Nuremberg, while known for its beautiful medieval Old Town, also bears the stigma as a former center of Nazi propaganda. It was here that the monumental conventions of the NSDAP were held, and the city was to become a symbol of the power of the Third Reich. Today, these dark places serve as a warning and reminder of the dangers of totalitarianism.

The Congress Hall (Kongresshalle) is one of the most sinister relics of Nazi architecture in Nuremberg. This gigantic building, designed by Albert Speer, Hitler's chief architect, was intended to accommodate up to 50,000 people at party conventions. Never fully completed, today it stands as a ghastly monument to the megalomania of the Third Reich. Its monumental horseshoe-shaped structure was meant to reference the Roman Colosseum, symbolizing the continuity between the ancient empire and the millennia-old Reich. After the war, the building was used as a sports field for American soldiers and later as a rock concert venue. Today, part of the building is in a state of controlled disrepair, adding to the site's gloomy character. Inside the northern wing is the Documentation Center for Party Rally Sites, where you can learn about the history of Nazi rallies and propaganda.

The Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds (Dokumentationszentrum Reichsparteitagsgelände) is a state-of-the-art museum located just inside the north wing of the unfinished Congress Hall. Opened in 2001, it is a key point for understanding the city's Nazi past. The permanent exhibition, entitled 'Fascination and Terror,' depicts the history of party rallies, their propaganda dimensions and their impact on German society. Particularly moving is original footage showing the mass rallies that took place at the nearby Zeppelin Field. The museum does not shy away from difficult topics - it shows how Nuremberg went from being a 'city of party rallies' to a 'city of war trials.' The architecture of the center itself is symbolic - the steel bar piercing the building represents a painful reckoning with the past. Visitors will find particularly harrowing the mock-ups showing what the entire site was to look like after all the monumental buildings planned by the Nazis were completed.

The Zeppelin Field (Zeppelinfeld), although not mentioned directly in the list of sites, is an integral part of the party convention grounds and deserves mention. It was here that the largest NSDAP rallies were held, immortalized in Leni Riefenstahl's propaganda film 'Triumph of the Will'. A huge grandstand with a distinctive swastika (blown up by the Americans after the war) was the place from which Hitler gave fiery speeches to hundreds of thousands of supporters. Today, the abandoned, neglected site exudes an ominous energy. The concrete grandstands are slowly deteriorating, and nature is gradually reclaiming the site. Walking through the empty, huge parade ground, where thousands of uniformed party members once marched, evokes feelings of unease and reflection on how easily the human mass can be manipulated.

All of these sites make up the so-called Party Rally Grounds (Reichsparteitagsgelände), a huge complex covering 11 square kilometers that was intended to be a stage for Nazi propaganda. Today it is one of Germany's most important memorial sites, a reminder of a dark period of history. Nuremberg authorities have long pondered how to deal with this difficult legacy - whether to let it fall into disrepair or to preserve it as a warning. In the end, they decided on the latter solution, creating an educational path with information boards that help understand the historical context of these grim sites.

After the fall of the Third Reich, Nuremberg, once the center of Nazi propaganda, became a symbol of justice and reckoning with the wartime past. It was here that the famous Nuremberg trials were held, where Nazi war criminals were tried. Places associated with these events still exude a somber atmosphere and remind us of the dark pages of history.

The Palace of Justice (Palace of Justice) is a monumental court building that became the arena for one of the most important trials in human history. The choice of this site for the trials of Nazi leaders was not accidental - the Allies wanted to symbolically try the criminals in the city, which was the spiritual capital of Nazism. The building, which survived the war bombings almost unscathed, witnessed an unprecedented event - for the first time in history the leaders of the state were held accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity. In room 600, where the main hearings were held, the most important Nazis, including Hermann Göring, Rudolf Hess and Albert Speer, sat on the bench. The atmosphere in this room is almost palpable - you can imagine the tension surrounding the testimony of witnesses and the presentation of evidence of crimes that shocked the world. Interestingly, the building still functions as a courthouse, and Room 600 is used to hear criminal cases when not open to the public.

The Nuremberg Trials Memorial is a modern museum located in the attic of the Palace of Justice, opened in 2010. The exhibition documents the trials in detail, profiles the defendants, judges and prosecutors, and explains the significance of the events for the development of international criminal law. Particularly moving are the original recordings from the courtroom, showing the reactions of the defendants to the evidence of the crimes presented. The museum also explains why the Nuremberg trials were groundbreaking - for the first time in history the concept of crimes against humanity was formulated and the principle was established that following orders does not absolve one from criminal responsibility. Visitors will find particularly shocking the documents and photographs depicting Nazi crimes that were presented as evidence at the trials. The Memorium is not limited to the main trial at the International Military Tribunal - it also depicts 12 subsequent trials in which doctors, lawyers, industrialists and other collaborators of the regime were tried.

