Nuremberg Holidays

City breaks to Nuremberg come heaped with treats – like freshly baked gingerbread, Bavarian beer, and eye-popping Medieval architecture.

Nuremberg city breaks

As a result of its chequered history, the German city of Nuremberg is packed to the rafters with history. Plus, it’s got a tasty foodie scene and a tonne of things to see and do. Art’s a big deal here, too – Nuremberg was the birthplace of the painter Albrecht Durer. And, there’s a connection to Christmas that’s as strong as Captain America, thanks to the city’s uber-famous Christmas market.

Old town roaming

Nuremberg’s an easy city to jolly around on foot. The old town – aka Altstadt – is the beating heart, and surrounded by intact city walls. Altstadt’s also home to the Imperial Castle of Nuremberg, where all German kings and emperors lived from 1050 to 1571. History bugs should jump on a walking tour of the castle and the walls – it’s a great way to get an in-a-nutshell perspective of Nuremberg’s busy history.

Snap-happy scenes

Other wow-factor parts of the city include Weibgerbergasse and the hauptmarkt – or main market. Weibgerbergasse’s a bit of a VIP when it comes to streets in Nuremberg, thanks to its tall half-timbered houses that are painted in colours like sorbet-yellow, rose-pink and vanilla-white. The hauptmarkt meanwhile is home to a beautiful fountain and daily markets, and is also where you’ll find the fairy-light-spangled Christmas market each December.

All-star dining

Refuelling between sightseeing sprees is easy in Nuremberg. This is a city for foodies, with restaurants, bars and cafés stocked with all kinds of German treats. Our top three nibbles have got to be bratwurst sausages, freshly baked gingerbread – or lebkuchen – and roasted almonds. And when it’s time for a tipple, grab yourself a Bavarian beer. There’s a whopping 700 years of brewing history here, and you can find out about it by popping into one of the city’s many breweries.

At a glance

Sip a mulled wine at a Christmas market
Get arty in the footsteps of Durer
Take a hike in the Black Forest

Beaches by the lakes

You might have thought you wouldn’t see a beach on your holiday to Nuremberg – and that’s not surprising, considering Germany’s seaside beaches are all at least a seven-hour drive north. Zip south for an hour, however, and you’ll find yourself in the polaroid-perfect Franconian Lake District. You can flake out on lakeside beaches, paddle in gin-clear water, or pootle about on a boat trip.

Bargain Buys

A cheap way to take home a part of Nuremberg is to splash a few euros on a zwetschgenmannle – a hand-carved prune figurine. These traditional little characters date back to the 18th century, and you can choose from over 350 dinky figures, from mushroom-pickers and cooks to pianists and guitar players.
Mid-Range Buys

Christmas is a year-round bonanza in Nuremberg if you pop into Kathe Wohlfahrt. This Christmas shop brings festive cheer to its customers 52 weeks a year. There’s a real range of prices in here, with something to suit all budgets – from nutcracker dolls to elegant music boxes.
Designer Buys

A spot of luxury retail therapy’s all yours in Nuremberg. The shopping scene’s great here, particularly along the Kaiserstrasse promenade. Clothes shops down here sport all kinds of household names, from Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and Saint Laurent, to Céline, Valentino and Balenciaga.

Laid-back evenings

Laidback evenings

B is for beer in Nuremberg, and the best of it can be found in some of the city’s breweries. The main beer makers include Tucher, Schanzenbrau and Hausbrauerei. Start your evening earlier by taking a brewery tour, then sit down to a couple of steins at sundown in one of the brewery beer gardens.
Lively evenings

Lively evenings

The city centre gets beehive-buzzy after dark, with a heap of nightclubs and bars to pick ‘n’ mix on a night out. Head to Weibgerbergasse Street for dance pads that tend to open around midnight and keep the bass thumping ‘til dawn.

Lebkuchen

Fresh-from-the-oven gingerbread is a must-nibble in Nuremberg. It’s got the moniker lebkuchen and has a unique flavour thanks to its ingredients – flour, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and nuts. The recipe’s an old one, dating back to the 13th century. It’s made exactly the same way today as it was then.
Gluhwein

Gluhwein – AKA mulled wine – is a staple in German’s food and drink scene, particularly around the festive period. It’s easy-as-pie to pick up a glass. Simply head to the Nuremberg Christmas market and sweep the stalls. You’ll smell it before you see it, thanks to ingredients like spices, raisins and of course, red wine.
Bavarian beer

If beer’s more your tipple than a glass of vino, you’re in the right place. Traditional Nuremberg beer is red, but you can also get light or dark beers. The three most famous breweries in the city are Tucher, Hausbrauerei and Schanzenbrau. Visit them for a tour and a tasting, or pop into any pub in town for a stein of something local.
Nuremberg bratwurst

A slinky little sausage no bigger than your finger, the Nuremberg bratwurst is a protected food with PGI status – like a Melton Mowbray porkpie. It’s only a Nuremberg bratwurst if it’s been produced here, so it’s fitting to nibble a few during your visit. They’re super easy to come by, and you’ll find them in food vendors, restaurants and pubs.
Roasted almonds

If you fancy a little local snack for while you’re on the go, a bag bursting with roasted almonds is both tasty and full of energy. They’re another popular nibble at the Christmas market, too. Most places sell them plain but sometimes you’ll find them speckled with sugar.