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The Christmas Festivity starts in Nuremberg’s Old Town on the last Friday of November. The streets are lit up with Christmas lights and decorations. The Nuremberg Christmas Market isn’t only famous in Bavaria but also famous in Germany and Internationally and it is considered one of the most beautiful Christmas Market in Germany.
As the holiday season approaches, cities all over the world start preparing for their annual Christmas markets. These festive events are a beloved tradition, bringing together locals and tourists.
But one city stands out among the rest when it comes to Christmas markets – Nuremberg, Germany. This medieval city in Bavaria has been hosting its Christmas market for 400 years.
One of the distinctive things about the Christmas Market of Nuremberg is its unique offering of regional products. It’s highly recommended to spend at least the whole day exploring the different Christmas markets of Nuremberg, especially Christkindlesmarkt.
When we visited the Christmas Market of Nuremberg, it was full of visitors (locals, and tourists). We were crawling in the adjacent streets to reach the Main Old Town.
How to Reach Nuremberg:
There are frequent direct train connections from Munich and other cities to Nuremberg and now with a Deutschland Ticket, you can take a regional train to reach Nuremberg.
If you’re traveling far from another city, then you can also take an ICE train (High-speed train).
Omio offers the best prices with uncountable different options. Click below to book your ticket using Omio.
What’s the best time and day to visit the Nuremberg Christmas Market:
The Christmas Market gets very crowded during the weekend. If it’s possible then it’s highly suggested to visit the Nuremberg Christmas Market during the weekday.
If you want to enjoy both the magical lights and the daytime - you can go 1 hour before sunset, you can enjoy the daytime, and then stay until the Christmas market lights are turned on.
Let’s start with the guide to find out the best ways to explore Christmas markets in Nuremberg.
Things to do in the Nuremberg Christmas Market Guide:
1. Christkindlesmarkt at Nuremberg:
The Christkindlesmarkt is one of the famous Christmas markets in Germany which is located on the Main Town Square of Nuremberg and it’s adjacent to the old town streets.
The city turns into a winter wonderland filled with lights, decor, and the aroma of roasted almonds and gives you the feeling of a Christmas fairy tale. It’s one of the largest Christmas Markets in Germany and it’s visited by two and half million visitors each year.
Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt isn’t just an ordinary Christmas Market but it’s a tradition that brings people together to enjoy the festivity and magic of Christmas.
It’s one of the oldest Christmas markets in Germany which takes us back to the Middle Ages. Christkindlesmarkt has more than 180 wooden stalls - selling handcrafts, Christmas decorations, and traditional German Crafts.
Alongside, there are also food stalls selling Christmas Traditional food such as bratwurst sausages, gingerbread cookies (Lebkuchen), and roasted chestnuts.
There aren't just Christmas stalls in Christkindlesmarkt but also offers a true German culture. There’s also entertainment with live music and performances.
2. Craftsmen's Courtyard (Handwerkerhof):
The Craftsmen's Courtyard is a unique Half-timbered house, and it offers unique handicrafts and traditional Franconian specialties such as Glass ornaments, potters, Gold, etc. It also turns into a Christmas festivity and is lit up with lights and decor.
3. Sister Cities Market:
The Sister City Christmas is in the North of Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg (am nürnberg), and it is a reflection of the international environment and presents a friendship among the 14 twin cities of Nuremberg.
It presents a wide range of stalls from Nuremberg’s Sister cities like Antalya, Cordoba, Kharkiv, Glasgow, Nice, Prague, etc. The sales of these stalls go to charity organizations in the twin towns.
4. Children’s Christmas Market:
The Nuremberg Christmas has offerings for all ages so it’s not possible to ignore the kids in Christmas festivity. The Christmas Market for Children in Nuremberg is set up at Hans-Sachs-Platz. Here the kids can enjoy Merry go round ride and Big Wheel. Moreover, visitors can also bake cookies and paint glasses.
5. Best View of the Nuremberg Christmas Market:
You can enjoy the beautiful view of the Nuremberg Christmas Market from the balcony of the Frauenkirche. Most of the time, it's crowded and you need to wait in the long queue, especially on weekends. Beware also about the closing time of the church. Normally, it closes earlier in winter.
You can also enjoy the beautiful lighting of Christmas from the Imperial Castle of Nuremberg. There's also a Christmas set-up with a small Christmas tree.
6. Best food to try at Nuremberg Christmas Market:
If you aren’t German or not familiar with German traditions for Christmas Markets - there are some must eat & drinks to try at Nuremberg Christmas Market.
Lebkuchen - The Famous Nuremberg Gingerbread
Mandeln - Roasted Almonds
Nuremberg Bratwurst - German little Sausages
Schneeballen - A snowball dessert made of shortcrust pastry.
Reiberdatschi - A potato pancake
Stollen - A traditional German Christmas fruitcake
Laugenbrezeln - Authentic German Soft Pretzel
Champignons - Grilled Mushrooms
Heiße Schokolade - Hot Chocolate
7. Christmas Decor Shopping at Käthe Wohlfahrt:
If you want to bring home traditional German holiday decorations, then you should stop by at Käthe Wohlfahrt which is one of the most renowned stores in Germany for high-quality, handcrafted Christmas items.
Ending Note:
Most of the vendors only accept cash so make sure that you have enough cash. Otherwise, you can also withdraw the money from the ATM nearby, but be sure, that some ATMs also get crowded.
There’s no admission fee to enter the market.
Check out our guide on Rothenburg ob der Tauber Christmas Market.
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