It is worth mentioning that the famous Nuremberg Laws of 1935, which disenfranchised Jews and provided the legal basis for subsequent persecution, were also promulgated at Nuremberg. Although there is no specific place commemorating this event (the laws were announced during a party convention), awareness of this fact adds an additional symbolic layer to the post-war trials - justice was done in the same city where the legal sanctioning of persecution began.

Visiting these sites, one can see the irony of history - the city that was supposed to be an eternal monument to Nazi ideology has become a symbol of its demise and settlement. The Palace of Justice and the Nuremberg Trials Memorial offer visitors not only a history lesson, but also prompt reflection on the nature of justice, responsibility and collective memory. The atmosphere of these places is decidedly different from that of the party convention grounds - there you can feel the horror of totalitarianism, here the seriousness of justice and the attempt to make reparations to the victims.

When comparing these two aspects of Nuremberg's dark history - the Nazi convention grounds and the trial sites - there is an interesting contrast. The convention grounds are monumental but falling into disrepair structures, symbolizing the decline of megalomaniacal ambitions. The Palace of Justice and the Memorial, on the other hand, are places that are still alive, actively involved in educating and shaping the memory of the past. While the Nazi buildings were meant to impress with their scale and intimidate, the trial sites are thought-provoking and remind us of the importance of the rule of law.

Nuremberg's dark history is not limited to the Nazi era. The city has a rich medieval past, full of mysteries, legends and ghostly tales that still fire the imagination of visitors today. The old walls and alleys conceal stories of witches, executioners and ghosts, which are said to still haunt some corners of the city.

Nuremberg Castle (Kaiserburg) towering over the city is not only an imposing fortress, but also a place shrouded in many legends. This medieval building, once guarding the merchant routes on the Germanic-Slavic border, has witnessed many dark events. The castle's vaults contain dungeons where prisoners were held awaiting execution. According to local legends, on dark nights one can hear the moans of imprisoned souls who have not received justice. Particularly eerie is the Deep Well (Tiefer Brunnen) carved into the rock 47 meters deep. Guides tell a macabre story about the prisoners forced to dig this well, who never saw the light of day. The castle also hides secret passageways and tunnels that, according to legends, led to different parts of the city, allowing escape in case of a siege. Today, strolling along the defensive walls, one can enjoy the panorama of the city, but also feel the weight of history and imagine the medieval executions that took place at the foot of the castle.

Albrecht Dürer's house, although mainly associated with the great Renaissance artist, also has its dark side. This five-story building from 1420, where Dürer lived and worked from 1509 until his death in 1528, is said to be haunted by the ghost of the master himself. Night watchmen and museum staff tell of inexplicable noises coming from the artist's studio, as if someone is still working on another work. Of particular interest are the basements of the house, where Dürer prepared paints, sometimes using poisonous substances. According to some theories, it was heavy metal poisoning that contributed to the artist's untimely death. In the house you can see a reconstruction of Dürer's studio with original tools and materials, allowing you to travel back in time to the era when masterpieces such as 'Melancholia' and 'Knight, Death and the Devil' were created. - prints full of dark symbolism that still fascinate and disturb viewers today.

Also worth mentioning are lesser-known but equally eerie places in Nuremberg. One of them is the Schöner Brunnen Well on the Main Square - a 19-meter-high Gothic fountain decorated with 40 figures. According to legend, some of the emperor's insignia are hidden inside it, and whoever turns the golden ring embedded in the lattice surrounding the well three times will get his wish. However, less well-known is the dark story associated with this fountain - during the plague epidemic in the 14th century, the water from the well was poisoned, contributing to the deaths of hundreds of residents. Another mysterious site is the Marriage Carousel (Ehekarussell), an unusual, grotesque fountain depicting the various stages of marriage, from love to death. This surreal sculpture by Jürgen Weber causes feelings of unease and discomfort in many people.

Nuremberg was also the site of the famous witch trials. In the basement of the city hall are preserved the cells where women accused of witchcraft were held before being tortured and executed. The city had its own 'Iron Maiden' - a sarcophagus-shaped torture instrument equipped with spikes that pierced the victim's body. Although the original was burned during the 1945 bombings, a replica can be seen at the Medieval Torture Museum.

Comparing all the sites described, one can see that each offers a different kind of 'dark experience'. The party convention grounds are overwhelming in their scale and a reminder of the dangers of totalitarianism. The Palace of Justice and the Nuremberg Trials Memorial invite reflection on the nature of justice and responsibility. Medieval monuments, on the other hand, such as the Castle and the Dürer House, allow you to immerse yourself in an earlier time, full of superstitions, legends and mysteries. Each of these places has its own unique atmosphere and tells a different story, but all together they form a fascinating mosaic of the dark side of Nuremberg - a city that has witnessed both the triumphs and tragedies of mankind.