The Best Christmas Markets in Germany

The Christmas market in Munich, also called "Christkindl Market", is celebrated at Marienplatz, in the center of the old town. It is a great place to buy traditional Bavarian wood carvings and glass crystals.

Enjoy the free traditional Christmas concerts that are held every day at 5.30 p.m. on the balcony of Munich's town hall, while children can enjoy arts, crafts and cookie baking inside the building.
Just a short walk away from the Munich Christmas Market is the historical "Kripperl Market" where you can admire wooden cribs and nativity scenes.

Date: November 28th-December 24th, 2008
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 10 a.m. – 8:30 p.m., Sat 9 a.m. - 8:30 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Dresden has the oldest Christmas market in Germany, dating back to 1434. The traditional name of the market is "Striezel Markt" and refers to the sweet Christmas cake traditionally called "Striezl".

In the center of the Christmas market, you'll find the world's biggest nutcracker and a huge Christmas pyramid, a 45 feet high wooden carrousel with life-sized angels and sceneces from the nativity.

The Dresden Christmas market is the place to buy traditional wooden toys, puppets, and carvings that are handcrafted in the German Ore Mountains.

Date: November 28th-December 24, 2008
Opening Hours: Sun-Thu 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Fri-Sat 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.

The Nuremberg Christmas Market takes place on the main square in the heart of the old town. One highlight of this Christmas Market is its opening celebration, when the Christmas Angel, played by a local girl, reads out a prologue from the balcony of the Nuremberg Cathedral.

Stroll trough the 180 traditionally decorated huts that the locals fondly call "our little town of wood and cloth", and make sure to try the little Nuremberg Bratwursts and some "Lebkuchen", gingerbread cookies.
Keep an eye out for the famous little figurines made out of dried plums, the signature souvenir from the Nuremberg Christmas Market.

Date: November 28th-December 24th, 2008
Opening Hours: Mon-Thu 09:30 a.m. – 8 p.m., Fri-Sun 09:30 a.m – 10 p.m.

Cologne celebrates the season with seven Christmas markets throughout its city center. The Christmas market directly in front of the Cologne Cathedral is the most impressive one and boasts the largest Christmas tree in the region.

Swing to free Christmas concerts playing nightly in front of the Cathedral, watch artisans at work, and try a cup of hot Glühwein, spiced mulled wine, to keep the cold away.

Date: November 24th-December 23, 2008
Opening Hours: Mo-Fri 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., Sat-Sun 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Berlin is home to 60 different Christmas markets, but for the connoisseur, the historic Christmas market at the Gendarmenmarkt, close to Friedrichstraße, is not to be missed.

Framed by the illuminated French and German Cathedral, you can wander the many booths or visit the heated craftsmen tent where you can watch toymakers, goldsmiths, and wood carvers at work. There are also many musicians, dancers, jugglers, and acrobats to keep you and the children entertained.
If you can't get enough of the holiday spirit, visit Berlin's Christmas markets at Alexanderplatz, Unter den Linden, and Potsdamer Platz.

Date: November 24-December 31, 2008
Opening Hours: Sun-Thu 11 p.m. - 10 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.