It was our first Christmas in Germany, and everything was new to us: lighting and window dressing, sounds and smells, joyful people and endless shops. This year we wanted something new, and for Christmas we decided to go to the Bavarian city of Nuremberg, famous for its Christmas market. We went there in a large company with children, and although we spent only one day there, this was quite enough to walk up and feel the atmosphere of the holiday.
From Munich to Nuremberg can be reached by train in less than two hours. Already leaving the central station, you find yourself in front of the walls of the old city, where the main festive events take place. The next photo shows the entrance to the Craftsmen's Yard ( Handwerkhof) is a place where traditional craft workshops are concentrated, as well as shops selling souvenirs made here.
The entrance to the Artisans' Yard is from the other side.
On Christmas Day, there is a whole exhibition of nativity scenes created in a variety of styles.
The facades of houses, shop windows, front doors and signs in the city are decorated in the Christmas tree and toy style.
Santa Clauses appear on the houses. Santa Claus is called Weinachtsmann in German, which can be translated as "Christmas man". Not very sophisticated, but better than the Finnish "Christmas goat" Yolupukki.
This one seems to have worked out ...
The most important christmas Fair (Christkindlesmarkt) is located in the heart of the old town on the Hauptmarkt (which means "main market") and is a long row of stalls selling souvenirs, various goodies and, of course, Christmas strong drinks.
All the central pedestrian streets of Nuremberg are filled with walking people who sooner or later find themselves at the main Christmas market.
The festive sign "Zum Christkindlesmarkt" (German for "to the Christmas market") suggests: you are on the right track, comrades!
A few seconds after I took this photo, the monument got off its pedestal and began to count the money earned, after which it also calmly walked back and forth, smoking a cigarette. It all looked very comical.
On the way to the main Christmas market.
It is a pity that photos on the Internet do not yet know how to convey smells that are palpable at the moment when this photo was taken. Then, when viewing this photo report, abundant salivation would be guaranteed. After all, a variety of goodies and sweets are sold here at every step, and it is very difficult to control yourself without being tempted by another Bavarian gingerbread, sweet nuts or pancake.
By the way, there are quite colorful sellers in these stalls.
And of course, warming drinks. Although there are no such severe frosts here as in Russia, warm up with hot mulled wine or punch is a favorite pastime among Germans at Christmas.
The traditional container for Christmas mulled wine is a brightly colored boot-shaped cup. For a cup, a deposit of a couple of euros is taken, and if you wish, you can not return it, but leave it as a souvenir.
Non-alcoholic punch is provided for nursing mothers and children.
Unlike other cities, Nuremberg also has a children's Christmas market.
However, it differs from an adult only by a small variety in food, as well as the presence of a couple of carousels.
And children will find entertainment anywhere.
We were in Nuremberg on December 24, that is, on the very eve of Christmas. This is the last day of the fair, when all the pavilions and tents finish their work in the afternoon, and by the time darkness falls, everyone has already gone to their homes to celebrate Christmas in a small family circle.
Huge cans with leftover mulled wine are loaded into cars.
Well, we go to a cafe to refresh ourselves to continue our walk.
Our Christmas gnomes.
After lunch with renewed vigor - walk the streets of Nuremberg, which, as expected, turned out to be a very beautiful old German city. To be honest, we practically did not prepare for this trip and did not read anything about the city in advance. It was all the more interesting to "discover" it ourselves.
To top it off, it turned out that Nuremberg also has its own fortress (Keiserburg Nürnberg) with an observation deck and a beautiful view of the city.
Closed part of the fortress.
The favorite pastime of all the Chinese is to be photographed against the backdrop of some kind of garbage - in this case it is quite appropriate, since the view of the city at sunset is cool - it's not a sin and it's not a sin ...
Well, here I finish my story and say hello to my mother, who is now probably reading these lines and thinking: "Well, that's why he again does not follow the example of the Chinese, but photographs only one city without himself, his wife and children!"
The holiday market in Nuremberg will show its guests what a traditional German Christmas is like.
The Kriskindelsmarkt Christmas market has been held annually since the 17th century in the central Haupmarkt square. Its organizers carefully preserve ancient customs. Among them, the opening ceremony, which is not hosted by Santa Claus, but the Nuremberg Christmas Angel or Kriskind. Nuremberg residents believe that it is this character, whose role is played by a beautiful woman in golden robes, who gives gifts to obedient children at the end of the year.
