Altdorf Fish Market

Hamburg Harbour Flair in Middle Franconia

Anyone living in Altdorf near Nuremberg knows the scene: a spring weekend, the historic market square transforms into a small harbour with fish stalls, the unmistakably loud calls of the market criers, and a lighthouse as tall as a man in the centre of the square. The Altdorf Fish Market is part of the tour "Hamburger Fischmarkt on Tour", which brings genuine Hamburg market traders throughout Germany.

What to Eat and Buy

• Fish rolls – Matjes, Bismarck, fried fish, crab, salmon
• Smoked specialities – eel, trout, salmon, mackerel from Hamburg and North German smokehouses
• Fresh fish – plaice, cod, salmon, shrimp, lobster
• North German stews – crab soup, fish soup, Pannfisch
• Eel cheese, herring salads, marinated specialities to take home
• Maritime assortment – streusel cake, Friesian cake, liquorice, Dutch cheese, olive stalls

Market Crier Performances

The market criers are the real spectacle of the fish market. With their characteristic, rough Hamburg voices, they advertise their stalls full of specialities, shout out prices, lure onlookers to their stands in seconds – and finally sell five kilos of shrimp at a special price. The stage in the centre of the square provides a supporting programme with small competitions, quizzes, and music.

Maritime Beer Garden at the Lighthouse

The landmark of the touring fish market is the lighthouse – a replica wooden lighthouse that has travelled with the tour stops for years. Around it, a maritime beer garden with beer tables and benches is set up; North German Astra beers and local Franconian beer are served.

Sunday Opening Hours

The fish market traditionally coincides with the Sunday opening hours of Altdorf's shops (1 PM–5 PM). Strolling, eating fish rolls, and shopping can be easily combined. Altdorf's town centre, with its historic burgher houses, the former university (Wallenstein studied here), and the parish church of St. Laurentius, provides the backdrop.

Altdorf near Nuremberg

The small university town of Altdorf near Nuremberg is located about 20 km east of the Middle Franconian metropolis, in the Nürnberger Land district, Bavaria. With the fish market, the historic old town reinvents itself every spring – North Germany visiting Franconia, a contrast that attracts thousands of visitors from the entire Nuremberg Metropolitan Region.