Christmas in Nürnberg

While in Wurzburg, we stopped in at the Alte Mainmühle for lunch. Located just off of the Mainbrücke, across from the Marienburg Castle on the Main River, it is not hard to find.

Touting itself as the Franconian Restaurant on the Main River, its menu remained true to its claims. Featuring some items that were regional and not commonly seen before outside of Oma's kitchen, the menu was impressive. They also had several items for infants such as greissbrei with apples and cinnamon sugar, which was very appreciated.

I had the Mühlenbratwurst, which is a Franconian specialty. It was five sausages served with sauerkraut and roasted potatoes and it was delicious. My wife and daughter had the same with my daughter getting the kids portions. For my son, he had the aforementioned greissbrei mix which disappeared quickly from his plate.

The restaurant was very busy and featured a rustic atmosphere decorated with Christmas colors and holiday cheer. In the room where we sat, there was a large stone fireplace that although very attractive it made the room very warm despite how cold it was outside.

The prices however were a bit steep. I won't say that it wasn't worth it, but if you're looking for cheap eats, this is not the place for you to dine as it is not a quick and cheap lunch. It is more for those folks who want to take a load off and relax for awhile and enjoy their meal.

The service was a little on the lax side however. I think that it had something to do with the timing of our visit, which was off-lunch hours though. We had three different servers, none of which really seemed to take the job as truly theirs. The first passed us off and then disappeared to not be seen again, possibly the vicim of shiftchange. The second server brought us our meals and got us halfway through the meal until going away as well, leaving us to a third server who finished our meal out and then brought us our check on the third request.

That didn't destroy the overall visit though and it didn't take away from the very good, but a little expensive food. I would still suggest the Alte Mainmühle, but just know what you're getting into. It's not cheap or fast, so if you want to sit for a bit and eat some very good food and relax, this is the place for you.

Located outside of Nürnberg, in Katzwang are quite a few fine restaurants. The Bella Canto is one of a few Italian restaurants there that serves great food, and has a wonderful ambience to go along with the cuisine.

When I was there, I had the Calamari and it was fantastic. It was unlike any calamari that I had every had before in that it was not cut into rings, just served as a sleeve. Very interesting. It came with a very good and large salad. The pizza is first rate as well and highly recommended.

The service was very good and prompt and attentive. At one point the waitress even took our youngest so both my wife and I could eat at the same time.

The decor and ambience are rather typical of European italian dining establishments. Tasteful, yet not an overbearing facsimile of the motherland as you often see in the U.S. If you get the chance, ask to sit in the rear dining area near the fireplace, it is very cozy.

The food at the Bella is not overbearing in price either. I felt that I got a very good deal for the amount of food that we ordered.

This restaurant is great for just a relaxed night out to a romantic dinner for two. The overall package is a laid back atmosphere with good food and great eats, which I highly recommend.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Nürnberg. They serve authentic local cuisine, including some difficult to find regional specialties and have Tucher on tap. On the day we were there, it was brutally cold outside, so my wife and daughter had the Christkindlesmarkt Soup, which is kind of a cross between leberknudel soup and Italian wedding soup. They throughly enjoyed their soups. I had the schweinehax'n, which is my favorite. It was exquisite! The crust was perfect on the outside and the inner meat could be pulled off and eaten with just a fork.

The service was very good, timely and attentive without hovering, and the waitress was very friendly as well, especially to the children. The decor is reminiscent of a dining hall. Very spartanly furnished, with long tables and wooden folding chairs, yet it is very comfortable, even though it wouldn't be considered cozy.

I feel that the Röslein provides good value for the money considering that you are dining at a nice restaurant that has a great reputation. I paid about $40 for the four of us to eat and we all left full, warm and ready for the Christkindlesmarkt!

I will definitely go back to the Röslein when I return to Nürnberg again. I would recommend the restaurant to just about any group as well. They did have a few more secluded areas that looked nice for a more quiet and romantic dinner, but there is space there for large families and groups as well.

The Goldenes Posthorn is one of the best restaurants in Nürnberg, in my opinion. I've been there several times and every time that I go, it never fails to please!

Located downtown, beside St. Sebald Kirche, which is just below the Albrecht Dürer Platz, the Goldenes Posthorn is in the heart of the Altstadt.

Rustic in decor and normally busy with clientel, the Posthorn serves regional specialties and Nürnberg delicacies in particular. The atmosphere is warm and inviting and you always receive a warm welcome upon entering the restaurant.

The service has always been good and prompt each of my visits. And the food has always been great.

