Christmas markets
 

We expect to be in Austria and Germany the first two weeks of December for the Christmas markets. Can anyone tell me if we should expect to find snow on the ground. Travel books only tell me that the average daytime temperature is 33 degrees f.

Ginny: we were there about the same time last year, and had light snow. We were in Munich, Augsburg, Nuremberg, and from there over into Switzerland and Eastern France. There was just enough snow to make it seem really Christmas-like. The trip from Augsburg to Friedrichshafen was absolutely beautiful. Send me an e-mail if you have any more questions. Loy.

Hi Ginny, we are living in Germany right now and also would like to go the Christmas Markets ,could you tell me exactly where they might be from Dec2nd-6th? We will be going back to the states for a visit after that. Thanks Irene

Ginny, Germany and Austria do sometimes have snow on the ground in December (especially southern germany and Austria where most of the mountains are) - Jan is usually more snowy though, it just depends you can't say with certainty from one year to the next if there will definately be snow.Irene <BR>Any large German city will have a good Christmas Market with good craft gifts, plenty of gingerbread cookies and gluewein (Heidelbergs is particularly pleasant). Most don't usually start until the beginning of December if I remember rightly from last year (but I may be wrong here). The German tourist board has a web site giving details of all the Christmas markets and when they start and the activities happening in November and December. <BR> <BR>www.deutschland-tourismum.de/e/index.html <BR> <BR>This is the german tourist board web site in english, once there click on "events" then on the area you want ie christmas markets. <BR>Angela

Here's a site for what is probably the best-known Christmas market in Germany: <BR>http://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/index_e.html

another good site which reviews some of the Christmas markets is <BR> <BR>www.gogermany.about.com <BR> <BR>if that does not work for some reason, email me directly. I am doing research into the Christmas Markets for the second week of December, and have found that Nuremberg hotels are selling and sold out already.

PS. Fodor's Germany 2000 book is WRONG about the Nuremberg Christmas Market Children's procession of December 10... Its December 14! <BR> <BR>..and I made plans around that date to be there on the 10th, and will be flying home on the 14th. I'm not very happy with Fodor's; it makes you wonder if you can rely on the information if he can't get the dates correct.

We go to Germany, Austria or Czech Republic, almost every year, late Nov. into early Dec. Regensburg is one of our favorite German cities. Their Christmans market is not as big as Munich, but it is much cozier and not as commercial. We usually find light snow that time of year. And it is just cold enough to encourage us to stop in a gasthaus for a bowl of soup and a bier, but not bitter cold. The past two years it snowed on our last night in Germany and it was so beautiful. We like staying our last night in Erding near the Munich airport since they have a quaint Christmas market and the town is very charming. We also love the little village of Eitting near Erding. Look at www.post.erding.com to see the Gasthaus Post in the village of Eitting. We stayed there last year on our last night before flying home. The snow came down, we ate in a cozy restaurant, and walked around as the church bells rang. We often take the bier route by staying in Privater Brau Gasthof's. Look at www.braugasthoefe.com These places are incredible!! Especially off season in the cozy winter months. I thought I died and went to heaven. Email me if you want more details. We once lived in Germany and return twice a year to Germany and Austria.

For Lori.