Who: Sally and Steve Stephenson of Monument and Dick and Neva Field of Aurora, Colorado
Where: Christkindlesmarkt, Nuremberg, Germany
Out and about: We intentionally picked December to travel to Germany and Austria in order to take in just a few of the traditional Christmas markets that give such a special quality to the celebration of the holidays in the Germanic countries. There are over 2,500 such events in communities of all sizes, from the smallest villages to major urban centers. (More information may be found at http://www.germany-tourism.de/weihnachtsmaerkte/weihnachsmaerkte.html.) Each is rendered unique by the surrounding architecture and trappings of the hosting community (the most impressive to us was in Munich). All present an extensive array of local holiday goods – and goodies – sold from colorful and warmly lit booths. The smell of gluhwein (mulled wine), warmed nuts and confections, and wurst is pervasive. A genuine sense of the holiday spirit runs through the large crowds of visitors, without the stress of overwrought commercialism.
Travel tip: If possible, take your own self-guided tour of the Christmas markets by rented car. This provides the flexibility to alter your itinerary at will and get off the beaten track. Autobahns and secondary roads are excellent. For non-German speaking travelers, communication is not a problem, as the knowledge of English is widespread. Stay in smaller family-run hotels. In larger cities, stay in an outlying community and take public transportation to the center of town. Keep each day’s travel distance short, as days are shorter in early December and weather can vary (we experienced conditions that were very Colorado-like).
