Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [312]
Zoo
Nuremberg Zoo ( 545 46; www.tiergarten.nuernberg.de; Am Tiergarten 30; adult/child €7.50/3.70; 8am-7.30pm Apr-Sep, 9am-5pm Oct-Mar) An open-air zoo and Dolphinarium with enclosures as close as possible to the animals’ natural habitats. Take bus 5 from the Hauptbahnhof.
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Sleeping
Accommodation gets tight and rates rocket during the Christmas market and toy fair (trade only) in late January to early February. At other times, cheap rooms can be found, especially if you book ahead.
BUDGET
Knaus-Campingpark ( 981 2717; www.knauscamp.de; Hans-Kalb-Strasse 56; per tent/person €3.50/6.50) A camping ground near the lakes in the Volkspark, southeast of the city centre. Take the U1 to Messezentrum, then walk about 1km.
Lette ‘m sleep ( 992 8128; www.backpackers.de; Frauentormauer 42; dm €16-20, d €49, linen €3; ) Conveniently located within the old town wall and just five minutes from the Hauptbahnhof, this is a great place to grab some shut-eye and meet fellow travellers. The excellent facilities include a cosy common room, kitchen, bar, free web access and a basement laundry (€5 per load). The rooftop apartments boast their own kitchens and are ideal for groups of friends. Staff are a mine of information on the city and the wider Franconia region.
DJH hostel ( 230 9360; www.nuernberg.jugendherberge.de; Burg 2; dm under/over 27yr €21.90/25.90) A 20-minute walk north of the Hauptbahnhof, this spotless youth hostel in the former castle stables has 382 beds in bright airy dorms. It’s open year-round.
Probst-Garni Hotel ( 203 433; fax 205 9336; Luitpoldstrasse 9; s €46-56, d €59-75) A pleasant, family-run outfit in the old centre, with spacious modern quarters, as clean as a new pin. The 39 rooms, each with a slightly different colour scheme, are spread over three floors and are adequately distant from somewhat sleazy Luitpoldstrasse.
MIDRANGE
Art & Business Hotel ( 232 10; www.art-business-hotel.com; Gleissbühlstrasse 15; s €60-89, d €84-145; ) You don’t have to be an artist or a business person to stay at this new, up-to-the-minute place, a retro sport shoe’s throw from the Hauptbahnhof. Rooms are a study in diligently composed minimalism, while technicolour art and design brings cheer to the communal spaces. Rates tumble at weekends.
Hotel Elch ( 249 2980; www.hotel-elch.de; Irrerstrasse 9; s/d €69/85; ) This dramatically historic hotel, occupying a 14th-century half-timbered house near the Kaiserburg, has petite rooms up a narrow medieval staircase. Breakfast is served in the quaint woody restaurant, the Schnitzelria, which does a good line in Franconian beers and, yes, Schnitzel.
Hotel Deutscher Kaiser ( 242 660; www.deutscher-kaiser-hotel.de; Königstrasse 55; s €87-162, d €106-188; ) A grand sandstone staircase leads to ornately decorated rooms in this 1880s-built hotel in the Altstadt. The ‘Kaiser’ rooms are slightly dearer but superior to the standard doubles, with bidets in the bathrooms, brocaded curtains and carved bedsteads. The elegant reading room is a gem.
Hotel Drei Raben ( 274 380; www.hotel-drei-raben.de; Königstrasse 63; s & d €100-185; ) This designer theme hotel builds upon the legend of three ravens perched on the building’s chimney stack, who tell each other stories from Nuremberg lore. Each of the 21 rooms uses its style and humour to tell a particular tale – from the life of Dürer to the history of the locomotive.
TOP END
Agneshof ( 214 440; www.agneshof-nuernberg.de; Agnesgasse 10; s €90-175, d €112-225; ) The Agneshof is a real pleasure – an oasis of calm with an upbeat artsy air, first-rate facilities and elegant contemporary rooms. If you feel like some pampering, try the whirlpool and in-house health treatments. The comfy Kaiser suites offer unparalleled views of the castle.
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Eating
RESTAURANTS
Sushi Glas ( 205 9901; Kornmarkt 7; sushi from €4.50; noon-11pm Mon-Wed, noon-midnight Thu-Sat, 6-10pm Sun) Take a pew in this 21st-century sugar cube to watch the sushi chef deftly craft your order. When the