Visiting Nuremberg

After our rainy visit to Regensburg, we headed to Nuremberg.

While we enjoyed our visit, as Mark’s dad would have put it, it was a mixed bag.

 

The Nuremberg Trials

After departing the boat, we boarded a bus for a drive across the city of Nuremberg to the Palace of Justice.

The Palace of Justice is the home of the 1946 war crimes tribunal known as The Nuremberg Trials.

This visit was rather odd: the bus pulled up on a busy city street, we disembarked, walked around the corner, and stood in front of a large building with a dozen or so other tour groups.

 

 

We looked at the facade and were shown historic photos in a plastic sleeve while our local guide gave us a brief synopsis of the landmark trials that took place inside. We turned around and boarded the bus.

 

 

The Importance of the Nuremberg Trials

While we got nothing for the quick visit, the Palace of Justice and the Nuremberg Trials play a huge part in world history.

The defense presented overwhelming evidence, including Nazi documents, film footage of concentration camps, and survivor testimonies that created an irrefutable historical record of the Holocaust and other Nazi crimes.

The principles established serve as a model for international conventions, such as the UN Genocide Convention and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 

The trials were the first of their kind to prosecute high-ranking officials of a state for war crimes.

So while the quick visit was haphazard, it forced us to go back and read more about a subject we both only really knew by name.

 

The Old City

From the Palace of Justice, we made our way to the old city, where our bus could park. The old town of Nuremberg is nearly 1000 years old.

 

 

And while we didn’t see much or learn its history, it was the gateway into the city’s incredible Christmas Market.

 

The Golden Angel

The Golden Angel of Nuremberg is the symbol of their Christmas Market, dating back to the 16th century.

 

The Legend: A tale tells of a dollmaker during the Thirty Years’ War who, after his dying daughter appeared to him in a dream as an angel, created the angel from gold foil, bringing comfort amidst destruction. Not only are there lighted angels throughout the market, but a Golden Angel is chosen every year to open the market, and you can find gold foil tree toppers at some stalls too.

 

 

 

The Nuremberg Christmas Market

 

 

The backdrop of the Nuremberg Christmas Market is St. Lorenz Church, an Evangelical Lutheran Church built between 1400 and 1477 in the late German Sondergothische style.

A stage set in front of the church hosted numerous groups performing Christmas music.

 

 

We found that locals filled this market after work, congregating at the Gluwein stands. At the same time, it’s a big part of local culture and very festive, which made it challenging to navigate the market. We made our way through, grabbing some treats, local crafts, and an ornament.

 

 

Another feature of Nuremberg is its Schöner Brunnen, or Beautiful Fountain, a three-tiered fountain made in the 14th century, which, while not necessarily “Christmas’ added a very festive feel.

 

 

Schaumküsse

These delicious German marshmallow puffs were a must-try for us! A fully marshmallow center on a thin wafer is coated in chocolate. They came in all sorts of flavors, but Chuck went straight for the dark chocolate, and Mark tried the Amaretto.

 

 

Seeing people trying to navigate this sticky and slightly crumbly treat in the market, we bought a few to take back to the ship for a late-night snack.

 

 

More Local Specialties

Zwetschgenmännle or Prune Men, are a Nuremberg holiday craft. Made from dried prunes and other materials, they depict musicians, cooks, and other professions. They have been sold at the Nuremberg Christmas Market for decades.

 

 

We hesitated to buy one at first due to the humidity at home in the Yucatan. However, we ended up buying two, and they’ve held up well.

And while we loved the gingerbread hearts, we decided to pass on them because they were too fragile to travel home with.

 

 

We Wish We Had More Time

As we mentioned previously, we weren’t blown away by our local Nuremberg guide. While it doesn’t happen often, it is one of the pitfalls of a sizable group tour.

Our guide moved us from the bus lot to a fountain just outside the market. Along the way, he kept saying he’d share more information and a meeting point. By the time we arrived and were told about our meeting point (the fountain) and what to do if we missed the group’s appointed time, we didn’t have much time in the market.

We wish we had more time in the market. We felt like we spent too much time gathering and waiting for latecomers to arrive for our departure.

But onward to our next location and the Christmas Market. The former home of one of Germany’s most powerful imperial dynasties – Bamberg!