Nuremberg holidays

The Christmas market’s packed with budget-friendly souvenirs and handmade handicrafts to take home. And if you’re not in town for the festive period, there’s a Christmas shop in the city centre that’s open year-round.

The indoor Mercado Nürnberg’s home to a food court and 60+ shops, including lots of famous faces from around the Continent, like H&M and TK Maxx. And, it’s just a couple of kilometres outside the city centre.

Designer stores are sprinkled all along the Kaiserstrasse – an elegant promenade in the city centre. Famous names like Massimo Dutti and Balenciaga can be found along here, as well as a number of independent stores.

Beer’s big business in Nuremberg, and cosy taverns and beer gardens are dotted all over the city centre. Lots of them are set up for chilled out evenings, with live music, light meals and bar snacks on the menu.

There are nightclubs scattered all over the city, but Weibgerbergasse Street in the city centre is where the biggest group of late-night venues are gathered. This narrow, colourful street’s got bars and clubs to suit all tastes, from dance clubs to tiki bars.

Bratwurst may be commonplace around the country, but Nuremberg’s own take on this classic is distinctive. So distinctive, in fact, that it has protected PGI status, which means a Nuremberg sausage can only be made here and nowhere else. It’s on menus around the city and it’s distinguished by the fact that it’s smaller than the standard sausage, at around the size of your index finger.

The city’s beer brewing tradition goes back around 700 years, and historic beer cellars from way-back-when are dotted all over the old town. Some of them offer tours and tastings as well.

This dish is unique to the Franconia region that Nuremberg sits in. Tender pig’s shoulder is the core ingredient. It’s rubbed with salt and spices, then roasted until the rind’s crispy. It’s typically served with potato dumplings and roasted vegetables, and drizzled in a gravy-style sauce that’s sometimes flavoured with dark Bavarian beer.

This German gingerbread’s popular all over the country, but Nuremberg has its own slight twist on the recipe. Flour, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and nuts are the key ingredients in a recipe that’s remained untouched since the 13th century.

This Nuremberg staple’s commonly found at the city’s Christmas market. They’re best enjoyed with a hot cup of mulled wine, and while they’re often served plain, there’s also a version that’s sprinkled with sugar for a slightly sweeter treat.