NUREMBERG CHRISTMAS MARKET

This year we decided to visit one of Germany’s oldest Christmas markets in Nuremberg for some pre-Christmas inspiration. I didn’t really know what to expect. I knew there would be some great gingerbread and gluhwein but I wasn’t really sure if they had anything else to offer. I was hoping it would be a great opportunity to buy some unusual vintage items for our house. Luckily, I was positively surprised! The city has so much to offer in terms of shopping, history and it’s picturesque Christmas markets.

They are selling quite a few traditional Christmas decorations at the market (some extremely tacky, yes) and I knew that I wasn’t going to find many things for our house there. I always find the quality disappointing at these markets but this time around I also came across some items that actually seemed to be build to last (obviously this was reflected on their price too). If you do go to Nuremberg during this season, try to go midweek. I found the city way too busy during the weekend to the point that I actually ended up going back to the hotel. Luckily, we were there on Thursday and Friday as well. Also, don’t forget that pretty much all the shops are closed on Sundays (unlike in the UK).

I loved the colourful ceramics they had on display as well as all the tea light holders. I did end up buying a wooden ‘nut cracker’ from one of the stalls and it was actually my husbands idea. He wanted to get a souvenir that we will only use during Christmas and it was a great idea I must admit.

Luckily, there are plenty of interior shops to choose from should you get tired shopping at the market. I actually spent a whole day visiting these and I still didn’t find the time to visit any of the antiques shops that I originally intended to. Most of the shops are in Alstadt and I found the best shops are off the main shopping roads Konigstrasse and Karolinenstrasse. Most of the items I liked were too large or heavy to take onto the plane. They had some great ceramics and marble candle holders but I can probably find similar ones in the UK as well.

My favourite shop in Nuremberg was Bolia. It reminded me of Dwell at home. Their furniture is contemporary/Scandinavian inspired and there was plenty of oak, white furniture and marble out for display which I love. Unfortunately their website is only available in German. I might need to dig out my old German school books and start learning again.

Another impressive shop was DesignFunktion. They sell some of the most beautiful contemporary furniture from iconic brands such as Knoll and Swiss owned Vitra. Most of their furniture is ideal for an office but I still think this place is worth a visit for some modern interior inspiration. A particularly liked the large marble dining room table and gold side tables with black sofas. Oh, and they have a beautiful clock on display as well.

Few other shops worth mentioning are:

• Villeroy & Boch on Konigstrasse (Their lace collection tableware is beautiful!)
• Grune Erde (beautiful natural materials and wooden furniture)
• Butlers (They sell everything and I ended up getting some funky straws for the house)
• Cairo (simple beautiful lighting solutions and furniture. Scandinavian style of course)
• Bode Gallerie & Edition (wonderful art work and some affordable pieces too)
• Wurzelsepp (They sell teas, herbal remedies, candles, home accessories etc. You have to try their Lebkuchen sweets. They are amazing!)
• Nurnberger Rahmenkunst Haus der Gemalde (This is ideal if you are looking for more traditional art)
• I really enjoyed the Karlstad and Breuninger department stores as well
• If you like smaller boutiques head to the Gostenhof district or if you like antiques Bergstrasse is ideal

German interior style reminds me a lot of Scandinavian design. It seems to be more about the function than the luxury finishes. I am very impressed with the craftsmanship and have no doubt that if you do buy German design it is going to be timeless. Happy Interior Blog is written by Munich based Igor and  it gives you a pretty good idea what German interiors look like. Igors interior styling is very impressive and I find his blog very inspirational.

There are some great restaurants in Nuremberg but booking in advance is advisable (especially at weekends when it gets very busy). For lunch I would recommend the champagne bar in Karlstad department store. The fish I had there was delicious and fresh and a glass of Tattinger at 6 euros in not bad either! The best place for dinner is the Restauration Fischer. I had a lovely experience there and definitely recommend it for a special occasion. There are also plenty of lovely cafes in the town with cozy outdoors seating areas.

I hope my tips were helpful and I am sure there are many other shops worth visiting that I didn’t list here. For more information about shopping in Nuremberg visit Arrival Guides/Germany/Nuremberg or Nuremberg’s official website www.nuernberg.de.