GHDI logo


Christmas Market in Nuremberg (December 2006)

Since lots of toys used to be produced in this old imperial city, Nuremberg’s “Christ Child Market” is one of the oldest Christmas markets in all of Germany. The pre-Christmas sales fair on Nuremberg’s Hauptmarkt [Central Market] dates back to middle of the 16th century. The “Nuremberg Christ Child” opens every year on the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent; it begins with a solemn prologue delivered from the gallery of the Church of Our Lady. The market stays open until Christmas Eve. Every year, it attracts more than two million people from all over the world. Retailers in wooden booths present a range of intentionally traditional goods: Nuremberg gingerbread [Lebkuchen], fruit cake, baked goods and sweets, typical Christmas items such as tinsel angels, mangers, and Christmas tree decorations, as well as candles, toys, and arts and crafts. Today, Christmas markets are held all over Germany during Advent, but the traditional ones, such as Nuremberg’s “Christ Child Market,” attract the most visitors from Germany and neighboring countries. Photo: Kornblum.

print version     return to image list previous image      next image

Christmas Market in Nuremberg (December 2006)

picture-alliance / Bildagentur Huber