Europe never sparkles more than in winter, and the Christmas markets in Germany play a magical part. This is, after all, a country that has Christmas in its bones, with its gingerbready towns, mountain and forest backdrops, wood-carving, sweet-making traditions, and fairytales winging us back to childhood.
Up and down the country, thousands of Weihnachtsmärkte switch on their lights in time for advent (the last weekend in November), glowing brightly until 24 December. Some are tiny, some are enormous, with hundreds of timber chalets and millions of visitors. Each is wholly individual, but with similar hallmarks: shimmering white trees, the cinnamon-clove scent of glühwein, stalls selling candied almonds, gingerbread, stollen and beautifully carved nutcrackers and nativity figurines.
As well as giving us that warm fuzzy feeling we so crave in the chilly winter months, the markets are also the springboard for diving deep into some of Germany’s most enticing towns and cities. Here are our 10 favourites.