Nuremberg, Germany - Shopping

Finally had a day off after working 12 hour days for the last five days, phew! Even though it was an overcast and drizzly morning, I always look forward to a walk through the city center of Nuremberg and make sure to visit all of my favorite shops. Nuremberg reminds me of the storybook lands princesses came from in the fairytales that were read to me as a child: a walled city with a castle, cobblestone streets and quaint bridges and buildings over canals.

My shopping trip always take me first down the main shopping street, Karolinenstrasse, where you can find chain stores such as Zara, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger and, since there are no cars on this pedestrian street, it is a really enjoyable area to stroll around. Here is a view of the street:

First, stop to fuel up at the bakery at the top of the street, called Der Beck. There are many of these all around Nuremberg, but they have delicious krapfen, or donuts filled with cream, as well as all kinds of breads, sweets and sandwiches. I can NEVER get enough of German bread, it is some of the best in the world.

Next I always pop into Breuninger, the four floor higher-end department store in Nuremberg. It is probably on par with Nordstrom at home and carries great designer labels from Giorgio Armani to Burberry. I love to browse on the street level at all of the amazing soaps, home fragrances, candles from Diptyque and Aqua di Parma, as well as try out all of the perfumes from Creed and other brands. From there, I head to a fabulous home store called Wieseler & Mahler that sells beautiful porcelain and china from all the well-known brands such as Rosenthal, Bernardaud, Raynaud, etc. They always have a 20% off promotion and this summer I bought my parents a beautiful sea-themed tray from Hermes here (it was full price around the corner at the Hermes boutique). Thought these funky Rosenthal vases were interesting:

My other two favorites on this street are Douglas Cosmetics, where I can find my Dior perfume in the travel size that is not sold in the States, and Müller, a sort of CVS type store where you can find loads of beauty products (isn't it cool to have your toothpaste tube written in a foreign language?!), as well as MAC makeup, perfume and there is also an entire floor dedicated to toys (Nuremberg is known for its International Toy Fair and Toy Museum).

Next stop is for a street-side Nurnberger sausage in a bun:

Then I take a left and continue down Plobenhofstrasse, which will eventually lead you directly into the main square or Hauptmrkt, which is where the famous Christmas market takes place each year. On the corner of Plobenhofstrasse and Spitalgasse you must stop for a truly authentic Italian gelato at Eiscafe La Gelateria.

My favorite flavor is hazelnut, and during the summer, they have loads of outdoor seating (it is always packed as this is such a popular place) and the most amazing menu of gelato creations. I had one with vanilla gelato and cherry sauce, so delicious:

My next stop is always the little Super Markt Straub right in the Haupmrkt, as I love to take home German food products to friends and family. Here you can stock up on any grocery needs from fruits and vegetables to cereal, meats, yogurt, sweets, bread, etc, as well as buy beer and wine. A big favorite among my family are Nic Nacs, peanuts in a crunchy outer shell, as well as Ritter Sport chocolate bars in all varieties. This is what I picked up this morning:

Eilles Chocolatier, a famous Munich chocolate house over 125 years old, has a few outposts in Nuremberg and features beautifully packaged chocolates, tea, coffee, biscuits and other treats that make wonderful gifts to bring home.

Now we are in the Haupmrkt, or main central square. Here there is an outdoor market on most days where you can buy flowers, fruits, vegetables, handmade goods, sweets, well, a bit of everything really, depending on the day. This is where the famous Christmas Market takes place each December.

Continuing on with my shopping excursion I head to Kaiserstrasse, which is the designer street of Nuremberg. Here you will find all of the upscale shops such as Hermes, Louis Vuitton, MontBlanc, and Jacadi, to name a few. My absolute favorite fashion destination in Nuremberg is a store called Emerson Renaldi. They carry the most cutting edge and up to date fashions from the biggest fashion houses around the world: Gucci, Prada, Miu Miu, Dries Van Noten, Tod's, Dolce Gabbana, Diane Von Furstenberg, the list goes on. They always seem to pick out the best pieces from each designer's line for a perfectly edited selection and, when trying on Lanvin shoes gets too exhausting, they refresh you with San Pellegrino sparkling water or an espresso from their high-tech italian espresso machine, both served on a silver tray.

Other shops on this street worth mentioning are the Designer Outlet (Kaiserstrasse, 27) which is a hit or miss outlet store offering fantastic prices if you can find something in your size. I would have loved the YSL heels they had today for €198 if only they had my shoe size! Walking up the street towards Josephplatz is another great designer store called Purrucker (Josephplatz, 4). They have wonderfully merchandised windows and carry a full range of Yves Saint Laurent and Dior, just to name a few designers.

These are just my favorites, but truthfully, here in Nuremberg, there are always little bakeries and cafes, coffee shops, restaurants and unique stores to discover for yourself. It really is a charming little city with a wealth of history and worth the trip.

Charming covered bridge

Walking downtown from the castle

View from the top of the castle