Nuremberg
Nürnberg49°27′ N 11°05′ ECityPop. 531,159Franconia
Nuremberg is Franconia's big Christmas city, home to the Christkindlesmarkt on the Hauptmarkt from 27 November to 24 December 2026, and it suits first-timers who want the famous market and a rail hub for day trips. The trade-off is the crowd, with more than two million visits counted at the 2024 market.
Photo Lothar Weber · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Who should base here
Stay in Nuremberg if you want Franconia's biggest market on your doorstep for several evenings, with the Kinderweihnacht and the twin-town market a few streets away. The Hauptbahnhof also makes it a base for days out to the smaller towns.
Eat in Nuremberg
BratwursthäusleRestaurant
A Bratwurst house at Rathausplatz 1, beside St. Sebald and the Markt der Partnerstädte. Its own site gives 11:00 to 22:00 from Monday to Saturday and 11:00 to 20:00 on Sunday; call ahead for holiday hours.
Things to do in Nuremberg
Take the train from Nuremberg
- Nuremberg to Munichfastest 1 h 11 min, published by Deutsche Bahn (checked Oct 10, 2026) · timetable
- Nuremberg to Bambergfastest 34 min, published by Deutsche Bahn (checked Oct 10, 2026) · timetable
- Nuremberg to Regensburgfastest 59 min, published by Deutsche Bahn (checked Oct 10, 2026) · timetable
- Nuremberg to Rothenburg ob der Tauber · timetable
- Nuremberg to Wurzburgfastest 51 min, published by Deutsche Bahn (checked Oct 10, 2026) · timetable
Most of what you'll want in Advent sits inside the old town walls. The Christkindlesmarkt fills the Hauptmarkt, the Markt der Partnerstädte stands on the Rathausplatz beside it, and the Kinderweihnacht for families takes the Hans-Sachs-Platz to the east. The Frauenkirche's noon clock and the Christkind's Prolog from its gallery on 27 November 2026 both play out on the same square.
Nuremberg's city archive records that the Hauptmarkt and the Frauenkirche were laid out on the ground of the Jewish quarter after the pogrom of 1349. The city names it in its own chronology of Nuremberg's history. Keep it in mind as you walk between the stalls.
Away from the main square, St. Lorenz held three services on Christmas Eve 2025, and the Stadtmuseum im Fembo-Haus hosts the craft fair Kunst & Handwerk from 4 to 13 December 2026. The schoolchildren's lantern procession climbs from the Fleischbrücke to the Kaiserburg on 10 December 2026. Families can fill an afternoon at the Sternenhaus in the Heilig-Geist-Haus, which ran children's theatre through Advent in 2025.
Worth knowing
- Watch the Männleinlaufen on the Frauenkirche at noon from the far side of the Hauptmarkt.
- Keep your Glühwein mug as a souvenir or hand it back for the deposit at any Glühwein stall.
Quick answers about Nuremberg
Is Nuremberg worth visiting for Christmas markets?
Yes. Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt runs from 27 November to 24 December 2026, and two smaller markets for families and twin towns sit within a few streets of it. Expect crowds: the city counted more than two million visits at the 2024 market.
How many Christmas markets are there in Nuremberg's old town?
Nuremberg's old town has three city-run Advent markets close together: the Christkindlesmarkt on the Hauptmarkt, the Markt der Partnerstädte on the Rathausplatz and the Kinderweihnacht on the Hans-Sachs-Platz.
Is Nuremberg a good place to stay?
Stay in Nuremberg if you want Franconia's biggest market on your doorstep for several evenings, with the Kinderweihnacht and the twin-town market a few streets away. The Hauptbahnhof also makes it a base for days out to the smaller towns.
Within 12 km
Places to stay nearby
