November 14-28, 2010 I'm taking on Deutschland!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Christkindlesmarkt - Nurnberg

With about two million visitors a year the “Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt” is one of the biggest Christmas markets in Germany and equally one of the most famous ones in the world.
The Christkindlesmarkt at night!


The bustling Christmas Market

Booth after booth of hand-crafted little trinkets

Gluhwein stand - kept us warm in the snow!

Sweets and treats! Lebkuchen (gingerbread) and candied nuts were the favorites!


Ornaments galore!


Yummy! All hand painted! Almost too beautiful to eat... almost :)
  

Some Sights Around Nurnberg

I spent much of my time in Nurnberg, where Jordan lives, and took day trips to many of the small towns in Bavaria. Nurnberg, founded in 1050, is the largest city in the Franconian region of Bavaria. Nurnberg is often referred to as having been the 'unofficial capital' of the Holy Roman Empire, particularly because Reichstage (Imperial Diets) and courts met at Nurnberg Castle. Nurnberg held great significance during the Nazi Germany era. Because of the city's relevance to the Holy Roman Empire and its position in the center of Germany, the Nazi Party chose the city to be the site of huge Nazi Party conventions - the Nurnberg rallies.

 Amazing view of Nurnberg from the tower of the Nurnberg Castle

 Nurnberg Castle (Nurnberger Burg): between 1050 and 1571 all Kaisers and Kings of the Holy Roman Empire resided in the castle.

 The Imperial Crown Jewels at the Nurnberg Castle

  Schöner Brunnen Fountain in the Hauptmarkt. It was originally meant to top the Frauenkirche (the Church of Our Lady), but was too heavy to be supported by the church tower so it was made into a fountain in front of the church.

 
This statue is near the Hauptmarkt in Nurnberg. It is called Ehekarussell (Marriage Merry-Go-Round Fountain) created in 1984 by the sculptor Prof. Jürgen Weber as a visual manifestation of Hans Sachs' poem "Bittersweet marital life". Hans Sachs is a Nurnberg native.


My first Döner Kebab: a Turkish delight!


This unique fountain in the Innenschdat is the "Narrenschrffbrunnen" or in English it is the "Ship of Fools". It was patterned after a woodcut done by Albrecht Dürer. The basic thinking behind this fountain is- No matter how beautiful you are nor how much you have accomplished in this life you can not outrun death. In other words "we are all in the same boat." Kind of morbid, but Germany seemed to be full of weird statues like this!


 The Documentation Center at the former Nazi rarty rally grounds.
The Nurnberg Trials of 1945-46 took place here.

Creepy bronze rabbit statue outside Albrecht Dürer's house


 The Albrecht Dürer House

Albrecht Dürer: a German painter, printmaker and theorist from Nuremberg. His prints established his reputation across Europe when he was still in his twenties.



St. Egidien (Church of St. Giles) towers and Wilhelm I equestrian statue


  The Frauenkirche (the Church of Our Lady) in the Haupmarkt

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Nurnberg: SNOW!!!

I woke up one morning, looked outside and everything was WHITE!

Panorama of Nurnberg taken from the Nurnberg Castle (the Burg)

It SNOWED!!!

  

Wurzburg

A charming little medieval Franconian town. In 1945 about 90% of Wurzburg was destroyed during a WWII air raid and it took over 20 years to replicate and restore all of the historically important buildings that were destroyed.
 The statue bridge over the Main River

 Wurzberg Marienkapelle

 Neumunster church and a beautiful fresco inside

Enjoying some hot Gluhwein at the Wurzberg Christmas Market
The Bavarians go BIG for Christmas! I think they invented the phrase "deck the halls"!

Fantasizing about what it would be like to live in the Residenz!
The Wurzburg Residenz. This place is HUGE! And if you think the outside is amazing, the inside is even better! Too bad no pictures were allowed. Napoleon dubbed this building the "nicest parsonage in Europe"

Ansbach

Another lovely little Franconian town. The main sight was
the Markgräfliche Residenz, but unfortunately no photos allowed :( 
 Weihnachts Markt is the Christmas Market! Behind is St. Gumbertus Cathedral

 Our afternoon stop at a bäkerei. The Germans must live off pastries,
there are bakeries all over the place!

Bamberg

 Wandering the streets of Bamberg... I felt like I was back in time!
 The Schlenkerla, one of Bamberg's famous breweries and taverns.
 The Main River with the best travel buddy ever!
 Michaelsberg Abbey
 Along the Main River
The Alte Hofhaltung (Old Palace)

Nurnberger... yummmmm

 Eating my first Nurnberger in Nurnberg!
A Nurnberger is a famous sausage from Nurnberg, traditionally eaten 3 wursts on a roll with mustard. They were served EVERYWHERE in Nurnberg and were absolutely DELICIOUS!

Wursts!

Just SO German!

Munich!

 At the infamous Hofbrauhaus!!
Took a train back to Nurnberg to meet up with Jordan and then we headed to Munich! What an incredible city! There was sooo much to see and we only had two days!
 The Rathhaus-Glockenspiel in Munich - arrived just in time to hear it chime!

 Eating traditional Bavarian weißwurst with a brezel (soft pretzel) and weißbier... doesn't get much more authentic than that!
 Walked along Maximilianstraße and took a pic in front of
one of the many statues of King Maximilian II of Bavaria
 At the Mareinplatz
In front of the Maximilianeum built by King Maximilian II of Bavaria in 1857.
Now houses the state parliament.