Hello <BR> <BR>My husband and 2 adult daughters will be renting a car & touring parts of Germany for 8 days. We lived in Germany back in the 60's & have been back many times but not in the last 5 years. We are calling it our Christmas market tour. We're thinking of visiting Nuremburg, Stuttgart, Heidelberg (one of the daughters born there), Garmish area & maybe a couple days in Eastern Germany. Questions: Any other recommendations for Christmas market locations? We like to stay in family operated gasthauses - would appreciate anyone's experiences there. Also looking for a reasonable priced hotel near Frankfort to stay the night before we leave. Any general comments would be appreciated. Thank you.

Don't forget Rothenburg, and Munich has a nice XMAS market too. I'm sure you'll remember to dress warm - <BR> <BR> Inter Europe Hotel-Continental just down the street from the Hauptbahnhof in Frankfurt. Cost is about <BR>$90.00 inc. breakfast. The number is (069)230341. There are many other hotels in this area - just go to the TI in the Hauptbahnhof. If it's not snowing, Rothenburg is only 1.5 to 2 hours away from the airport. <BR> <BR>Have a good time. <BR>

Don't forget Rothenburg, and Munich has a nice XMAS market too. I'm sure you'll remember to dress warm - <BR> <BR> Inter Europe Hotel-Continental just down the street from the Hauptbahnhof in Frankfurt. Cost is about <BR>$90.00 inc. breakfast. The number is (069)230341. There are many other hotels in this area - just go to the TI in the Hauptbahnhof. If it's not snowing, Rothenburg is only 1.5 to 2 hours away from the airport. <BR> <BR>Have a good time. <BR>

Sylvia, You listed most of the major markets and Ken has mentioned a couple other good markets. Munich is pretty good as Ken stated, most big cities have mulitple markets. The major one is on the Mairanplatz pedestrian area. I just read something that recommended two other markets in Munich, I will try to locate the info for you. I would always recommend that you ask at the TI where all the markets are in a city. I have heard a lot about the market in Bad Wimpfen, I believe that it is near Heidelburg, only for weekends. Try the About web site, for an article about Christmas markets, http://gogermany.miningco.com/travel/europe/gogermany/ Rita, has a good listing of the martets. In eastern Germany, I would recommend the Dresden market, I have not been to that one in 10 years. I went to it a couple weeks after the wall fell, so I am sure that it has improved greatly since then. If you can, go to Seiffen, it is near the eastern border of Germany. It is the home of nutcrackers and smokers and wooden tree ornaments. They have a market on the weekends only also, but I always try to stop when possible. Make sure that you have gluhwien, a hot spice wine that is part of the markets. Each market has its specialty, Nurnenburg, gingerbread, Dresden, stollen, Munich, wood carvings, <BR>look for the special things in each area. I can't recommend any hotels, at the moment, we also stay in smaller hotels/inns, we just pick a place when we get there. If you need more info, please let me know. (nurneburg market website http://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/ <BR>ENJOY !!! Glenn

Thank you for great information. There's just too much to see in a week, isn't there? <BR> <BR>Sylvia

Sylvia, <BR>Belatedly, here are some dates and locations for Christmas markets: <BR>In Dusseldorf in the Schadowplatz from November 18 to December 22; in Freiburg at Rathausplatz and around the Marienkirche, November 22 to December 23; in Heidelberg, November 26 to December 22; in Frankfurt from November 24 to December 22; in Nuremberg November 26 to December 24; in Munich, November 27 to December 24 at Marienplatz and in Dresden from November 27 to December 22. Dresden's is the oldest fair in Germany dating back to the early 1400s.