This
past weekend I decided to visit the annual Easter Market (Ostermarkt in German)
in Nuremburg Germany. It was going to be a gorgeous day (70’s) so it would be a
great day to visit the market as well as explore Germany’s second largest city
known for the famous post-war Nuremburg Trials, Nuremburg Castle, St. Lorenz Church, Schöner Brunnen and Nürnberger
Bratwurst. By car, it is a little over an hour from
Grafenwoehr to Nuremburg. Rather than drive, I could take in more scenery by using
the German rail system called Deutsche Bahn, or DB for short. Two can travel on an all-day Bayern pass for as
little as 38 euros which is about $42.00. I met up with a friend at the Freihung
train station and headed out to Nuremburg.
The ride
took about 52 minutes. Germany really is a beautiful place to see by train! A ten-minute walk, the historical market
(traced back to the 1400’s), is held in the Hauptmarkt Square in the castle compounds. To reach
the market, you must enter through the old castle walls.
Once inside
the walls, you can shop, explore or just partake in all of the eateries and of
course, beer. It was quite crowded with multiple stalls filled with booths of sweets,
yummy eats, housewares and, of course, Easter wares. The big lure of the
market is its
medieval walls, ancient castle, bread made without any additives or
preservatives, gingerbread and Nürnberger bratwurst.
Who would ever imagine that this place because of its connection to Hitler and the Nazis, was heavily bombed by
allies in the 1940’s and that it was the chosen site for the war crimes trials.
You
can’t walk through these German markets and not eat something! So after salivating
long enough, I finally tried some of the bratwurst and bread. Absolutely the best
I have ever had in my life! I read that the sausage is protected by European
Union (EU) which means it can only be produced in Nuremburg! The seasoning used
in these sausages is marjoram and typically grilled over beech-wood fire. At the edge of the market square is a medieval gothic fountain
called the Schoner Brunnen.
The
fountain that was constructed in the 1300’s by architect Heinrich Beheim is 62
feet tall! The statues represent philosophy and the seven liberal arts (composed of two groups: the trivium, or lower
studies—grammar, rhetoric, and dialectic —and the quadrivium, or higher
studies—arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music). Below the seven liberal arts are the four church
fathers. These include Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, and Saint Gregory the Great
in the Western Church, and Basil, Athanasius, Gregory of Nazianzus, and John
Chrysostom in the East and the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and
John). The nine worthies include
three pagans (Hector, Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar), three Jews (Joshua,
David and Judas Maccabeus) and three Christians (King Arthur, Charlemagne and
Godfrey of Bouillon) who were legendary dignitaries. The seven holy roman
electors are above the seven liberal arts. At the top sits Moses and the seven prophets (Hosea, Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Isaiah and Joel). Fortunately, the monument was not harmed in WWII.
Located
in the heart of Nuremburg and its popular dominance in the Nuremburg skyline is
St. Lorenz Church. It was built in the 13 century and like many of the other
structure in Nuremburg the Lorenz Church was damaged in WWII. Being the largest church in Nuremburg,
it is considered a gothic masterpiece!
Though originally a Catholic church, it was
converted to Lutheran after the renovation. St. Lorenz Church’s interior and exterior are both magnificent!
The Castle Kaiserburg is definitely a must see!. The view over the city
is this castle that is an important structure of the Holy Roman Empire.
There
was a bit of a steep climb through the cobble stone streets to get to the
castle which dates back to the 13th century. We made it to the top floor
called the Sinwell Tower which houses the Tiefer
Brunnen (Deep Well) and hosts
a magnificent view of the city!
The structure with its incredible history was not
only a prestigious residence for several emperors of the Roman empire but it was
also used for administrative functions and festivities. Even though the castle
was damaged during WWII, it was virtually restored to its original state. The
castle is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April to September, and 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. from October to March.
Nuremburg. Besides the Franconian
beer, 1000-year-old castle, and bratwurst, the location alone makes it worth a visit!
All the best,
GMarie