Hauptmarkt (Main Market Square)

The Hauptmarkt in Nuremberg is the main square of the Old Town and one of the most famous market squares in Germany. Two of the city's icons, the Gothic Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche) and the gilded Beautiful Fountain (Schöner Brunnen), stand side by side here. On weekdays farmers sell fruit and flowers, and every Advent the square hosts the world-famous Christkindlesmarkt, one of Germany's best-known Christmas markets.

Where it is and how to get there

The square lies in the pedestrian heart of Nuremberg's Old Town, about a 15-minute walk from the main train station. Nuremberg is roughly 1 hour 10 minutes from Munich and about 2 hours from Frankfurt by ICE train, so the city works well as a day trip. If you prefer public transit, take subway line U1 to Lorenzkirche or bus 36 to the Hauptmarkt stop; local transit is covered by the Deutschlandticket. There is no parking on the square itself, so drivers should use one of the Old Town parking garages.

A short history

The square has a dark origin. Nuremberg's Jewish quarter once stood here, and during the pogrom of 1349 nearly 600 people were murdered. The quarter was torn down and replaced by market squares, and Emperor Charles IV had the Frauenkirche built from 1352 on the site of the synagogue. In the Middle Ages the square was the stage of the Free Imperial City, with tournaments and public displays of the imperial regalia. The Nazis renamed it Adolf-Hitler-Platz in 1933. After the bombing of 1945 much of the surrounding Old Town was rebuilt in simpler form.

Things to see

• The Beautiful Fountain: a 19-meter (62-foot) Gothic spire built between 1385 and 1396, decorated with 40 painted figures. Today's fountain is a 1903 copy; remnants of the original are kept in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum.
• The lucky ring: two rings are set into the wrought-iron fence. Legend says turning one brings good luck.
• The Männleinlaufen clock: every day at noon, figures of the seven prince-electors file out on the Frauenkirche's facade and circle Emperor Charles IV three times, commemorating the Golden Bull of 1356.
• The weekday market: about 40 permanent stalls, open Monday to Saturday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (as of October 2026), except on public holidays.

Christmas market season

The Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt runs from November 27 to December 24, 2026, daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and until 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve. It opens with the Christkind's prologue from the gallery of the Frauenkirche. Expect large crowds on Advent weekends; weekday mornings are calmer. Look for gingerbread (Lebkuchen), gold-foil angels and mulled wine.

Is it worth visiting?

Absolutely. The square is free and open around the clock, and it is the natural starting point for a walking tour of Nuremberg. Half an hour is enough for the fountain and the noon clock show, but plan longer if you want to browse the market or sit in a café. The square is flat but cobbled, so wheelchairs and strollers can get around, just expect a bumpy surface.

Nearby

• St. Sebald, the city's oldest parish church, just north of the square
• Old Town Hall and its medieval dungeons
• Nuremberg Castle and Albrecht Dürer's House, about ten minutes uphill
• St. Lorenz and the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in the southern Old Town