Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nürnberg

In the old imperial city of Nürnberg, there is a sprawling museum dedicated to all things German – from Stone Age tools to 20th-century art and design. Housed in a variety of connected buildings that date from the 14th century to the present, the German National Museum has exhibits devoted to painting, sculpture, religion, applied arts, musical instruments, weapons, armor, clothing, farmhouse interiors, and household furnishings. And if that weren’t enough, a couple of doors down, in its very own wing, is the museum’s toy and dolls' house collection. The oldest-known intact dolls' house is the Stromer House, so named because Baron von Stromer presented it to the museum. Its original owner is unknown, but it is dated 1639. This dolls' house has 15 sections, with everything from stables and servants’ quarters, to elegant bedrooms, and a reception room and hall with intricately panelled walls. The collection also includes dolls, tin toys, paper theaters, and more. The museum shop offers mainly books and postcards.