Things to Do at Nuremberg Christmas Market

One Loop of the Hauptmarkt

Start in the stall lanes of the Christkindlesmarkt. Only traders whose goods fit the market's tradition and Christmas gifts are admitted, with local crafts first. Many vendors make what they sell, which is why Nuremberg is called the little city of wood and cloth. The lights are LED and run on 100 percent regional green electricity.

Then face the Frauenkirche. Its Männleinlaufen clock plays around noon every day, with seven electors processing past Emperor Charles IV in a show of about four minutes.

Walk to the Schöner Brunnen at the corner of the square. Most visitors queue for the main brass ring. Locals turn the ring on the side facing the Frauenkirche instead, for the same luck and no wait.

Finish with Nuremberg Rostbratwurst three in a bun and a piece of Elisenlebkuchen. The table sums up the loop, what each stop takes and what it costs.

Who the Christkind Is

The Christkind is the market's ambassador. A local girl aged 16 to 19 is voted in and serves for 2 years. Her first job each season is the prologue that opens the market, read from the balcony of the Frauenkirche to the crowd on the Hauptmarkt below.

The prologue is only the start. Over the Christmas period she keeps more than 170 appointments, at the market and at charities. During last season's visits she also gave children a free ride on the carousel at the Children's Christmas.

The market always starts on the Friday before the first Advent Sunday. Next season it runs 26 November to 24 December. The tradition is old: its roots reach back to 1530, and the first explicit mention of the market is from 1678.

The Classic Order

Nuremberg Rostbratwurst has held EU protected geographical indication status since 2003, and the recipe tradition goes back to 1313. Genuine ones are 7 to 9 cm long. At the market you eat them three in a bun (Drei im Weggla), or by 6, 8, 10 or 12 on a pewter plate in the Bratwurstküchen.

Nuremberg Lebkuchen has carried EU protection since 1996 and must be made in Nuremberg. Elisenlebkuchen is stricter, with at least 25 percent nuts and at most 10 percent flour. Spekulatius biscuits and pretzels are on the list too.

For a hot drink, twenty Glühwein vendors share one mug through a joint pool. Nuremberg was the first German market with a reusable-mug deposit, and you can keep the mug by forgoing the deposit. Blueberry Glühwein is the local tip. Look out for prune people (Zwetschgenmännle), 9 to 22 cm figures of dried plums and figs, sold at five stalls. More food detail sits on the nuremberg christmas market guide.

Tastings Already Arranged

If you would rather have someone explain each bite, several bookable walks build the tastings in. The table compares what each one serves and the price shown on its tour page.

Four Markets, One Walk

The Market of the Sister Cities on Rathausplatz is the one to add first. Its stalls donate proceeds to charities in Nuremberg's 14 twin towns.

The Children's Christmas (Kinderweihnacht) on Hans-Sachs-Platz is built for families, with its own carousel. Original Regional sells local and regional products.

To sort the stalls by interest, the market publishes six themed routes: Christmas traditions, creative crafts, local and regional products, charity stalls, licensed Christkindlesmarkt products and vegan offerings.

The Winterdorf on Jakobsplatz sits a little further out, and the GoHo HoHo market and the Handwerkerhof craft yard are two more stops travellers list. Most markets and sights are within a 10 to 15 minute stroll of each other.

The Free List

Stalls and squares are free every day of the season. The Christkind's prologue is free to watch from the square below the Frauenkirche. The Männleinlaufen clock plays daily around noon.

The Lichterzug, the children's lantern procession, is free to watch as about 1,000 schoolchildren walk from the Fleischbrücke up to the Imperial Castle. Free walking tours of the city run on weekends only. On weekdays a paid Old Town Walking Tour fills the gap.

What Still Costs Money

A few things carry a price, as the nuremberg christmas market guide lists from the market and the city. The Christkindlesmarkt-Taler is a $5.57 (€5) coin accepted at the Hauptmarkt stalls, the Market of the Sister Cities, the Children's Christmas and Original Regional. Public toilets in the Rathaus, entered from Rathausplatz, cost $0.56 (€0.50).

A fee-based toilet wagon stands on Obstmarkt behind the Frauenkirche. Carry some cash from an official bank ATM, because some vendors take cash only.

Unusual Picks

Watch the Lichterzug. About 1,000 schoolchildren carry lanterns from the Fleischbrücke up to the Imperial Castle, and it costs nothing.

Go underground. The market's own tips list a rock cellar tour that ends with a Rotbier at the Altstadthof brewery.

Ride the yellow stagecoach that stands at the market, or the Bimmelbahn mini-train that circles the city.

Bake your own Lebkuchen at the Lebkuchen-Schmidt gingerbread baking workshop, then walk Weißgerbergasse, the tanners' lane.

Book a portrait with the market behind you. The Christmas Market Photo Shoot puts a local photographer at your side. For one guide just for you, Christmas Market Magic with a Local is a 1 hour walk at $110 per person.

Sights Around the Old Town

The Imperial Castle (Kaiserburg) rises over the Old Town at the end of the Lichterzug route. The full ticket is $11.13 (€10) and under 18s go free, as the Bavarian palace administration lists on the nuremberg christmas market page. The Castle Tour with Lebkuchen Tasting adds a guide and a gingerbread tasting over 3 hours for $77 per person.

St Sebald's Church and St Lorenz are the two big Old Town churches. The Durer House and the Toy Museum cover the city's painter and its toys. The Town Hall holds an Advent concert, and the Meistersingerhalle Advent Concert runs 100 minutes for $56 per person.

Further out, the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds covers the city's darker history. Uber works in Nuremberg if you want to get there quickly.

One Booking, Several Stops

The table lines up the bookable options by what they cover, how long they take and the price shown on each tour page. Every price is per person unless the tour sells a group.

Which One Suits You

On a budget, the Christkindlesmarkt Senses Walk at $17 is the cheapest guided start. For food with the story, the Christmas Market History & Culinary Delights Tour at $28 is rated 4.6 from 42 reviews. A family or small group gets a guide to itself on the Private Old Town & Christmas Market Tour, $133 for up to 8.

If you base yourself in Munich, the train from there takes barely over one hour, and the Nuremberg Day Trip From Munich handles the day for $88 per person.

The Case For and Against

The case for is the tradition. The Christmas fair on the Hauptmarkt traces back to the 17th century, the stalls favour local crafts, and four markets sit a 2-3 minute walk apart. Entry and the opening prologue are free.

The case against is cost and weather. One traveller found souvenirs more expensive than at other German markets. December in Nuremberg averages 1.4 hours of sunshine a day, so dress for grey and cold. Many visitors still rank it among the best markets in Germany for the handmade goods.

Plan by Trip Length

Late November to mid December, on weekdays, is the window travel guides suggest. The Hauptmarkt is about a 10 minute walk from the train station, and Nuremberg Airport is 15 to 20 minutes from the Old Town. The train from Munich takes barely over one hour.

Cards are widely accepted in town, but carry cash for the stalls. German plugs are type F.