The last trip I had the Schweinebraten, which was ALMOST as good as my mother in law's! We got the child's plate of Nürnberger Bratwurst for my daughter and my wife had the Bavarian Potato Soup, which was perfect for the frigid day.

One of the unique aspects of the restaurant is that the bratwurst are grilled right in the front of the restaurant in plain view, which is rather cool. There is no shame in the preparation of those bratwurst!

The Posthorn is not expensive and is actually a rather quick pop in and eat and run if that is what you need. I think that the Posthorn does provide good value for the money.

I would very highly recommend the Goldenes Posthorn to anyone looking for an authentic Nürnberg dining experience while in the Hauptmarkt area. It is just right around the corner from there.

One of my favorite restaurants in Katzwang is the Olympia Garten. Located just off of the main street running through Katzwang, the Olympia Garten serves some of the best Greek cuisine that I've had in Germany or the United States.

They also have an awesome mediterranean pizza which I highly recommend. It is delicious and their salads are mouthwatering!

Located in the front of the Olympia Garten is the stammtisch or regulars table, so the restaurant also has a healthly clientel of locals in and out, which is entertaining. During the spring and summer, there is also a small biergarten open on the front of the restaurant to take in the sunny days.

Serving local Pyraser beer in several styles, the Olympia Garten is a great place to have a drink and enjoy some wonderful greek food.

The prices are very reasonable as well. You can easily feed a family of four here for thirty euro or less and the service has always been great, normally with a large staff on hand, so waiting is minimal.

Make sure to say hello to Angelo, the owner, who is always there running the show. I know I will when I go back in the fall of 2009.

The Raubritter is akin to the Medieval Times restaurants in Spain and the United States. the dining is based on fare that was similar to that which was eaten by the knights, kings, queens and squires of old.

So...OK, awesome, awesome, awesome!! We REALLY enjoyed this restaurant and the food. We had the Festschmaus, or ritteressen or "knight's dinner", which was a six course meal and it was great! We started with a beer to warm up and then moved onto bread and smalze, which is essentially a grease and butter type mixture with bacon bits in it that spreads on the bread. Pretty good, but hard on the arteries to be sure! Next course was sülze, which is pretty much offal from pig that is mixed up in a gel and pickled. It sounds bad, but is very good. After that there was a soup called kernlasuben that reminded me of Italian wedding soup and it was very tasty. Next came gigerle backn mit beerle, or chicken wings with bar b que sauce. Very yummy and reminiscent of the sports pubs back home. Wow, that is a lot of food so far and with lots of beer also!

Next we moved onto the main course, which was my favorite. Schweinehax'n and knudel and the hax'n was perfect. We were getting pretty full by this time, but next came the dessert course, which was cheese and fruit consisting of mandarin orange, kiwi and melon.

The meal was great. Luckily, it took almost four hours for all of the courses to pass by. The other thing was that on the main course, and some of the others, chicken, dessert, etc...was that you were not supposed to use your fork, but just your hands and knife or spoon, like the knights of olde.

The atmosphere was rustic and antique. It was an old cellar and it was tastefully done and really made you feel like you were in another time period. The service was wonderful as well. The almost made you feel pampered in that the waitress really concentrated on you and your group and even worked with you on the timing of the portions. One thing that was very special was that they catered to the kids as well. They let us use a small table behind us for our daughter to color on and gave her two stuffed animals to keep her occupied.

Overall, it was a great experience and they do have a rather extensive menu with other options besides "ritteressen." If that food is as good as the festmeal, then it should be fabulous as well.

Judging from the amount of food that we had, and the beer and schnapps, I would say that we got an excellent value for the money. It was expensive, at about fifty euro per adult, but that was with drinks also. So it is not the place that you want to go everynight, at least for the ritteressen, but for a special treat, it was great.

I would definitely recommend the Raubritter and the Festschmaus for anyone in the Nürnberg area for a special night out dining medieval style in a town that prides itself on its medieval past. It was an awesome experience.

I know that I also reviewed the XXXLutz as a retail establishment that has EVERYTHING, but I thought that I should do a seperate review based on the restaurant. Located on the third floor in the mountainous retail store, the XXXLutz restaurant was actually very good and with a surprisingly large menu variety as well.

Many people think of bad food when they consider retail establishments with restaurants or cafes, but this place will not support that notion. In fact, it is a perfect break from shopping.

The cafe itself is reminiscent of an Italian or Greek cafe with lots of vinery around with white columns and off color yellow paint. It did create a comfortable atmosphere though.