Another Christkindlesmarkt trade fair tradition - the preparation of the Fire Tooth punch in a giant cistern - is designed for adults. But there is no entertainment program here. It is believed that noisy shows and attractions get in the way of the real Christmas spirit.
The Nuremberg Christmas market is easily recognizable by the aromas of the street food - grilled sausages, gingerbread and mulled wine. It is worth paying attention to the edible souvenir Zwetschgenmännle ("Plum Man"), a small doll made of dried fruits, for sale here. In the old days, such simple gifts were given to their children by the poor, but today the "little man" has become one of the main symbols of Christmas in Nuremberg.
The Christmas market in Nuremberg is considered the benchmark for the German Christmas market, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world to the city every year. On the main shopping square of the city, surrounded by Gothic churches, at the foot of the fortress it smells of cinnamon and hot wine, a merry-go-round is spinning, and tourists scurry along the narrow rows between wooden benches. What is so unusual about the Nuremberg Christmas market?
View of the Church of St. Sebaldus ( Sebalduskirche) and Nuremberg Fortress ( Die burg).
Nuremberg Christmas market is called Christkindlesmarkt(« Christkindlesmarkt", Literally:" christ child market"). Its written history goes back 400 years, but, most likely, the market existed much earlier than its first documentary mention. Among the tourists making “ eurotrip”Is considered a must visit Nuremberg in preparation for Christmas. At this time, the entire old city center turns into a huge fairs selling toys, Christmas tree decorations, souvenirs and sweet treats!
Like Nuremberg kristkindlesmarkt"Became a landmark fair and was included in the list" must-si"? It seems to me that this is due to the reputation of Nuremberg as " german»Cities of Germany. The origin of this unofficial title goes back to the end of the 18th century, that is, to the very beginning of the era of romanticism. At that distant time, artists and poets were looking for a source of inspiration in fantasies and emotional experiences much more than we do now, in the era of consumerism. Germans from other parts of Germany came to Nuremberg and found its economic lagging behind, old-fashioned, partially dilapidated architecture, romantic and inspiring.
kristkindlesmarkt"visited by hundreds of thousands of people, I'm not exaggerating. It is sometimes very difficult to get through the market.
The era of Baroque and Rococo bypassed Nuremberg. While kings built lavish palaces and castles, Nuremberg paid off debts and tried to regain lost influence. As a result, at the end of the 18th century, the city looked dilapidated; in a hundred years, only a couple of churches and several new buildings were built. No boulevards or lush city villas. For romantic travelers, Nuremberg, with its crooked alleys and wooden half-timbered houses, seemed the lost German city that most fully corresponded to their idea of \u200b\u200bmedieval Germany. The Christmas market, held in Nuremberg since 1616, fits well with this concept.
kristkindlesmarkta"and the Church of the Virgin Mary ( Frauenkirche).
In the 1920s, Germany was turbulent. The Nazis were gaining popularity. Bourgeois Munich did not promise the Nazis as much support as they could get in the most industrial city of Bavaria, Nuremberg. Since 1927, " nuremberg races"- hundreds of thousands of torchlight processions of the Nazis. The Nazis tied " kristkindlesmarkt"With the spirit of the Aryan race. Nuremberg as " most german cityGermany, the keeper of the imperial Kleinods and the birthplace of the first railway, fit perfectly into the ideology of Nazism.
The ancient environment gives the market the necessary flavor and connection to the past. Nuremberg " kristkindlesmarkt"has been regularly held in this square since the 17th century. A pointed spire stands out in the foreground" beautiful fountain".
Nuremberg suffered greatly during the war. 85% of the buildings in the old city were destroyed by air raids, but after the war, most of the ancient city was rebuilt from ruins. Despite this, already in 1946, the Christmas market started working again. Then the square was still in ruins, the churches of the Virgin Mary and St. Sebaldus were destroyed. Of the original historical values, only “ Beautiful fountain» ( Schöner Brunnen), which was prudently covered with a concrete sarcophagus, which saved it from bombing.
The stage on which they perform " carols"and" generous".
