Christmas walks in Nuremberg

Walk Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt by day in the snow and after dark, when the red-and-white striped stall roofs glow below the Frauenkirche on the main market square. It is one of the most famous Christmas markets in the world, recorded since at least 1628.

The market opens on the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent, when the Christkind, a young woman in gold robes and a crown chosen every two years, reads the opening prologue from the church balcony. Around 180 wooden stalls then fill the Hauptmarkt until Christmas Eve, selling glass ornaments, wooden toys, candles and the little figures made of dried prunes called Zwetschgenmännle.

Two foods belong to the city. Nuremberg Lebkuchen, a soft gingerbread with nuts and spices, has protected geographical status and can only be called that if it is baked here, and the finger-sized Nuremberg sausages are served three in a bread roll. Beside the main market there is a children's Christmas market with a carousel and a market of the twin towns, where stalls from Nuremberg's partner cities sell their own specialities.

Nuremberg city guide and walks →All Christmas walks →