NUREMBERG, GERMANY — Lauren Mossberg

Here’s the story of my one-night trip to one of the oldest Christmas markets in the world, in Nuremberg, Germany.

Fri Dec 1

My alarm went off at 4:45am. Our first train left at 6:54am from Gare de l’Est in Paris. We transferred in Stuttgart, and arrived in Nuremberg around 1:30pm. Right before we reached Strasbourg, we saw snow on the ground from the train! It was really starting to feel like the holidays.

We walked from the station to N9 Hotel, where I had booked a ‘quadruple room’ for the four of us girls. It was just what we needed for one night: 4 twin beds and one spacious bathroom.

The wall surrounding the city of Nuremberg

Once we were bundled up, we walked to a small market near St. Elisabeth Church where there was a ferris wheel and a handful of food vendors. We bought a couple of steins and boozy hot cocoas, then some bratwurst sandwiches.

We aimlessly meandered around Nuremberg, taking in the scenic bridges over the Pegnitz River. Once we were peckish, we sat down at Trödelstuben Restaurant. It was nice to be inside and warm. The weather was wet, but not quite snow. It was more like frozen rain.

The Christmas Market was located in the square outside Frauenkirche. We arrived close to 5:30pm to see the opening ceremony. There were so many people gathered that we had to really wiggle in to get a view of the church’s balcony. There were songs and recited poems, and then, the market was officially open!

Opening ceremony on the balcony of Frauenkirche

There were hundreds of vendors: crafts, local products, holiday decor, bakers, plenty of bratwurst stands, and drink providers. Alcoholic beverages like mulled wine or spiked cider were served in a commemorative festive mug, which you could keep as a souvenir or return for the $5 deposit. And the same mug could be used at every beverage stand, so you weren’t paying for multiple.

After a couple of hours of shopping and eating, we grabbed a couple seats at the bar at Alex, just off the market. It was nice to be inside and seated, though I wasn’t particularly cold outside in the market given all of the body heat.

We left the market square feeling full and tired, but not quite ready to go to sleep. We popped into Original Bar for one last drink. Then back to the small market by Elisabeth Church for one last bite. Then it was time for bed.

Sat Dec 2

After a much-needed night of cozy sleep, we started the morning at Gregory's Nürnberg for coffee and pastries. I got a ham and cheese croissant, and it was one of the best croissant I’d ever had.

Caffeinated, we walked to the Imperial Castle of Nuremberg. We didn’t go inside, but we climbed the hill up to the castle to take in the views.

The grade of the hill up to the Imperial Castle

We passed through the buzzing Christmas Market one more time on our way to lunch to get some snacks for the train. I picked up a piece of chocolate marzipan and a couple gingerbread cookies. I also wanted to see Schöner Brunnen in the daylight, as I hadn’t gotten a good look at it the night before.

We ate lunch at Bratwurst Röslein, a giant German restaurant. I got Nuremberg-style sausages and sauerkraut, but went halfsies with my friend who got the veal schnitzel.

We walked back to the hotel, grabbed our bags, and boarded our 2pm train home to Paris, which this time, connected in Frankfurt.