It sounds like something out of a picture book: quaint European settings, small wooden stalls selling marionettes and wood carvings and Christmas toys, and meanwhile the smell of toasted chestnuts and gingerbread warms the air...
Christmas Markets in Germany
Christmas Markets are a German tradition: the market in Dresden dates back to 1434. Nearly four centuries ago, a Nuremberg priest complained that no one came to his afternoon church service on Christmas Eve: instead, everyone was shopping at the market nearby.
Nowadays almost every town in Germany has a Christmas market and many vie to be unique. Dortmund has the world's biggest Christmas tree, another town boasts the world's biggest candle. Some markets last only a few days, but many begin in late November and continue to Christmas Eve. The markets in Berlin, Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Dresden, Frankfurt and Munich draw millions of visitors each year.
Most markets are open from mid-morning to 8 or 9 p.m. While you're visiting, you might enjoy some great Christmas market foods, such as hot fruit punch, "Glühwein" (Hot Spiced Wine), hot chocolate, "Lebkuchen" (Gingerbread), sauteed mushrooms with sauces, baked potatoes (loaded), and more. Special items to look for include: glass ornaments, wooden ornaments, wooden toys, and German Christmas Pyramids. (These hints came from About.com's Germany Travel site.)
If this picture of sparkling night-markets appeals to you, or if you'd like to see Dresden's fairytale tent for kids or medieval-style merchants in tents in the Castle's stable yard, you can enjoy great airfares to Europe this time of year.
Read more about Christmas markets in Germany:
- The Best Christmas Markets in Germany- at About.com's Germany Travel site.
- Christmas Markets- a German National Tourism Office web site