The service was good and the the food was very tasty. The portions were enough to fill you, although not overwhelming. I had the pork medallions with spätzle and a small salad and my wife had a salad. We ordered a kids schnitzel with fires for my daughter and it was very good as well and came with a kids surprise, which pleased her.

The restaurant did offer very good value for the money and we will definitely consider it again if we are there shopping during our next trip. I think that will be their best clientele base as well, their shoppers. I can recommend it to those with kids also as it was a friendly establishment.

Before leaving though, don't make the mistake that we did and not leave room for dessert. They have a dessert menu that looked great.

The Zum Grüss Gott is a little German-Austrian restaurant located just outside of the town of Passau, Germany. Quaintly decorated and serving delicious local cuisine, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal at the restaurant.

The menu was very interesting, containing several options that were rarely seen regional specialties from Austria and Bavaria. I opted to try the Weinerschnitzel with fries and I was not disappointed. Although not as large as some of the schnitzels I have had in Austria, it was still enough to fill you up and it was excellent! My daughter had the kinder weinerschnitzel, which was just a little version of mine. My wife had the Marillenknudel, another regional (Austrian) specialty that was absolutely delicious. It could be alternately described as a dessert food though.

Also dining with us were my in-laws and my mother in law had the kaiserschmarnn platter, which is usually eaten as a breakfast or dessert as well. It was delicious and was described to me as a Bavarian specialty.

The decor was typical Bavarian-Alpish. Rustic with the blue and white checkerboard indicative of Bavaria prominately displayed on various mugs and steins throughout the restaurant. Also as a centerpiece in the main dining area was a large brick fireplace. The restaurant kind of had a grandmother's house feel to it, very comfortable.

The service was good and prompt and a return to the non-hovering european style of service that is usually encountered as standard in Germany.

Overall, the meal and experience was quite nice. We were there during an off lunch time, so it was not busy at all.

I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who comes upon it. It was a little out of the way, mainly catering to people who were going to or coming from a local cancer rehabilitation center, but nice to know that it is there if that facility is where you're going.

If you do go though, make sure you save room for some of the cakes they have. We didn't but they sure looked great and I wish that we had!

Situated in the little town of Katzwang, Germany, which is a suburb of Nürnberg, the Zur Reichkrone guarantees a quiet and cozy dining experience away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The menu offered several regional specialties, but we opted for the Schwein Hax'n, or baked pork knuckle, and we were not disappointed. With a crispy, crusty outer layer and a juicy inside that did not even require a knife to eat, I was very impressed with the meat as well as the sauce and potato dumpling or knudel. We had no room left for dessert, so that was not an option. Since the Hax'n was the Sunday Special at the time, we got the Hax'n with knudel and blaukraut with a drink for under 8 euro, which I thought was a very good deal for the money.

Cozy in decor, the restaurant looks like a typical German establishment inside. Rustic and comfortable. The atmosphere was very laid back and comfortable, making the meal a very enjoyable experience. The service was typical European, timely, but not overbearing and definitely not always prompt. However, this is usual for any European restaurant that I've been to.

Located about ten minutes from downtown Nürnberg, on the main street through Katzwang, Germany, Katzwanger Hauptstrasse, the Zur Reichskrone is very easy to find and clearly marked from the road.

I'm sure we will visit there again since it is so close to my in-laws, probably next trip to Nürnberg and probably on a Sunday to see what the next special is!

This was my second trip to the Christkindlesmarkt in Nürnberg. My first was in 1999 and to be completely honest, I've thought about that experience every Christmas since then. So, after all of the build-up, the trip was not a disappointment, so that should be a precurser to the great time that we had while we were there.

The market was incredible. It buzzes with excitement and is always packed with people. Located in the Hauptmarkt in the center of the Altstadt by the Frauenkirche, the market is also very easy to find. The market is usually open from the Friday before the first Advent Sunday until Christmas Eve at 2 p.m. when it all shuts down, so there is plenty of time to enjoy all that there is to offer.

I cannot recommend a better experience for the family during Christmas in Germany than to take in one of their many Christmas festivals and the Nürnberg festival is the most celebrated one. The entire city is in the holiday spirit and the entire Altstadt is in on the excitement. The decorations start from streets away and culminate at the hauptmarkt, where you can smell Christmas in the air. Roasted chestnuts, gingerbread and mulled wine linger together with grilled bratwurst and other specialties for a potpurri that entices the senses.

