For all of you who can't read the web sites that are in a foreign language try translating the site into your language of choice as follows:
Go to http://babelfish.altavista.com Copy and paste the URL (the site address) into the "translate a web page" box. Select the translation from and to language from the drop down box. You can also use this web site to translate text.
Sometimes the translations are a bit stilted and unwieldy but you can at least understand the general meaning of the site. Hope this helps. Jackie

Try searching through Google. There is a button that translates the pages. The translation is very literal so it comes out a little funny but you will be able to ready it. I recently read comments on Rick Steves Grafitti Wall where people were feeding back on what Rick should feature in a TV show about Christmas in Europe. Almost every comment said Nurenberg, Rothenburg, Munich and Salzburg.

For any of you interested in Christmas in the Alsace area, there is a good article in December 2005 International Travel News. There is information on Strasbourg, Baldenheim, Selestat, Riquewehr,and Colmar. This area is truly magical at Christmastime.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...040210138.html

Good article from Wash Post, 2004, about markets in Alsace.

I just returned from Germany on Sunday night - didnt get a chance to visit Frankfurt. But I saw a few Christmas market in Berlin (there was one right across from the Museum Island, another one by the Zool Garten Station, by the Kaiser-Wilhelm church), one in Munich (in downtown Marienplatz), and the loveliest one I thought was in Dresden (it looked like the largest one from the other ones I have seen). I loved talking a walk through the Christmas market after dinner with a cup of glusswein while doing some people watching. Have a wonderful time.

h2babe, I am glad you liked the Dresden Christmas Market. Right today I had some Stollen and Glühwein there :-) yummy ...

Ingo

Yeah, the Ore Mountains are the traditional area for Christmas ornaments, and they do make very nice things there. Seiffen itself has a nice museum that deals with Christmans ornaments.

If you do end up in the southwest, I recommend the little town of Gengenbach, in the Black Forest, close to Offenburg. They turn the facade of city hall into one huge advent calendar, and each day they open a window - really nice!

Of course Alsace is nice too. But as far as Christmas goes, the French copied it all from the Germans! ;-)

Found this link helpful for Christmas markets--links to many of their websites.

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

Baden-Baden does have a Christmas market, it's set up around the arcade shops in front of the casino. Very pretty. It's not the best Christmas market, but it does have a few nice things (our favorite purchase there was of several molded beeswax candles in the shapes of pine cones, trees, wreathes, etc.). Not too crowded, definitely not the mob scene you get at some of the bigger markets.
The whole town is quite attractive around the holidays, beautifully decorated, perfect for strolling, and lots of good shopping up and down the pedestrian streets. The delicious pastries at the many cafes and the luxurious spas just add to the ambience. An easy train ride or drive from Frankfurt.

Strasbourg has a great Christmas market as does Colmar.

Which markets can easily be reached by train or bus from Munich in a day trip?

I would prefer travelling less than 2 hours in each direction.

Thanks!

Hi Ingo - I'm sorry that I missed the opportunity to meet you in Dresden. This was a last minute decision from my part when I was in Berlin. My friends and I were debating a trip to Hamburg or Dresden, and at the last minute, I decided on Dresden, which I didn't regret! Your city is absolutely charming!

for future reference

I was just in Baden-Baden two weeks ago and took in their Christmas Market. As mentioned in an earlier post, it is very small compared to other cities, but Baden-Baden itself is a beautiful, very upscale city at the base of the mountains. There is a beautiful park off the town center that even looked terrific in the rain!

We just returned from a Rhine River cruise that took in the various markets in Germany and France. We had a terrific time.

- dwz

I recently returned from a Danube cruise visiting Christmas markets in Vienna, Passau (my favorite), Regensburg, and Nürnberg. The latter is quite large, although not as large as Vienna's market, with a nice variety of products and foods. The nearby shopping precincts are excellent as well.

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