Notorious, Glorious Nuremberg

Nuremberg arguably follows Berlin in terms of World War II infamy. It was a main rallying ground for the Nazi party, in large part because of its imperial history, and it was the location of the famous Nuremberg trials in which Nazi officials were prosecuted. Today, the city performs a balancing act as it showcases both its glorious and notorious pasts.

First, let's examine its glorious past. Nuremberg is a medieval city surrounded by 13th century walls, and it was the imperial center of Germany. You can visit the Kaiserberg, the one-time residence of the Holy Roman Emperor, with buildings dating back as much as 1,000 years. Back in the day, Nuremberg was the center of the German kingdom and the unofficial capital of the Roman Empire, and it's that history that made Hitler choose this city as his starting base. The Third Reich refers to three kingdoms, the first of which was centered here.

I toured Nuremberg on a coach bus during my riverboat cruise, and we focused largely on the city's more recent notorious past. We visited a giant coliseum-shaped arena that the Nazis were building, drove past the site of the Nuremberg trials and learned a lot about how Hitler utilized new technologies like a media pro. We also got to see plans Hitler had for future buildings that fortunately never materialized.

More than half a century later, this large Bavarian city has much to offer. World War II history buffs naturally have countless sites to visit, but there is also a lot to see for those interested in medieval architecture and culture. For example, there's the Nuremberg Castle, which is actually a combination of three different castles (including the aforementioned Kaiserberg). There's the famous Hospital of the Holy Spirit, a 700-year-old medical center that was once of the most important in the Middle Ages. There's the Hauptmarkt, famous for its gingerbread, and the famous Nuremberg Ring that's said to give luck to all who touch it.

On my tour of the city, the guide highlighted the city's more positive past while fully discussing its darker decades. And of course, he made it crystal clear that the people of Nuremberg — and of all Germany, for that matter — are truly humiliated and torn apart by its recent history, even if most of them were born many years after the fact.

This is what makes Nuremberg such a fascinating city. It has an incredible past as a major center of the world, and there's so much to make the people proud. Unfortunately, a rising political star latched onto this imperial past in the '30s and sucked the life right out of it. Nuremberg is truly a town stuck between a royal history and a royal tragedy, a dichotomy its citizens will forever try to balance.