Here one of the most spectacular Christmas markets in Europe is cooked
At this point in the year, it's hearing chimes and thinking of Christmas carols. It is being dazzled by the lights that decorate the streets, and thinking about gifts. It's starting to feel Christmas and view... Nuremberg!
Taking advantage of the worldwide fame of his incredible christmas market , we take a tour of the German city to discover all its attractions.
But before starting, an important detail: it's time to put on gloves and a good scarf, that the thermometer below zero he does not deign to take pity on anyone at this time.
Christmas fit in a square
And we go straight to the great protagonist of German Christmas: the Christkindlesmarkt , located in the heart of the city, the Hauptmark or Market Square. The same one who proudly defends the title of world's most famous christmas market , carries 400 years illuminating the city center with its lights and invites you to enjoy one of the most beautiful sights in all of Nuremberg.
To live the full experience, it will not hurt to get lost among its infinite stalls. Will have to try to find one of those. traditional games that fill the shelves . Next to them, tens of thousands of Christmas decoration objects.
While the local Christmas carols play through the loudspeakers, we soak up the essence of these festivities without taking our eyes off the clock: it would be better to control the time, because here the hours go by without realizing it.
But before continuing visiting the main attractions of the city, let's treat ourselves: it's a good time to sweeten the palate trying, in one of the market stalls, one of the typical native spiced breads, the Lebkuchen , made from flour, nuts, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger.
Lebkuche, the sweet you have to try
And even licking our lips over this delicatessen, we are going to continue getting to know the city, this time from above. And to strengthen the legs it has been said: it is time to go up to the Kaiserburg -the imposing imperial castle -, erected on a promontory in the center, to travel through history while we walk through its high walls and old outbuildings.
Surrounded by an extensive 5 kilometer long wall and a moat -which, by the way, has never had water-, this picturesque medieval enclave will transport us back centuries without the need to use too much imagination.
You will have to be encouraged to visit the inside the castle , one of those essentials that are always highlighted on the list. The jewels and symbols of the Holy Roman Empire were kept there and it was the central location of the empire until the 30 Years' War.
You can't leave without a promotion to the Kaiserburg
Something that we will not be able to stop doing will be going up-yes, going up again, sorry!- the stairs to the tower of sin , the only thing that remained intact when the bombs of the allied troops devastated practically the entire city during World War II.
We promise: from here you will enjoy the most beautiful and impressive views in all of Nuremberg . Get drunk on the orange roofs and cobblestone streets and allow yourself the license to take a break before starting to explore them on foot.
It is precisely in one of those streets of the old town that the former house of ** Albrecht Dürer ** is located. The most important artist of the German Renaissance and one of Nuremberg's favorite sons left 90 paintings, 130 engravings and hundreds of woodcuts and drawings after his death.
The house has been open to the public since no less than 1870 and, today, it is a museum that can be visited guided by the very Agnes Dürer , wife of the artist and protagonist of the free audio guide offered at the entrance.
The former home of the most important artist of the German Renaissance
We now propose to come up against religion, something not difficult in a city in which only its urban center has almost 30 churches. And it is right here where three symbols of German Gothic are found that are well worth a stop on our route.
The Frauenkirche , a Catholic church built in 1350, is the first of them. We continue with the Sebalduskirche, located next to the Marketplace and probably the oldest church in Nuremberg.
Finally, Lorenzkirche, What will we find once we cross the Pegnitz River , responsible for dividing the city in two.
A review of the three temples , inside and out, will give us a good idea of how architecture was spent in these parts back in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Detail of the Frauenkirche
And how about we make a stop along the way and get our strength back? A rich glühwein , typical mulled wine from Germany, will warm us up, something that we will most likely appreciate at this point. And if we accompany it with a tasty bratwurst , better than better.
A perfect place to try the famous Nuremburg grilled sausages is Bratwursthausle , next to the Christmas market.
For the most gastronomic sybarites, a great option to pamper your stomach without leaving the center is Essigbrätlein , a cozy restaurant based on the creative cuisine of spices in which a closed 4-course menu is offered for lunch.
Creative cuisine in Essigbrätlein
to cross the Pegnitz River we opted for him Executioner's Bridge , possibly one of the most typical and photographed images of the city. With that name it is easy to imagine that it was for a long time a place that many avoided: in its tower lived the person in charge of executions. In spite of everything, its old fame has not influenced its becoming one of the most popular points.
And it's time to get a little more serious. The time has come to leave the center to enter another part of the city's history. The one that left indelible scars on her memory.
Nuremberg played a fundamental role during the Nazi regime: It was the place chosen to establish its headquarters and here rallies, large parades and speeches were held. And that took its toll. Contemplating the devastated image of the city after World War II, collected in numerous documents and photographs, is horrifying.
One of the places most related to these events is the Zeppelin Field , with free admission and which can be reached in just 15 minutes by train from the Nuremberg Central Station . It was here that Hitler gave his energetic speeches before his thousands of supporters.
Zeppelin Field
After the end of the war, the city once again became the protagonist of another of the most important historical moments: in the room 600 of Palace of the Provincial Court of Nürnberg-Furth The famous Nuremberg Trials took place.
Leaders and members of the Nazi party were tried for crimes against peace and humanity in a process that lasted more than 200 days and had an international repercussion never seen before.
Today the mythical room can be visited for free - at the risk of finding it closed, since it continues to be used. You just have to take the Subway line 1 to the Bärenschanze stop. In the same building you can access a permanent exhibition that explains everything that happened in those days.
And with this stop we put an end to a tour of the culture, art, gastronomy and history of Nuremberg, a city mortally wounded that knew how to rise from its ashes to become what it is today: one of the most beautiful and charming places in all of Germany. A city to which, we assure you, you will want to return –in summer, yes!-.
Sweet Christmas in Nuremberg