Sniff the heady aroma of gluhwein (hot mulled wine), spicy gingerbread, roasted nuts, and grilled bratwurst in the frosty air, and browse the garland-strewn stalls selling handicrafts, tree ornaments, wooden toys, and scarves, surrounded by thousands of lights. You're at one of 2,500-plus Christmas markets held throughout Germany in December. Most end Christmas Eve, the majority are held in the town's main square, and regional variations prevail. In the north, Bremen has a medieval-themed torchlit riverside market, plus another one in the main square, while Lubeck has a market depicting Grimm's fairy tale scenes and a market featuring artisans from nearby Scandinavia and the Baltic in the magnificently-frescoed Hospital of the Holy Ghost. Picturesque Bavarian towns like Rothenburg, Dinkelsbuhl, and Bad Tolz that look storybook-like enough year-round become positively magical in Christmas season. Indoor and outdoor concerts and festively-decorated evergreens abound: Germany, after all, is where the tree-trimming tradition began.
Photo Credit: Leipzig Christmas Market (Joachim Messerschmidt/Germany National Tourism Office)
