Day Two – Nürnberg
We woke up to sunny skies in Nürnberg on Sunday morning. Our boat had not left the port overnight which gave us an opportunity to choose our own journey into the heart of the historic city. Breakfast options included a sit-down service in the dining room, or a casual continental in the cozy lounge. We chose the lounge and enjoyed yogurt with berries, scrambled eggs, and of course sausage.
Our choice for adventure today included a bus tour into Nürnberg with an informative guide named Gerry. Gerry gave us details dating back to the Medieval ages on the various buildings, bridges, and castles that surrounded us on all sides. The town was quaint and full of history. Many details were shared about the role of Nürnberg in World War ll and its absolute demise by bombing in 1945. It was incredible to see the great walls that had withstood the bombings and the castles and towers that remained intact.
I think my favourite part of this tour was seeing the unique craftsmanship of the houses and buildings. Homes sport shutters and rounded edges: some are classic white, but it’s typical to see shades of pastel blue, pink, green, and yellow. It’s as though you are wandering into the pages of a childhood classic fairytale like Hansel and Gretel.
Once we stepped off our bus, we found ourselves in the middle of the famous Christkindl Market in the centre of Old Town Nürnberg. Beautiful steeples of cathedrals run along the skyline, and below are rows on rows of beckoning red and white striped market stalls. The smells were fantastic! Candied nuts, cooking sausage, mulled wine and gingerbread. There was something to taste on every corner.
Beautiful cedar boughs were hung along market stalls where individuals displayed their handicrafts and artisan works. There were unique figures made out of prunes that were intriguingly cute, many different creative Nativity scenes, ornaments galore, and knick-knacks that took into account many different tastes. The candies and cookies were incredible to look at, mouthwatering cakes and gingerbreads (and lebkuchen) lined market stalls decorated in bright colours that would turn the heads of children and adults alike. It was hard not to feel like you might miss something if you blinked! So much Christmas to take in – the market seemed to envelop all my senses. There was no way you could walk away without feeling the warmth of the Yuletide Season deep in your heart.
– Andrea Petkau, 2023 Christmas Markets Cruise
Andrea , you have a gift for writing. Keep on blogging.