Nuremberg

Nuremberg needs 2 days: the Imperial Castle (Kaiserburg) and the walled old town on one, the Documentation Center at the former Nazi rally grounds, one of Germany's most important memorial sites, on the other. December for the Christkindlesmarkt, one of Europe's oldest and most famous Christmas markets; May-September for the rest of the year. It's cheaper than Munich. It was the city of the great Nazi Party rallies in the 1930s and the site of the Nuremberg Trials after World War II, a historical weight the city addresses head-on in its museums rather than hiding it.