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MUNICH, Germany -- The aroma of cinnamon and sound of Christmas carols fill the air, lights blink everywhere and people mill about, visiting booth after booth of holiday displays.
It's Christmastime in Germany and that means one thing: Christkindl Markts (Christmas Markets).
For centuries, the Christkindl Markts have been part of the holiday tradition in Germany. There are an estimated 2,500 markets throughout the country, with at least one adorning every town. Larger cities may boast more than 20. It's hard to sample them all, but several stand out.
The markets open late November and run through Christmas Eve. Many tours are offered and may be the easiest way to visit many markets in a few days. Artisans and vendors sell smokers and nutcrackers; dolls, teddy bears, trains and other toys; jewelry; pottery; handmade lace; ornaments made of straw, wood and pewter; and food -- lot's of it.
There are spicy roasted nuts, still hot from the ovens. Sausages, pretzels, potato cakes and stollen, the traditional German cakes. There are gingerbread cookies and decorations, with icing spelling favorite sayings or loved ones' names. And in at least one booth at every market, the famous Gluhwein -- hot, mulled wine -- is served in its own signature mug. Collectors save them year after year.
As Germany's third largest city with the second largest airport, Munich is a good starting point for international visitors seeking out a variety of Christkindl markts.
The market in Marienplatz at the base of the Glockenspiel is one of the country's oldest and most famous. More than140 booths line the streets, where the nearly 100-foot decorated Christmas tree graces the plaza.
Children (and grown-ups) can try their hand at decorating gingerbread cookies in the nearby Cafe Rischart bakery.
A few streets over, Kripperlmarkt is known for its Nativity scenes. Thousands of hand-crafted camels, angels, Wise Men and the tiny figures of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus along with mangers and Christmas ornaments are available.
At the Medieval Market in another spot in Munich folk singers and minstrels entertain crowds. Holiday visitors drink their Gluhwein around small fires dotting the market place, watching the period-costumed artisans creating their goods.
Before folks leave Munich, many visit the Christmas Post Office to have their holiday cards stamped with the "Christkindl" postmark before they are sent to their destinations.
The Christmas Angel, with her white and golden dress, blond curls and golden crown, opens the Nuremberg Christmas Market in Haumptmarkt, the city's central plaza, the Friday before the first Advent Sunday.
n Discover Munich Web site lists locations and times: They run from now through Christmas Eve. Hours at all the city's markets are 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 9 a.m.-8.30 p.m. Saturdays; 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Sundays; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Christmas Eve. www.discover-munich.info/munich_christmas_markets.php.
• Munich tourist office: (089) 2 33 03 00
• Everything Christkindlmarkt: The Web site www.mychristkindlmarkt.com lists Christmas markets in Canada and the United States.
Young women compete to be selected as the Christmas Angel every other year; the angel serves for two years. Young children follow the angel through the market as she visits with shoppers and poses for photos. Closer to Christmas she hands out gifts to patients at Nuremberg's children's hospitals.
The Nuremberg markets are famous for gingerbread. The oldest written recipe of gingerbread -- from the 16th century -- is housed in the Germanic National Museum (Kartausergasse 1 90402 Altstadt und Engere Innenstadt, Nurnberg, +49 911 1331-0). Shoppers can watch gingerbread being made at the market. It is sold in tins of every shape and size including large, ball ornaments and music boxes.
Another Nuremberg favorite is its small sausages that are the size of little fingers. Townsfolk tell the legend that they were made small enough to fit through the keyhole of a door for those locked out after curfew. They are cooked different ways and served in a variety of sauces.
The Kinderweihnacht, the Children's Christmas Markt, is one of Nuremberg's newer markets, created in 1999 to offer family entertainment and child-friendly booths. It has stalls with low counters for the younger shoppers. Children can make crafts and ride on the steam-driven Ferris wheel that's more than other 100 years old, as well as other rides.
Don't leave Nuremberg without visiting the Rathausplatz Markt, which offers Christmas items from around the world.
Against the backdrop of the decorated Christmas tree that floats on beautiful Alster Lake in the heart of the city, Hamburg has perhaps the most varied markets, including the white, star-topped booths of WeihnachtsMarkt Jungfernstieg that lines the waterfront. As skaters glide across the lakefront skating rink, other people drink at an open-air bar, tucked under warm, toasty blankets. Boats docked along the lake offer craft areas for children.
Located in front of the city's town hall is the WeihnachtMarkt of Rathaus. Created by Bernhard Paul, the director of the famed Circus Roncalli, the market follows the circus-theme for its more than 100 booths and old-fashioned carousels. High above the central market, Santa rides a sleigh pulled by reindeer along an aerial cable, delighting children of all ages.
Hamburg also is home to perhaps the only R-rated market, the Santa Pauli. The city's St. Pauli district is home to the famous Reeperbahn, where the Beatles got their start and is the center of Hamburg's night life and also its red-light district. St. Pauli's adult-only theme has dozens of stalls that offer naughty holiday gifts.
Unlike many German cities, Bamberg was largely undamaged during the wars. The Old Town of Bamberg is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and while it has Christkindl Markts like most other towns, it also is home to another great German tradition: the Route of Nativity Scenes.
The Nativity walk links 35 churches and other sites that display Christmas Nativity scenes. Visitors can walk through the winding streets while they visit all or just a few of the manger scenes, some of them hundreds of years old. At the end of the route, visitors may shop in the rustic Christkindl Markts booths while drinking Bamberg's traditional strong, smoked ale, Rauchbier.
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