The original concept “ kristkindlesmarkta”Was designed for children. The annual Christmas market sold toys and sweets, which he gave to children “ santa Claus". In the Catholic tradition, St. Nicholas brings gifts to children. On the morning of December 6, the children looked into their shoes, which were prudently placed outside the doorway, and expected to find sweets there.
After the Reformation, the role of the good saint passed to Jesus himself, and with this the date of the gift was postponed to Christmas. The three-week break between St. Nicholas Day and Christmas was filled with an extended fair, which from now on lasted not three days, but three weeks.
Over time, the range of fair products has expanded significantly. In addition to tin toys, Christmas tree decorations and other festive decorations began to be sold at the fair. If, in the original interpretation, the Christmas market served for the preparation of food for the winter by the townspeople (smoked meat, potatoes, pickles), then over time, the emphasis shifted to toys for children and various sweets.
Some fair traditions have survived through the centuries. For example, you can still buy plum men at the Christmas market “ Pflaumenmännle". They are made from dried plums and apricots.
At the exhibition dedicated to the history “ kristkindlesmarkta”, It is argued that the very tradition of celebrating Christmas is rooted in Franconian folklore. For example, the red and white striped fabric on the stands is a coincidence with the colors of the Franconian flag. The exhibition also features samples of toys that could be bought on the market at the end of the 19th century.
Historians have found evidence that chestnuts and waffles were roasted in the oldest Christmas markets. The classic set of goodies from the fair includes: waffles with chocolate or powdered sugar, pancakes with cinnamon, bananas or “ nutella", Sausages of any configurations and sizes, pancakes with sugar, fried almonds, chocolate-coated bananas, gingerbread cookies (which are a registered trademark in Nuremberg)," shtollen"(Holiday pies) and much more that did not come to my mind at the time of writing.
Mulled wine is by far the main ingredient in any Christmas market. The aroma of hot wine with spices informs people about the opening of the fair even in the neighboring streets. At Christmas time, the centers of German cities are enveloped in the scent of cinnamon, oranges and wine. Communication " mulled wine-christmas"Is laid down literally at a subconscious level. Without the aroma of mulled wine, the Christmas mood does not come.
The booth next to the Church of St. Sebaldus sells the most delicious sausages. A long line leads to them.
In Nuremberg next to " Fleischbrücke» (" the Myasnikov bridge", Fleischbrücke) there is a separate Christmas village, which houses the world's largest cistern with Feuerzangenbowle, a worthy alternative to the already boring mulled wine. " Feuerzangenbole»Is cooked in a large vat. Red wine is poured into a basin, spices are poured and orange slices are thrown. By gradually heating the mixture, we get “ gluwein". When the wine has become hot enough, put “ feuerzange» - « fire tongs". On them lies " zuckerhut» (« sugar loaf») - a cone-shaped sugar bar pre-soaked in rum. Sugar soaked in strong Cuban alcohol is set on fire and watched until all " sugar loaf»Will not caramel or drain into the pot. Serve hot.
The largest vat with " feuerzangenbole"on the banks of the Pegnitz River.
The good Christmas mood is limited to four weeks of Advent. The fairs open on Friday four weeks before Christmas and close on December 24th. Some bazaars go one step ahead of tourists and extend their opening hours until December 31st. These are not real bazaars, traitors in the fair trade union! Authentic " weinachtsmarkt» ( Weihnachtsmarkt, literally: " christmas market») Never lasts longer than Advent!
Food, drinks, tree decorations and toys - the main assortment of Christmas markets does not change from city to city. The oldest Christmas market is located in Dresden, but, as we say in Franconia, the only truly German market can be seen only in Nuremberg! And although the sellers at the Nuremberg fair have given way to the demands of global tourism over time, gradually accepting credit cards and posting signs in English, the fair here is still an authentic embodiment of the spirit of German Christmas.
A more provincial Christmas market can be found in the report from
One of the variants of the Nuremberg gingerbread
Since we got to it late in the evening and were, frankly, tired after climbing the fortress walls of Rothenburg, and even in Munich we had to return for the night on the same day, we have few photos from Nuremberg. I suggest those who wish to go to the official website of the fair and see high-quality and beautiful photos there (the site works in German and English). I will just say a few words about my own impressions.
