Christmas Market Extravaganza - Nuremberg

For the holidays we took off for an eleven day jaunt around one of our favorite spots - the state of Bavaria in Germany. We travelled via train to visit five cities - two of which we had visited a couple of years ago and the remaining three were new. To best share the places with you, I will break the blogs up by city or it will just be very overwhelming..

   Our first stop was for four nights in Nuremberg. Even though just about each day was overcast with a fairly constant drizzle of rain (which is not typical - a good amount of snow is the norm), it did not stop us or anyone else from wandering the streets of the Christmas Market.

   Of the three markets that we visited (Wroclaw, Nuremberg and Munich), this one was my favorite. All have the commonalities of sausages and Gluhwein in souvenier mugs but the large size of the Nuremberg Market just made it a bit easier to get lost in Christmas. The main idea of the markets is streets lined with wooden houses that vend ornaments, winter hats, wooden toys and other wooden items such as nativity sets. All items are very traditional.

   For every stand selling gifts, there is a stand that sells traditional holiday treats such as Stollen, fruchtebrot, Lebkuchen and candies.

   And while you're wandering the market with your warm mug of spiced wine, you'll probably want to grab a bite to eat every now and then. And no worries there, as no aisle of stands is without at least one or two sausage houses.



   And then, you'll probably have a hankering for a butter brezel. Really the main thing that sets Bavaria apart from other regions of Germany for me is their love affair with sandwiching the pretzel with an ample layer of butter. Absolutely divine. There was also an option of a pretzel sandwiched with Camembert cheese, but I waited until the last minute to try it and the stand had already closed. I read that pretzels with liverwurst are common as well at the holidays but did not come across one - I was sad about that too.

   The baking in Germany is just the best that I've ever had. Be it tortes, pretzels, rolls and pastries, there is just a magical touch to them. Crusty and chewy to perfection. I looked all over for a German baking book in English however came home empty handed. I will keep searching until I find it.

   For a perfect ending (I would recommend sharing..), find yourself a Schokokuss (Chocolate Kiss) a wafer cookie topped with an Italian meringue style marshmallow filling and then dipped in chocolate. Wow!

   There was even a separate section of the market for children. It was complete heaven to Lottie as it offered four beautiful vintage rides. The carousel was two levels and so lovely it was just like it had been pulled out of a child's fantasy book.

   The Christmas Markets end at 14:00 on the 24th (Christmas Eve) as that is the night that Christmas is celebrated with a family dinner. And not only do the markets close, but everything closes (malls, groceries, restaurants..) and they remain closed until the 27th with the exception of some restaurants.

   Aside from the Christmas Market, Nuremburg is a beautiful city that is topped off with a castle. A steep climb up a city built on a hill will take you to the Kaiserburg also referred to as the Imperial Castle which holds a grand view over the city.

   One of the coolest pieces to note about the castle is that it is surrounded by a dry moat. As the moat was not protected by a dragon or alligator filled waters, it is surrounded by very steep, very deep and unclimbable walls. It's a view dramatic enough to make your inner knight devise a plan to take victory over the castle.

   You can tour the castle which also contains a museum of saddles and a large collection of horse bits and spurs along with an astounding collection of swords and guns and knightly apparel. One hint to the wise, the guided tour is only offered in German so the ticket seller will advise you against partaking. Don't listen! While on the guided tour which is only 30-45 minutes long, you get to see the church inside the castle in which you wouldn't have access to otherwise and it is the only way to get into the well. And of all things, the well is incredible! That in the day the castle was built, around 1050, a well this extremely deep could be dug will stupefy you. It really is a wonder to see. Our tour guide was also very kind and gave very quick overviews in English occasionally.

   Another fun part of Nuremberg is that it is the home to Staedtler which has been making writing, artistic and engineering instruments since 1835. In the window you can watch this guy make pencils by hand and you can purchase them in the store. The store sells a gorgeous collection of compasses, pencils, pens (including fountain pens), kits to make your own pencils and colored pencils for everyone from children to artists. There are displays of pens that you would probably have to take a second mortgage out on your house in order to purchase.

   Two of Nurembergs specialites are Nurnberger sausages and Lebkuchen. (Nurnbergers are a style of bratwurst similiar in size to a breakfast sausage. When they are ordered on a roll, you will find three of them inside. Lebkuchen is a style of gingerbread that is a holiday staple in both Germany and Poland.) If you are able to make a visit to Nuremburg sometime, no matter what season you travel, with the abundance of Lebkuchen shops, Nurnbergers and Kathe Wohlfahrt stores, I have a feeling that it will always feel like Christmas here.