Nürnberg Christkindlesmarkt – Nuremberg Christmas Market 2012

The Nuremberg Christmas Market is Known as the “Little Town from Wood and Cloth”:

Nurnberg-Christkindlesmarkt © Uli Kowatsch/Nurnberg Tourism

With over two million visitors every year, the Nürnberg Christkindlesmarkt is one of the more popular Christmas markets in Germany.  Each year at 5:30 pm, on the Friday before the first Advent Sunday, the Christmas Angel declares open the Nuremberg Christmas Market in a ceremony that takes place on the Hauptmarkt (market square) in the old quarter.

Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt

In the medieval setting of the old town of Nuremberg, the 180 wooden Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt stalls are all decorated with red and white cloth.  This has earned Nuremberg’s Christmas Market the nickname “Little Town from Wood and Cloth”.

Visitors to Nuremberg’s Christmas market can enjoy traditional Christmas fare like the famous Nuremberg spicy gingerbread, fruit loaves, bakery goods and sweets. This is also a good place to shop for handcrafted Christmas decorations like Christmas tree angels, cribs, Christmas tree ornaments and candles, toys as well as handicraft products. You won’t find any plastic decorations at the Nuremberg Christmas Market as the stalls are monitored to ensure that the market is kept beautiful and tastefully decorated.

A favourite souvenir is the Zwetschgenmännle or “Nuremberg Plum People” which are little figures made from prunes. And to fend off the cold, there are always the special Nürnberger bratwurst on rolls and mugs of mulled wine.

Christmas in Nuremberg

Nuremberg’s old quarter is beautiful at any time of the year but at Christmas this delightful medieval city puts on its Christmas magic. There is a lot to see, do and experience during the Christmas season including enjoying Christmas concerts in the churches, traditional Nativity scenes in the baroque St. Egidien church, and in Spitalgasse, an exhibition of historical market stalls in the town hall, the Christmas market for children on Hans-Sachs-Platz and the ‘star’ theatre at St. Katharine’s Abbey.

Other highlights include:

• the international market on Rathausplatz featuring Nuremberg’s twin towns, arts and crafts in the Handwerkerhof, a torchlight procession to the castle, the ‘Christmas cinemas’ and rides in a horse-drawn mail coach.
• the Christmas Angel appears daily at 3 pm from Tuesday to Friday and at the Christmas market for children at 2.30 pm.

Nuremberg Hotels

Visitors to Nuremberg have a wide range of hotels to choose from.  In central Nuremberg many of the hotels such as the NH Nürnberg City, Le Meridien Grand Hotel and the Holiday Inn Nurnberg are all close to the Nuremberg Central Station, which is within walking distance of the Old Town.  For the complete list of Nuremberg hotels, see HERE.

Christmas Market Information

Address:
Christkindlesmarkt Nürnberg (Christmas Market)
Hauptmarkt
90403 Nuremberg

Christkindlesmarkt Opening Times: 30 Nov 2012 – 24 Dec 2012

Mon – Thu 09:30 – 20:00 | Fri & Sat 09:30 – 22:00 | Sun 10:30 – 20:00

Opening day: 30 Nov 2012 from 09.30 – 22:00
Opening ceremony at 5.30pm
Christmas Eve: 24 Dec 2012 from 09.30 – 14:00

If you’re flying into Nuremberg, here is some information on airport transfers at Nürnberg Airport.

Map of Nuremberg Hauptmarkt