I said above about shopping and souvenirs. Gingerbread (lebkuchen), plum men and nutcrackers are the first things to look for at this fair. On closer inspection, it turned out that nutcrackers are expensive, as in Munich (even more expensive), lebkuchen can be bought cheaper in ordinary stores, and we ourselves can fashion the little men at home. And even for 5 euros, a few pieces will turn out :)
Plum men from Nuremberg
Nürnberger Christkind. Photo from the official website of the fair (see link above)
The symbol of the Nuremberg Christmas market is Christkind / Christ Child... Previously, this role was played by professional actresses, but for many years now they have been replaced by ordinary girls. New Christkind is specially chosen every year. True, the selection is very serious: you need to have a good appearance, appropriate height and figure :)
Christkind officially opens the main fair of the city on the very first evening of its work, and then every day comes to chat with its visitors. Be sure to spend some time at the children's fair, ride a carousel, incl. entertains children in the Christmas house and reads them fairy tales.
At the children's fair there is a corresponding assortment: several houses with souvenirs suitable for children, kinderpunches and sweets :) I don't know what is going on there during the day, and we were not able to see Christkind, but we were not at all upset.
Just imagine: the evening, the Christmas lights are dying out, the fair is closing ... No one scurries underfoot, squeals, does not cry, does not interfere with looking at the special decorations of the houses - the big toy characters of the famous German fairy tales. The carousel has quieted down, you can see and photograph all the horses ...
Christkind got tired and flew to his crib to rest, but he will be back soon: it is he who, together with the angels, brings gifts to all the children on Christmas night...
Nuremberg. Carousel at the children's Christmas market
In the evening, around the main "adult" Nuremberg fair, the aroma of gluwein and something fried can be heard. To be honest, the aroma of hot wine from this very fair did not impress us: it was kind of sour wine, there was no spice, there was even something unpleasant, "drunken" in it :) Therefore, we did not stay there for a long time. We did not need local souvenirs either, and the gingerbread cookies - exactly the same - were bought later in the store (they are also brought to Hungary). To tell the truth, for those who are engaged in homemade baking themselves or have tried other gingerbread products before, these gingerbread cookies are nothing special either :) Now all these things are more marketing and commerce.
We did not find magic in Nuremberg, except for an acquaintance with an empty evening children's fair, with its swing-carousels and fairy-tale characters. The miracle just consisted not in seeing Christkind, but in the fact that we did not see him, which means that he also remained a real magic for us ...
More significant and memorable for me from that December trip to Germany was a visit to Rothenburg an der Tauber with its Christmas Museum and Käthe Wohlfahrt shop, contemplation of paintings in the Pinakothek in Munich, which I had previously seen only in books ... and an accidental trip to Salzburg, about the Christmas magic of which I have already told (from Munich to Salzburg - two hours by special train). I still sigh for these unicorns ...
About Salzburg see my articles
Nuremberg is the unofficial capital of Franconia (eastern Bavaria) and one of the most interesting cities in the region. It is attractive not only for tourists from abroad, but also for the Germans themselves, especially on Advent, in the period before Christmas, when the famous Christmas market with the long name Christkindlesmarkt opens on the Market Square. Up to 2 million people visit it annually, making this market one of the most famous of its kind. This year, I was also on New Year's holidays in Nuremberg, and I want to tell you all the most interesting about this city, continuing the series of articles on Matrona.Ru about how Christmas is celebrated in different countries of the world.
It is not known for certain when the Christkindlesmarkt appeared, but the first written evidence about it dates back to the 17th century - that is, its history goes back several centuries.
It got its name from the religious-folklore character Christkindl: the Infant (or rather the child) of Jesus. This is an analogue of Santa Claus, popular in this and neighboring regions. This image became popular during the Reformation, when the Lutheran Church fought against the cult of saints. He is assigned the function of giving gifts to children at Christmas, and he bears little resemblance to the real Jesus.
The bazaar in Nuremberg opens four weeks before Christmas with a solemn ceremony in which a teenager plays the role of "Jesus Child". This is a girl with blonde hair, wearing white and gold clothes and a crown. She stands on the balcony of the Church of the Virgin Mary and reads a speech in which she invites adults to remember how they were children and greets children who are on the verge of life.
