentrum, and Courtroom 600, where the Nuremberg Trials were held.

Day one, morning. Walk up through the Sebald quarter to the Kaiserburg as it opens. The tour of the Deep Well, sunk through the sandstone to a depth of about 50 metres, and the climb up the Sinwell Tower are the highlights. Come down via Tiergärtnertorplatz to Albrecht Dürer's House.

Afternoon. Visit St. Sebald for its bronze shrine of the saint, then drop to the Hauptmarkt in time for the noon Männleinlaufen on the Frauenkirche, and turn the brass ring in the railings of the Schöner Brunnen for luck. Cross the river on the Museumsbrücke and look upstream at the Heilig-Geist-Spital. In St. Lorenz, find Adam Kraft's stone tabernacle and the Angelic Salutation.

Evening. Eat bratwurst at one of the grill kitchens near St. Sebald, then walk the river path past the Henkersteg and the Weinstadel.

Day two, morning. Spend the morning in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, whose collection runs from prehistoric gold to Dürer and the oldest surviving terrestrial globe.

Afternoon. Ride tram 8 to the Doku-Zentrum and walk the rally grounds: the Kongresshalle, the Great Road and the Zeppelin tribune across the Dutzendteich. Then take the U1 west to Bärenschanze for Courtroom 600 and the Memorium Nuremberg Trials.

Evening. Finish in Gostenhof or back in the old town with a Rotbier at the Altstadthof brewery.

Courtroom 600 in the Palace of Justice is where the International Military Tribunal opened its trial of leading Nazi figures on 20 November 1945. The Memorium Nuremberg Trials exhibition sits above it, and the courtroom itself is part of the visit.

Rostbratwurst Drei im Weggla, Schäufele and Elisenlebkuchen

Nuremberg's signature food is the Nürnberger Rostbratwurst, a finger-length pork sausage with marjoram grilled over beechwood and served by the half dozen or as Drei im Weggla in a roll. Franconian Schäufele, Rotbier and Lebkuchen complete the list; the finest Lebkuchen, Elisenlebkuchen, are made mainly from nuts.

The sausage is the star. Nürnberger Rostbratwurst are thin pork sausages about the length of a finger, seasoned with marjoram and grilled over beechwood. In a restaurant they come by the half dozen or dozen on a heart-shaped pewter plate, with sauerkraut or potato salad and a dab of horseradish. On the street, order Drei im Weggla: three sausages in a crusty roll with mustard. For something different, try Saure Zipfel (also called Blaue Zipfel), sausages poached in a vinegar and onion broth that turns them pale blue-grey.

The old grill kitchens are part of the experience. The Bratwurstküche Zum Gulden Stern, south of the river, has been grilling sausages since the 15th century, and the Bratwursthäusle sits right beside St. Sebald.

Franconian cooking goes well beyond sausages. Schäufele, roast pork shoulder with crackling, comes with a potato dumpling and dark beer gravy, and in the cold months carp from the ponds of the region is fried in halves. Wash it down with Rotbier, the city's amber lager, or one of the many small-brewery beers from the surrounding countryside.

Lebkuchen has been made here since the Middle Ages, when spices came through Nuremberg's trading houses. The finest, Elisenlebkuchen, are made mainly from ground nuts and sit on a thin wafer, plain, iced or chocolate-coated. Buy them from the bakery shops around the Hauptmarkt year-round, not only at Christmas.

Volksfest, Bardentreffen and the Christkindlesmarkt through the year

Nuremberg has frosty winters, with January lows around -3C, and summers near 25C; May, June and September are the most comfortable months. The main events are the spring and autumn Volksfest by the Dutzendteich, the Bardentreffen music festival in late July or early August, and the Christkindlesmarkt on the Hauptmarkt in Advent.

Nuremberg's weather is continental. January averages a high of 4C and a low of -3C, so frost is normal, while July and August reach about 25C. April is the driest month at about 33 mm, and summer rain comes in short storms, with July the wettest at about 77 mm. That makes May, June and September the most comfortable months for walking the walls.

The city builds a lot of its year around festivals. The Frühlingsvolksfest around Easter and the larger autumn Herbstvolksfest from late August fill the fairground by the Dutzendteich with beer tents and rides. In May, the Blaue Nacht keeps museums and churches open into the night with light installations across the old town. Early June belongs to Rock im Park, a large rock festival held on the rally grounds around the Zeppelinfeld.

Summer's highlight is the Bardentreffen, a free festival of folk and world music on stages in the old-town squares, usually on a weekend in late July or early August. In autumn the Altstadtfest brings Franconian food and wine stalls to the Hans-Sachs-Platz and the river island.

Then comes Advent and the Christkindlesmarkt, with its red-and-white striped stalls on the Hauptmarkt, plum-figure Zwetschgenmännla and mulled wine. A separate children's market sits on the Hans-Sachs-Platz, and a market of sister cities stands on the Rathausplatz. The market closes on Christmas Eve.