Blue Night
by alancollins
Blue Night (Blaue Nacht) is an annual cultural event which takes place in May and is held in the centre of Nürnberg. As it starts to get darks various buildings and events are lit up with blue lights. Various buildings, museums, theatres, clubs, churches throw open their doors and hold different cultural events. There are also different events held in the open located around the city centre. You have to purchase a ticket before hand to enter a lot of the events. Though it starts at 7pm and goes on till the early hours. You need to be there after dark to appreciate all the lighting. This is the largest annual event in Nuremburg which attracts up to 130,000 people. It is also an excuse to go drinking and eating with friends. The public transport system has extended hours to take you home. If you are tempted to attend the event make sure you book a hotel room well in advance or it will cost extra if you leave it late.
St Martha's
by leics
A tiny church, almost hidden off Konigstrasse between Lorenzerplatz and the station.
This is where the Meistersingers of Nurnberg practised during the late 1500s and early 1600s.
I visited simply because it was open (Monday 10-2, Thursday 10 - 4). The very helpful lady attendant told me that the stained glass in its windows was the oldest in the city. It is certainly very beautiful ......a lovely patchwork quilt effect........and if it survived the bombing raids of the Second World War (possible, as the church is so tucked away) then that is a miracle indeed. But she may have been mistaken, or the glass may be a replica. Perhaps she meant that the Medieval glass was re-used during restoration?
Whatever, it is a pretty little church and I was very pleased to find some old graffiti (from 1549) scratched into the stonework by the entrance.
Worth popping into if you are passing when it is open. It's on the right as you walk down Konigstrasse from the station, not far from the Tourist Information Office.
No need to worry about where...
by FreeCloud
No need to worry about where to eat in Nuremberg. We never had any bad food there, either eating in a good restaurant like Nassauer Haus, or a neighborhood restaurant owned by local families since 1746.
Documentation Centre, WWII
by chris.hh
If you are interested in Germany's dark history of WWII you should visit the Documentation Centre Nazi Party Rally Grounds in Nuremberg that is very impressing - or suppressing. Hitler elected Nuremberg to be his imperial town as some imperators before - and had huge building plans in Nuremberg. The exhibition within the Congress Hall shows very good and detailed Nazi history in Germany on the whole, and the Nuremberg part in it. You also can visit the whole area which is pretty large with Zeppelinfeld, where Hitler had his huge deployments.
Also in the sense of modern architecture this building is worth a visit. Famous Austrian architect Günther Domenig won the competion, and pierces a stake from steel and glass into the building as a refusal of the maniac Nazi ideals. A hard task how to deal with that kind of history when doing something new - if you ask me.
And a good link with lots of info, images, and plans on the area is this:
www.kubiss.de/kulturreferat/reichsparteitagsgelaende/englisch/stationen.htm
Some short general info you find here:
A link to some more info is here:
www.museums.nuremberg.de/documentation-centre/index.html
Christkindlesmarkt Tips
by estargrl88
I visited the Christkindlesmarkt 3 times in 2008 and have a few tips to get the most out of your situation, especially if you're on a budget. Though it is very crowded, it is worth the visit.
- If possible, go on a weekday, since weekends are extremely busy! Days are probably less crowded, but nights are more magical. Since the sun sets so early, you could technically go at 4:00, stay for 2 hours, and have the best of both. I might recommend 3 hours to really take in everything - walking past all the booths, etc., but you can spend much shorter periods of time there, especially if you've seen other Christmas markets.
- Food is expensive! (Note: these are the prices from 2008). Most food items will be priced the same in all booths, but not necessarily (I found out the hard way). The Bratwurst stands tend to sell at either €2 or €2.50 for the basic meal. Also, I paid €0,70 for a slice of Früchtebrot (fruit bread), and then saw it for €0,50. Know that in some other cities, food is cheaper. I believe I paid €1,50 for Glühwein in Weimar, while here it is €2,00 or €2,50. However, there are many other cities where it is the same. If you know you're going somewhere generally cheaper (eastern Germany, for example), try to try some of the treats there instead!
- Lebkuchen in particular seem so expensive to me, at €1,50 a piece. If you want to save money, but still try Lebkuchen, as you walk towards the market from the train station along Königstrasse, there is an Aldi. Aldis sell packs of several Lebkuchen for under €1.00 (this probably is the same at other grocery stores). Maybe they're not quite as "authentic," but they still taste good.
- I believe that Glühwein is consistently priced, but know that you pay a downcharge for your mug. Return it to get back the Pfand. Or, you can keep the mug as a souvenir.
- If you have children with you, make sure you hold on to them in the main area because it is so crowded! A few streets down from the main Christmas market is one for children that has a few little rides, displays, etc. This is calmer and I believe it has some of the same booths as in the main market. Look for the glowing light strand above the street to your right (as you're walking down Königstrasse), right before the main market, that says something with "Kinder" in the name. Walk in that direction to get to it.
- If you are looking for somewhere else to eat in the area, move beyond Königstrasse, the street which leads directly to the Christmas market. Just a street or 2 over there are other options which are probably less crowded! The train station also has lots of cheap food options.
- There are booths along Königstrasse around Lorenzkirche full of fruits, vegetables, and other Christmas stands. This is the normal city market which has been displaced from the main square.
- Though you mostly just see the roofs of the booths, if you want an overhead look, as you enter the Christkindlesmarkt from the direction of Königstrasse, look to your left and there are metal stairs going up. There are some restaurants up there, but it is perfectly fine to just walk up along the balcony there.
- If you continue walking straight once you enter the market (coming from the direction of Königstrasse, train station, Lorenzkirche), past the Frauenkirche and the little stage, you'll see another angel overhead and some stairs which lead to another street. Go up there and there is an international Christmas market, though of course, experience the German one first.
- Look beside the main stage for a schedule of when the concerts are.
- The big Lebkuchen frosted hearts which are hanging from everywhere supposedly do not taste very good (I've heard this from multiple sources), and are mainly meant for decoration. The ones to eat are the round circular ones. As for food, everything I've tasted has been delicious, from the almonds to the breads.
- Note the little people made out of prunes and walnuts and the stiff metal angels. These are Nürnberg traditions and I've only seen them there. The Lebkuchen, the Bratwurste being sold everywhere, and I think the Früchtebrot are also Nürnberg specialties but can be found elsewhere.
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Große Straße looking towards the Congree Hall
The water gates of the city walls
Gardens of the Hesperides: dwarf statue
Emperors castle, Nürnberg, DE
