Nürnberg Favorites

Favorite thing: NOT expect too much - unfortunately. Of course, the Christmas market is THE attraction in winter. It used to be different - I recall somewhat empty aisles during the day, fuller but not congested ones when it became dark. Today, there´s heaps of tourists from all over the world, crowding in the aisles. But still, it has not lost its atmosphere. My tip: Don´t go on weekends!

Favorite thing: Done with Christkindlesmarkt? We have some good museums, one of the being the Germanische Nationalmuseum. You can spend days in there!
There´s also an opera house, lots of theatres and even cabarets, and, of course, restaurants, pubs and beer gardens (summer only - of course).

Favorite thing: NOT TO BE MISSED: The Nuremberg grilled sausages in a roll. Traditionally, they are very short and you ought to have three of them in the roll, but over the years the short ones have sort of 'withdrawn' to the restaurants (order some horseradish to go with them. Mmmmmmmmmhhhhhhh!), so what you´ll get from one of the sausage stands are two long ones. Add mustard.

Fondest memory: When I was a child, those grilled sausages (Bratwurst) were only up for sale during Christmas market and during the annual fair (Volksfest, see above). I could never get enough of them. Today, you can get them all year round, at every corner.

Favorite thing: Of course, Christmas season is also the season for an ancient Nuremberg delicacy, the Lebkuchen (gingerbread). Nuremberg gingerbread, together with a cup of Glühwein (hot, spicy red wine) is just the right thing when strolling over the market on a cold December night.

Favorite thing: take a closer look at the Sinwellturm (tower), a part of the castle. It is one of its most significant features. Right next to it is a very deep well reaching down to the ground water level - the castle needed water in case of emergency, and so they drilled a hole deep down!

Fondest memory: As a child, one of our teachers took us up to the castle to demonstrate how deep this well was. It impressed me then and still does today!

Fondest memory: Children will believe everything - and so I believed that on the opening night of the Christmas market, an angel (Christkind) would personally appear to start the market. The ceremony is still held every year, and a Nuremberg girl has the honour to be the Christkind.

Favorite thing: Hauptmarkt is also the site of Nuremberg´s most famous fountain, Schöner Brunnen. It is, again, very old and depicts the long-gone German nobility (Kurfürsten). There´s a ring in the fence around, and legend has it that if you turn the ring and make a wish, it will come true.
(Don´t ask how often I have turned this ring. It did NOT work with me, but perhaps I did not wish strong enough.)

Favorite thing: Four weeks before Christmas, Hauptmarkt becomes the site of every child´s and every tourist´s dream: The Christmas market (Christkindlesmarkt). Arts and crafts connected with Christmas, toys and goodies are for sale. There´s Christmas music, too, and the air is full of delicious smells.