For a special time, these are the very things that you must partake in order to authenticate the event as well. Enjoy a "drei im weckla" or three roast bratwurst and a Glühwein for a stomach warming start to the visit. Then you have to check out some of the many booths selling lebküchen, or gingerbread cookies, roasted chestnuts or braised almonds, wooden toys from the city that is known as Toytown and other handmade knick-knacks. The entire city square is filled with hundreds of booths loaded with different items. Food, drink, authentic "zweschtenmännle" or little plum people, decorations made from walnuts and plums that are Nürnberg specialties. All covered in red, white, green and gold decorations that make the presentation as visually appealing as any Christmas card that you've ever seen.

In addition to the crafts, toys and food, there are presentations every day at the Frauenkirche's main stage from different bands, choirs and other performers. Another idea is to catch the Deutsch Post horse and buggy ride, for a ten minute ride around the entire fest. At three euro per person, it too is a deal for most anyone.

I highly suggest the Nürnberg Christkindlemarkt for a visit if you are in the area during Christmas. It is a special time that you will never forget and will revisit in your memory for years to come. I know that we will not wait for another eight years before coming back.

If you do decide to go, keep your fingers crossed for snow. There was no snow this time, but my first time there, in 1999, it snowed a few times which made it all the more beautiful.

Relatively new to the Nurnberg Christmas market area is the largest feuerzangenbowle in the world. Made from red wine and rum mixed with melted sugar which is being burned, it makes for a powerful potion. it is actually a pretty cool concept and pretty good also.

Based on a story by Heinrich Spoerl that was adapted for the screen several times, including the most popular version from 1944, the actual punch and public display in Nürnberg has little to do with the movie. Other than incorporating screen shots into the decoration and a possible showing of the movie on certain nights, the Feuerzangenbowle is more about the drink itself.

It is kind of like the grown-up section of the Christkindlesmarkt, but they also have kinderpunsch for the little ones and other food, so everyone is welcome.

Located beside the Fleischbrücke and along the river, the Feuerzangenbowle is hard to miss with the huge copper kettle in which the brew is contained or the bright red booths that are part of the display.

I recommend it to anyone who is visiting the Christkindlemarkt during the hoilday season, because it is seasonal just like the Christmas market. It is just around the corner from the Hauptmarkt and it, too, is outside, so you won't get any colder there than you will at the Christkindlesmarkt.

The world famous Spielzeugmuseum is a multi-story testiment to the history and importance of toys from all over the world. Located in downtown Nürnberg below the St. Sebald's Kirche, the museum has toys ranging from the earliest wooden toys to the most modern of electronic devices.

Certain floors feature certain types of toys and as a general rule, the higher you go up in the museum, the more modern the toys are. Starting with wooden toys on the first floor, youwork you way into dolls and doll houses and then metal or tin toys. As you continue up, you encounter a very interesting portion of the museum covering the effects of WWII on toys and toy production. After leaving there, you encounter the modern era of toys and toy manufacturing, featuring many of the toys that even my wife and I remembered from our youth. It brought back many memories and a few laughs from our daughter.

I recommend the Spielzeugmuseum to anyone looking for an indoor activity that will take about two hours to complete. It should definitely bring back memories from your childhood and will provide interesting insight on toys and their history.

Admission was five euro per person and while there, if you have children, make sure that you hit the playroom at the top of the museum. It is a fun time for the kids that you will not want to miss.

Also, video cameras and photos are not allowed inside the museum.

This one is designed for the kids. Conveniently located around the corner from the Christkindlemarkt and loaded with fun and games, this special place will not let the little ones down.

In fact, we had to go almost everyday, or at least everytime that we got close to downtown. Featuring two carousels, a train ride and other fun for the kids, this place has everything that a parent needs. This includes all of the adult stuff that you find at the Christkindlesmarkt. You don't need to run over there if you need a glühwein or eir punch, they have the same booths there. They also have food, sweets and treats and just about anything else that you might need with the exception of all of the varied shopping.

In the corner of the Kinder Weinacht is the PlayMobile PlayHouse and you have to let the kids loose in there. Don't stray off though because you will most probably be purchasing some PlayMobile before you leave for your little ones.

Directly across from the PlayHouse is where Santa comes to have his picture taken with the kids. He is only there certain times, so make sure to check for the hours.

There is no admission fee, but all of the rides cost one ticket which are one euro per ticket unless you purchase a lot and then you get price breaks the more you spend.

This is definitely a must see for the kids and trust me, you will enjoy it too. Make sure that you also check the front ticket booth for times that the Christkind will be there. She normally stops in the see the little ones at least once a day.

