This pretty city has a long history and its position in Bavaria means it is also set in some beautiful surroundings, with the majestic Alps to the south.

The oldest part of the impressive Town Hall (Rathaus) contains the great ceremonial hall, which was built in the 14th century and was once the largest secular hall north of the Alps.

However, perhaps the most impressive structure in Nuremberg remains the Imperial Castle, or Kaiserburg, which sits proudly on top of the Old Town hill. Used by the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire from the 11th century to 1571, the castle was one of the most important centres of power during the Middle Ages and the town which grew up around it laid the foundations for today's modern city.

Art is a central feature of the beauty of Nuremburg and despite the heavy bombings of the Second World War, much of this managed to survive thanks to the medieval rock-cut cellars which lie 24 metres beneath the castle hill.