Coburg

Coburg is a city on the River Itz in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany, lying about 90 kilometres south of Erfurt and 100 kilometres north of Nuremberg at the foot of the Thuringian Highlands. For centuries it belonged to the Thuringian states of the Wettin dynasty and joined Bavaria only by popular vote in 1920. Until the revolution of 1918 it was one of the capitals of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and earlier of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Its ruling family married into several royal houses of Europe, most famously through Prince Albert, who married Queen Victoria in 1840. The city is the site of Veste Coburg, one of the largest castles in Germany, where Martin Luther stayed for six months in 1530. Coburg was first mentioned in a document of 1056, was spared heavy damage in the Second World War, and keeps many historic buildings that draw visitors. Its population is close to 41,500.