2 Best Sights in Franconia and the German Danube, Germany

Richard Wagner's one-time home, "Wahnfried," built by the composer in 1874, is now the centerpiece of this fine museum. It's a fairly austere neoclassical building whose name, "peace from madness," was well earned. Wagner lived here with his wife Cosima, daughter of pianist Franz Liszt, and they were both laid to rest here; look for Wagner's simple gravestone in the garden (behind the fountain), with another nearby for his beloved dogs Marke and Russ. A bust of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the "Fairy-Tale King" who gave Wagner so much financial support, stands before the entrance to the house.

Inside, the exhibits are generously spread across three floors, with information in German but summary boards provided in English. Highlights include his piano, multimedia displays of various opera performances, and the original scores of such masterpieces as Parsifal, Tristan und Isolde, and Der Fliegende Holländer. In the buildings flanking the main house, you'll find a collection of production costumes, exhibits on Wagner's son (and fellow composer) Siegfried, and an excellent little café. The little house where Franz Liszt lived and died is right next door, and you can visit with a combination-ticket that's just €1 more than the regular entrance fee.

The great painter Albrecht Dürer lived in this beautifully preserved late-medieval house, typical of the prosperous merchants' homes that once filled Nuremberg, from 1509 until his death in 1528. Today, its four stories stand as a testament to his talent. Dürer enriched German art with Renaissance elements, but he was more than a painter, raising the woodcut (a notoriously difficult medium) to new heights of technical sophistication, combining great skill with a haunting, immensely detailed drawing style and complex, allegorical subject matter. While most of the works on display are print copies, with the originals in art galleries across Germany and beyond, they retain their allure: seek out his atmospheric self-portraits. Upstairs, printing techniques using the old press are demonstrated in the studio, and there's an interesting exhibition on Dürer-inspired body art. At 2 pm every Saturday, a guide role-playing Agnes Dürer, the artist's wife, provides English-language tours of the house.