Photo by Morgan Orr Nurnberg Castle, sitting high above the city on a sandstone rock, was built in the 14th century. Founded over a millennium ago, Nürnberg, Germany, has been a trade center in the medieval Holy Roman Empire, a cultural hub in the German Renaissance, host of Nazi party rallies in the 1930s and later the War Trials, and now as an important relic and testament to times past. As the largest and most important city in Franconia, the city teems with life and presents a classic view of Germany.

Franconia, located in the north of the state of Bavaria, is often viewed by the more proper Bavarians as a cultural backwater inhabited largely by farmers. One step within the ancient walls of Nürnberg, however, brings a different reality. After the allied bombings of 1945 destroyed nearly 90 percent of the original city, Nürnberg has been rebuilt to its former grandeur. The Hauptmarkt, or Main Market, fills with stalls selling everything from cherries to asparagus. Medieval churches have been restored and cobblestone streets replaced.

Less well known is the role of Nürnberg in the National Socialist German Workers' Party, better known as the Nazi Party. Even before the rise of Adolf Hitler, Nürnberg held rallies and parades as a unifying force in the region for the Workers' Party. After taking control of the party and ultimately the country, Hitler had an enormous rally ground constructed southeast of the city. All of the most famous images of storm troopers, massive crowds and unending parades and speeches come from Nürnberg in the 1930s.

Kongresshall, has been erected to tell the story of Nürnberg's role in the formation of the Workers' Party and the consequences of the resulting Nazi party rule. The DokuZentrum or Documentation Center shares the city's sometimes dark history and seeks to find answers for the future in learning from the mistakes from the past.

Among the many famous residents of Nürnberg is Albrecht Dürer, a 16th century artist known throughout Europe both for his famous paintings and his prints and woodcuts. A museum is located in Dürer's former house, and statues of his likeness and his most famous works fill the city.

Nürnberg is also well known for its specific type of bratwurst. Known as Nürnberger Bratwürste, the sausage is rolled thinner and shorter than more traditional bratwurst. Residents of the city swear by the supremacy of their Nürnbergers and eat them more as a snack than a sit- down meal. Ordering "drei im weckla," or three- in- a- roll, is the preferred method of consumption. Only tourists order Nürnbergers in numbers that are not multiples of three.

From fresh, local food to art and history, Nürnberg can boast of an authentic experience.