Bamberg or Wurzberg or Nurnberg?

In 2007, I spent a full day (2 nts) in Würzburg, a morning in Bamberg, and an afternoon in Nürnberg. I could have spent more time in any of them, but I thought the proportions were about right.

Of the three, I thought Würzburg, with the Marienberg Festung (fortress), was the most interesting. I didn't care much for the Residenz.

I had only planned on visiting Bamberg for the Rathaus built onto the bridge. After I saw it, I dropped in on a street fair in the square next to it and had a great time, but I don't know if that always happens. I think there is also a museum and church worth seeing in Bamberg.

In Nürnberg, I walked from the Bahnhof to the castle, going through the marktplatz and seeing the famous fountain. I think there is a war museum (or something) there, but I didn't see it.

Wurzburg is a good choice. If you see everything that interests you there the 1st day, you could do a day trip down to Rothenburg the 2nd day.

You should get a lot of different answers to this because each place is someone's favorite. You will see these three mentioned many times on all the travel boards.

I like Würzburg best for the castle (with two good museums) and the altstadt pedestrian zone. I lived there for about 18 months and it is my favorite city in Germany. The Residenz is decorated in Rococo style. My wife likes the Residenz more than I. Würzburg is a wine center.

I also lived in Nürnberg during my Army career. It is more into WWII history. I really liked Nürnberg but not as much as Würzburg. It has the best shopping of the three in my wife's opinion. I most enjoyed 3 ancient churches there.

I have visited Bamberg a couple times. The Dom (Cathedral) is the burial place of a pope and an emperor; it is a grand old church. Bamberg's alstadt is very scenic. Many of its buildings have been converted to Baroque decorations. It is a beer center.

These towns are similar but still have unique features. I would read about them to see which appeals most to you rather than taking someone's word for it. I think that you can not go wrong with any of them.

Regards, Gary

For the teens, Nurnberg seems to have most young people wandering about, especially in the pedestrian-only areas within the old city walls. If you had younger kids (I'm not sure exactly what constitutes a "tween" these days), Nurnberg would win hands down because of the railroad and toy museums. And for history buffs, Nurnberg also has the single largest remains of the Nazi-era (surprisingly scarce throughout Germany), although the Nazi parade grounds are well outside the city center.

Michael, would LOVE the name of your prefered hotel!

Wurzburg is one of my favorites in the area. My rating is probably based on a combination of quaintness and quality of sights to visit. For a smallish place, Wurzburg has a lot to see.

I would go for Nuremberg. Lots of things to see and the Dokumentation centre was amazing. It is also close to Bamberg if you want to do a day trip.

Würzburg, Nürnberg, and Bamberg are all close together - about an hour from either Würzburg or Nürnberg to Bamberg, 1½ hrs between Würzburg and Nürnberg, all by regional trains.