ROOM AT THE INN

Christmas shopping officially starts today when the Nuremberg Christkind, the traditional gift-bearer, appears on a balcony of the Church of Our Lady in the medieval market square. Heady scents of rum punch, roasted almonds and gingerbread waft through the world’s oldest Christmas market. Mooch around the 180 candy-striped stalls and don’t leave without one of the traditional gold-foil angel decorations. Until 24 December (christkindlesmarkt.de) district of Gostenhof, or Go-Ho. If Christmas brings out the kid in you, head to the Toy Museum.

This is a city of beer. Take a tour of the old brewery cellars and end sipping a signature malty red beer or a bierbrand (a liquor made from distilling beer) in the Hausbrauerei Altstadthof organic brewery. For afters, tuck into smoky Nuremberg bratwurst at Zum Gulden Stern, the oldest sausage restaurant in town.

At the boutique Hotel Drei Raben (The Three Ravens), the quirky rooms are themed according to the city’s myths and include ‘Toy Town’ and ‘The Gingerbread Moon’. Rooms from £125 (hoteldreiraben.de)