Visit the Best German Weihnachtsmärkte / Christkindlesmarkt

The list of the top ten best Christmas markets in Germany include Nuremberg, Dresden, Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Lübeck, Leipzig, Rothenburg, Cologne, and Dortmund.

photo credit: Sheep purple

A selection of the top ten best Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmärkte) to visit in Germany is not easy. Every town in Germany seems to have a Christmas market in the run up to Xmas. In smaller towns the Christmas markets are often held only one or two weekends while in the larger cities markets operate from around 25 November to a few days before Christmas.

My list of the top ten best Christmas markets in Germany, not necessarily in a fixed order, include:

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See Germany’s Romantic Road Route on Public Transportation

Although a car is convenient, public transportation (either trains or buses) are available to most sights on the Romantic Road (Romantische Straße) in Bavaria, Germany.

photo credit: uLe @ Dortmund

The Romantic Road (Romantische Straße) holiday route in Bavaria is for many visitors a top destination and highlight of a trip to Bavaria. This 350-km (220-mile) route has some of Germany’s most romantic sights. The Romantic Road is easiest traveled by private car but public transportation (trains and buses) are also available to most sights. Popular stops along the Romantic Road include medieval castles (Schloss Harburg), the fantasy Disney-line Schloss Neuschwanstein Castle, wall-encircled towns (Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dinkelsbühl, Nördlingen), palaces (UNESCO-listed Residenz in Würzburg, Schillingsfürst), and churches (the UNESCO-listed Wieskirche).

• The Europabus EB190 has changed its route and from 2008 only stops at major sights and no longer run the full length of the Romantic Road as it has done for more than half a century.

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Deutsche Touring Started a New 2009 Schedule for Seeing Germany’s Romantische Straße

Europabus EB 190 connects Frankfurt and Füssen via much of the Romantic Road daily during summer. Stops include Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Augsburg, Nördlingen, Dinkelsbühl, Würzburg, and Munich (München).

photo credit: gatowlion

The Romantic Road (Romantische Straße) was founded in 1950 as a tourism promotion project. This massively popular holiday route has since become a top destination for visitors to Germany. It is hugely popular with bus parties from all nations – notice the Japanese road signs.

Although a car is the easiest and most convenient way to travel the full 350-km (220-mile) route, the Romantic Road can also be done on public transportation. The easiest way is on the Europabus, which has been operating along this route since its inception.

• The routing of the Europabus on the Romantic Road has been changed drastically from summer 2008 – all previous timetables and routings are now completely redundant.

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Children are Welcome and Entertained at Germany’s Largest Folk Festival

Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany is world famous for its beer tents. However, Oktoberfest is also a folk festival with rides and entertainment for families traveling with children.

photo credit: netwalkerz_net

Many foreign travelers may be surprised that Oktoberfest in Munich (München), Germany is also a folk festival where children are most welcome. Almost 10% of Münchner visit Oktoberfest with their children while the percentage for foreigners is below 3%

The famous beer tents of Oktoberfest may well host the world’s greatest drinking party but the festival grounds also have numerous rides and other entertainment eminently suitable to families traveling with children of all ages. Das Familienplatzl is a special tent for families with facilities, entertainment, activities, and food suitable for smaller children. It is open daily. »»»Continue reading…