The Christmas market consists of several parts: the main part in the main square, the children's market and the sister cities market. The last one has counters with products brought from Venice, Prague, Vienna, Glasgow and other cities.
Of course, you can wander around such a bazaar for hours. Eyes diverge - there is such a variety of Christmas tree decorations, Christmas interior items, wooden nativity scenes, toys and the most unexpected things. For example, cookie cutters and woolen hot coasters. As well as handmade candles, knitted scarves and mittens, music boxes and beautiful dishes. The list can be continued as long as your imagination allows.
The bazaar also pleases with gastronomic and alcoholic delights: here you can find trays with Christmas egg liqueurs, honey wine, wine for mulled wine, not to mention a huge selection of Bavarian sausages, honey, jams. Or, for example, suddenly find a counter where you are offered to taste several dozen types of mustard. Special attention should be paid to traditional gingerbread cookies (Liebkuchen), which can be found in other places, but the Bavarians claim that this is their invention.
Mulled wine, by the way, becomes the main drink during Advent and Christmas: you can taste it literally at every step, and, I must say, it is very tasty.
The Christmas market at this time is the main attraction of Nuremberg, and you can even spend more than one day there. However, Nuremberg is famous not only for this.
Firstly, this is the city of Dürer (one of the nicknames of Nuremberg is Dürerstadt). The house in which he lived is one of the few buildings in the historic center that was hardly damaged during the bombing in 1945. Now there is a museum in which, oddly enough, there is not a single original, but perfectly executed copies of the artist's main works are presented. There is also a copy of the printing press from the time of Dürer (working!) And a possible interior of the workshop has been recreated. The exposition of the house-museum allows you to learn not only about the biography and work of the great master, but also to immerse yourself in the general context of the end of the 15th century, when the Middle Ages had already ended and the Renaissance era began with its scientific discoveries and humanism.
Secondly, there is a unique toy museum in Nuremberg. A visit to it will bring great pleasure to both adults and children (for the latter, there is a special playroom). In the museum, you can trace the evolution of toys from the 19th century to the present day. See dozens of doll houses and sets for them of forty objects, a room-sized railway, clockwork toys, constructors and dolls, miniature cities and parks.
Thirdly, we must not forget about the tragic pages of the history of this city. After all, it was Nuremberg that was the ideological center of German fascism and the place where anti-Semitic laws appeared. However, it also became the site of the final collapse of Nazi Germany thanks to the Nuremberg trials. Therefore, when visiting the city, it is impossible not to remember the Second World War. During it, among other events, many antique pieces of art and jewelry were hidden in Nuremberg.
Now the Kunstbunker (kunst - "art") is open for tourists. Built in the early 1940s, it became a hiding place for both German statues and paintings (as well as the crown and scepter of the German Empire) and stolen items exported from other cities. For example, for a huge 15th century altar from St. Mary's Church in Krakow. Now, of course, all the "trophies" stored there have been returned to their places.
Among the numerous churches in the city, three deserve special attention: the Church of the Virgin Mary, the Church of St. Sebald and St. Lawrence. All of them were badly damaged during the war and were actually rebuilt, but many interior items have survived. Nuremberg, unlike Catholic Munich, is mostly Protestant. Therefore, its churches are distinguished by austerity and relatively poor decoration, but on the outside they are beautiful Gothic buildings decorated with stone statues.
Another historical paradox is associated with the Church of the Virgin Mary (Frauenkirche). It was built in the middle of the XIV century on the site of the synagogue destroyed during the Jewish pogrom (at the same time the entire Jewish quarter was destroyed). Now the Star of David in the interior of the church and the statue of St. Edith Stein is a Christianized Jewish nun who was killed during the Holocaust.
Perhaps Nuremberg will not seem to you the most beautiful city in the world (especially if you, like me, come there in the winter, when there is no snow, and there are black trees with lonely hanging garlands all around). However, its historical significance, the number of museums and attractions make it, without a doubt, a must-see stop in Germany. I did not mention the Nuremberg Castle, the medieval prison near the Town Hall, the Nuremberg Trials memorial, the National Museum, which, by the way, now has a wonderful exhibition of Renaissance clothing - and this is not all that will be interesting and, perhaps, will make you come back more than once.
And, of course, don't forget about hearty Bavarian meat cuisine and local beer, which is rightfully considered one of the best in the world.
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