My mom, sister and I are thinking of going to a few of the German Christmas Markets this Nov/Dec. I have the list of the markets and their dates. Nurenburg is definitely on our list. My sister would like to go to the one in Freiburg as she studied there for a year in college.

We are looking for 2 more. Has anyone been to one that can't be missed?

Thank you!

Went to Frankfurt (Main) market last Xmas and it was a huge market on the Romerplatz - not sure i'd say don't miss but one of the largest. I also went to markets in Darmstadt and Karlsrhue and Speyer - all were great so i'd say no matter which town you go to there will be an interesting market - i enjoyed much the hot glug (sp?) spiced wine there were selling.
Locals seem to use the markets like an Oktoberfest where they come to beer stands and drink socialize.
Very very great i found these markets!

I enjoyed the 3 in Regensburg and the small but very nice one in Passau, which focused on locally made wood carvings.

The Christmas Market in Munich is very authentic. Good size, lots of locally produced wooden and metal crafts, but easy to cover on foot. I found it somewhat less commercialised than the one in frankfurt. Great food and drink stalls--gluwein, baked goods/candies, potato pancakes, and of course weisswurst.
Additional attraction for me is Dallmeyer--really excellent deli/food shops. I also like coffee and hot chocolates from Eilles.

If you are going to Freiburg, be sure to make the one in Stuttgart--it is a gem. And the one in Strasbourg is supposed to be very good.

Cheers,

Jinx Hoover

I loved the Munich market, it was very warm and friendly.

When do the Christmas markets start? I will be in Germany for about a week starting November 4 - will be in Munich area. Would love any suggestions

Pam

Of the markets we saw last year (Trier, RodT, Dinkelsbuhl, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Bad Wimpfen), Nuremberg (biggest and best overall selection) and Bad Wimpfen (hardly any tourists-lots of local products) were the most interesting.

For towns to visit, we enjoyed Trier and Bamberg the most but didn't spend enough time in Nuremberg to adaquately judge.

Pam I believe the markets start in late November. Here's a site that I found very helpful:

http://www.germany-christmas-market.org.uk/index1.htm

I think thee are two ways to approach the Christmas markets: a] great places to shop and b] great places to be a part of local culture [damn I hate that word]. My point is that it seems to me that in the smaller towns the markets are almost like county fairs, a time for aold friends to meet, etc. Like mvor, I am a fan of Bad Wimpfen because of the local feel it has. My favorite for local feel is Michelstadt, it's almost a family reunion. The markets in Nuremburg, Munich etc are indeed spectacular but in a different way. If you are looking for shopping. They are the place to go. If you are looking for a window on German life, I think the smaller towns offer a better view. Perhaps my best night ever in a market was in Eichenbuhl, a small town south of Wurzberg. I was adopted as a curiosity - a tourist who came to Eichenbuhl. Truly wonderful.