Best German Christmas Market?

[im]

...yes, a bit early I'll grant you but I'd like to book now before the best hotels get booked up.

So...anyone got any pointers or advice on which City/Town to go to for atmosphere and the Christmas spirit for a long weekend in December?

Any advice gratefully received.

[arfur]

Nuremburg or Munich are both fantastic as well

[pti]

Leeds.



Have I misunderstood the question...?

[FiF]

Never having been to a proper German Christmas Market how do they compare to what we get over here?

Having been to the Birmingham one it all seems a bit errrr... think of a word that the filter doesn't like beginning with p.

There are some interesting and different stands, e.g. last year it was a Dutch stand selling poffertjes but mostly it's dubious looking people that appear as if they're about to ask if you like dags.

[Silver993tt]

many of the 'German' xmas markets in the UK aren't run by Germans at all, various east Europeans run them supplying low quality products. They are also much more expensive and have far less choice than the real ones in Germany.

[RealSquirrels]

i went to one in a tiny village somewhere in Germany last year. they had a nativity scene with real live camels. it was about -5. the camels looked thorougly pissed off.

[Mobile Chicane]

The Christmas market in Tallinn (Estonia) is fantastic.

The Old Town is illuminated at night, which in the snow is simply magical. There's also an immense choice of bars and restaurants, all within a square mile.

[ewenm]

I enjoyed the one in Hamburg but it helped being with a local.

[RealSquirrels]

Mobile Chicane said:

The Christmas market in Tallinn (Estonia) is fantastic.

The Old Town is illuminated at night, which in the snow is simply magical. There's also an immense choice of bars and restaurants, all within a square mile.

there is also a pretty decent one in Helsinki too, the two cities are a pretty short ferry trip apart.

[Muzzer79]

Choose your market and time carefully.

My in-laws have stopped going to Germany in December as the last 2 visits have resulted in overcrowded markets, filled with repeated tat, with stalls 3 or 4 people deep.

Prime for pick-pockets (of which there seemed to be many)

[Kenty]

Munich is great, we then had a trip round the BMW factory and museum on the Monday.