The Wurzburg Residenz was once touted as the "nicest parsonage in Europe" by Napolean after one of his three visits there. Commisioned in 1720 to be built as a residence for the prince bishops in Wurzburg and completed in 1744, the residence is loaded with splendor and unique in its Baroque design. Featuring almost 400 rooms (very few of which are open to the public) each has its own distinct taste and appeal due to the decorating. All of them however are very ornate in their accuetrements.

The Residenz suffered serious damage during WWII and there has been ongoing restoration ever since, which is the main reason for a lot of the rooms being closed to the public.

The Residenz features may unique things that make it an intersting place to visit. One is that it boasts the largest ceiling fresco in the world adorning the room with the Grand Staircase. Another is the Garden, which starts as in a Baroque design and then phases into a traditional English style garden as it goes away from the Courtyard. Also very interesting was the front vestibule, which served not only as a entrance from the front door, but also had giant doors that could be opened to allow carriages to be pulled inside. Also, not to be missed is the Imperial Hall and Court Chapel, both extremely beautiful and ornate in Baroque style.

To take the entire self-guided tour, you can spend an hour to two hours inside. They also offer tours in German. Admission to the Residenz is five euros per person, which was not expensive for what you got to see. I was happy with the experience and would go again if I was there and had the time, especially more time to pay closer attention to all of the rooms.

Also note that video cameras and photos are not allowed in the majority of the Residenz.

Wow...what a store! This place has everything from furniture to toys to books to kitchen supplies and when you get tired and hungry, they have a restaurant also!

You can literally spend hours here. There is definitely something for everyone, including a very large furniture section, most of which was very much in the style of IKEA.

The outside of the store was massive and it sits just across from the old Merrill Barracks for anyone familiar with Nürnberg from their military time.

I would compare the store to a SEARS in teh states, but most of the stuff looks pretty high quality and there is just so many different types of items also.

So if you need something, this might be the place for you, or if you are just looking to kill a few hours indoors, this is another option for you.

I had to include this in my latest Nürnberg journal because it was part of the trip just like some of the museums that we went to. This is especially true if you consider that we spent five hours there on layover, which means that we got a pretty good look at what the airport had to offer to take up time.

If you've ever flown KLM or NWA through Europe, chance are that you've been to Schipol Airport in Amsterdam before and know how huge the place really is. It truly is a city unto itself.

If you do get the chance to travel through there and get laid up for awhile, don't despair...from first class dining to shopping and massages to casinos, Schipol has got your down time covered. Especially interesting for my wife and I was the children's play area and infant area.

The children's play area is not too elaborate, but if you have kids, you know that any play area is great to burn off some of their energy. Sitting right next door to that is an infant area with individually partitioned bassinets and changing tables with electrical sockets!! These are hard to come by in Schipol. Also in the infant area is a microwave and sink for preparing bottles for the next leg of your travels. All of the infant area is very tastefully done (think IKEA) and clean and sanitary. Both the kids area and the infant area are located just down from the Holland Casino.

The funny thing about Schipol is how easy it is to navigate. It is very person friendly and has very good marking and identifications to let you know where you are and how long to get to where you need to be. Very impressive.

Maybe that will give you one more reason to try KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, who is based in Schipol. They too, never fail to meet my expectations and provide me and my family great service when we go to and from Europe.

I put this under experiences because there isn't really anywhere else to put it. This is a suggestion for those people who are traveling to Nürnberg, who might not want to stay in the big city and would like to opt for a slower paced experience. If this is you, Katzwang might be the place.

Located about ten miles south of the center of Nürnberg and very easy to find, just off of A73, Katzwang is a picture perfect definition of a bedroom suburb.

There are plenty of restaurants to choose from, several of which I've reviewed: the Italian Bella Canto, Greek specialties from the Olympia Garten, local cuisine from the Zur Reichscrone and there are many more that I have not reviewed before located in the little town. Also within walking distance from just about anywhere in town are numerous bakeries, butcher shoppes, drugstores and grocery stores, everything the traveler will need to be comfortable during an extended stay or just a short visit.

Katwang is located on the Regnitz River, but is probably most famous for another body of water that flows through it and that caused a terrible flood there in March 1979, the Donau/Main Canal.

However, despite that claim to fame, Katzwang is a warm and friendly neighborhood loaded with great restaurants, shoppes and stores and plenty of grocery, baker and butcher shoppes.

It is definitely worth a look it you just want to relax and kick back while doing sightseeing in and around Nürnberg.