. >> ♪ glo-o-o-o-ria ♪ in excelsis deo ♪ >> in germany, the mosel river winding through the mosel valleyberg was a stop on the key trade routes, and it was the center of the german renaissance in the 1500s. the magnificent imperial castle, a residence of kaisers and kings of the holy roman empire for hundreds of years, sits on a huge sandstone rock presiding over the old town below. the castle and the city were almost completely destroyed during world war ii, but with the help of many nations, the castle was restored to its medieval nobility. today, the castle is not only a tourist destination, but a majestic place for a walk by man, woman, and dog. a stroll from the castle down steep and narrow streets takes you directly to the old town, the site of nurnberg's christmas market, called the christkindlesmarkt, or christ child market. it is one of the oldest and most popular of the christmas markets, and it is grand. the christmas market takes up the whole of the main market square, the hauptmarkt, set up in front of the imposing frauenkirche. although the actual date of origin of the nurn