What does Nuremberg look like at Christmas?
Nuremberg (Nürnberg) is a city in southern Germany, in Bavaria, with red roofs and old towers, wrapped in a long stone wall like a warm winter scarf. High up on a sandstone rock stands the Imperial Castle, and the Pegnitz river flows through the Old Town under old bridges.
The Christkindlesmarkt, the market of the Christ Child
The Christkindlesmarkt fills the Main Market Square with wooden stalls under red and white cloth roofs. Locals call it the little town of wood and cloth. The air smells of cinnamon, honey and roasted almonds, and a huge golden angel hangs above the entrance. The market usually runs from late November to Christmas Eve.
What do you find at the market?
- Gingerbread hearts tied with ribbons.
- Gold foil angels with wide wings and pleated skirts.
- Wooden toys and tree ornaments.
- Candles and warm roasted almonds.
What can you do at the market?
- Turn the brass ring in the railing of the Beautiful Fountain, a Gothic fountain as tall as a spire, with 40 painted figures. They say it brings luck.
- Watch the clock of the Church of Our Lady: every day at noon, seven little prince-electors walk past their emperor, as they have since 1509.
- Visit the children’s market right next to the big one, with an old carousel, a little steam train and workshops where you can bake cookies and make candles.
- Walk along the Pegnitz river and watch the half-timbered houses reflected in the dark water.
Two Christmas customs from Nuremberg
The Christkind opens the market
Here, presents are brought by the Christ Child. Every year, a young woman in a white and gold dress with a golden crown, called the Christkind, opens the market with a poem from the church balcony.
The lantern procession
Since 1948, schoolchildren have carried lanterns they made themselves through the Old Town, up towards the castle: a path of light and hope.
A taste of Nuremberg: Lebkuchen
Lebkuchen are soft gingerbread cookies with nuts, almonds and orange peel, baked on thin wafers. Next to them, at the market, people eat “Drei im Weggla”, three grilled little sausages in a crusty bread roll. A recipe for small nut Lebkuchen, to make together with an adult, is in the book.
How do you say “Merry Christmas!” in German?
Fröhliche Weihnachten!
Try saying it at dinner on Christmas Eve.
What word did Mira discover here?
In each of the eleven cities of the second journey, Mira finds a special word. The word from Nuremberg is written in her Christmas passport, at the end of chapter 4.
