The Rostbratwurst Pilgrimage

Nürnberger Rostbratwurst are small - roughly the size of your little finger - and that's the whole point. They're made to a recipe that hasn't changed in centuries: coarsely ground pork seasoned with marjoram, then grilled over beechwood until the casings blister and crisp. They hold Protected Geographical Indication status, which means they can only be called Nürnberger if they're made within the Nuremberg city limits. You order them by the number - six, eight, ten, twelve - with sauerkraut and fresh horseradish on the side, or three tucked into a small bread roll (Drei im Weggla) as the city's signature street snack.

Nuremberg's old town is a walled medieval city with a castle on the hill, half-timbered houses and the smell of grilling sausages drifting from every other doorway. The bratwurst tradition here dates to at least the 14th century, and the best-known sausage kitchens have been operating in the same spots for generations. It's the simplest possible pilgrimage: fly in, walk the walls, eat a dozen sausages with a beer, and fly home. No booking needed, no dress code, no pretension - just a very old city doing one very small thing extremely well.