yah i know there have been threads the last few years but i'd like some suggestions please..im planning on attending the frankfurt do which is nov 30--dec 2. a friend is considering joining me ..she will have about 9 days..poss nov 27 through dec 6 or so in germany. we will be meeting up probably in frankfurt..and have a few days before the do..however many of the markets dont start until nov 30..and then we will have a few days after the do. would like to do sightseeing and touristy stuff as well the markets (and gluhwein)..and dont want to be changing hotels more than maybe 3 times totally, possibly one before and then one after the do? doesnt have to be major cities as long as there are things to see/do there (gluhwein) and also good connections in and out and other easily accessible places to check out for the day?? ive done a bit of travelling in germany and always ready for more cool ideas and places to explore. thank you in advance!! pat

The Christmas markets can be quite different (from very touristy to very nice). Berlin and Munich can be very good, because they have several Christmas markets in town. Vienna (not really Germany but close to) has some of the most beautiful markets (and they have a tendency to open quite early). Last but certainly not least: Dresden. One of the most historical markets in a wonderful town. All of these cities, you will certainly know, offer a lot of further attractions.

and don't forget the christmas markets in Alsace its only a short train/car drive from FRA

see as well:
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=577255
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=582890
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=499032

Actually you'll find Christkindlmärkte (sometimes also called Weihnachtsmarkt) in every bigger city. Some are small and basically only for meeting friends and one or two mugs of Glühwein others are big events. I have to admit that I'm no fan of them, as I'm no fan of the cold and of Glühwein, but anyways, I heard that the Nürberger Chrstkindlmarkt (Nürnberg isn't far from FRA) is nice, there you would also have the chance to grab a Bratwurst...;-)
As I'm also a big fan of Dresden I would go for one of them (or both).

BTW: I found the Heidelberger Weihnachtsmarkt to be super-boring.

Interesting to read that about..heidelberger market.. i'd actually kind of looked at that but the few hotels i looked up had ridiculous prices and almost no room availability so i thought there might be some sort of function going on.. but... does anyone have any feedback about the schongau market?? seems to me ive read something about it...and made a mental note because i did stop there on one of my car trips across the country?!? remember the town being very pretty and quaint but not too much to do?? is the market anything special?? also seems to me last year people were saying the stuttgart market was one of the best because it has different offerings...how so??/ just curious if anyone has any info..thanks for all your help..pat

You would only hear the word "Christkindlmarkt" (M�rkte is the plural) in the South of Germany - it is never used in the North except when referring to a specific Christmas market in the South.

If you want to go on a Christmas market trip chose one of the few cities with several markets. All these markets are very similar, so what really is enjoyable are the settings. Munich central in front of the town hall. Berlin, the one on Gendarmenmarkt or the one at the oper or the one in Spandau or the one at Ged�chtniskirche...... If you stick to a village like Schongau you spend two hours on the market and you are done.....

I hit a number of Christmas markets in the south last year and have also done so in the past. A few comments:

I found Nuremburg to be extremely overrated. Very touristy and visitors from China would likely have recognized most of the products, having made them.

Munich has long been one of my favorite places for the markets. It continues to be, though they do vary a fair bit, as there are a goodly number of them (especially if you count all the little neighborhood ones).

My all-time favorite is one I found this past year in Regensburg. It was in the courtyard of the castle of Thurn und Taxis and was absolutely lovely. The site was nice, but the ambience was better. I am not certain, but I think it was open only in the evening, which added much to the ambience, as they were trying to go for a historical effect. They had a couple of bon fires to stay warm by, a lot of the illumination was also done with fire. It was very pleasant. Also nice was that not all, but I would say most of the goods were hand-crafted. They even had a few artisans there doing their thing -- a woolens stand had a woman spinning; there was a wood carver making small wooden ornaments, etc.

Close to FRA is the little medieval town of Michelstadt. I've not been to their market, but it is high on my list for ones to check out -- the town center has been nicely preserved and I think it should make for a fantastic backdrop for a market -- if they don't screw it up. I'd love to hear if anyone has made it to that one and if it is as nice as it could be if done well.

The Christmas markets are wonderful. Have a terrific time!

Stuttgart has a nice one: http://www.stuttgarter-weihnachtsmarkt.de/

and Ulm too: http://www.ulmer-weihnachtsmarkt.de/homepage/


Germany North:

Bremen: http://www.bremer-weihnachtsmarkt.de/

Hamburg: http://www.weihnachtsmarkt.info/Weih...urg/index.html

L�beck: http://www.luebecker-weihnachtsmarkt.de/

Rostock: http://www.rostocker-weihnachtsmarkt.de/

>>>thank you everyone for your suggestions..have a lot to think about!! pat

Don�t forget our Christkindlmarkt at Salzburg.

http://www.christkindlmarkt.co.at/

and

http://www.adventzauber.tv/


Also Vienna:

http://www.christkindlmarkt.at/

Not really GERMANY!!!

I second this. A few years ago I made an effort to make the N�rnberg Christkindlmarkt and while it was fairly large, it was basically the same imported crap repeated over and over. Very little handicrafts.

It turns out I bought the most Xmas presents at the one in Cologne on the Alter Markt -- it wasn't all that large but there was more handcrafted stuff than some of the larger ones. But I even enjoyed Heidelberg's markt the last time I was there at Xmas (maybe 12 years ago) so I am easily entertained

I haven't made any other larger city Christmas Markets (except for D�sseldorf which was tiny) so I can't add to the other comments.

Salzburg is on the boarder to Germany !!!

Yes,

and WIEN