German Christmas Markets

Regensburg

Regensburg ornament shop

Regensburg candle shop

Nürnberg

Jill and Julie in Nürnberg

Seiffen

Seiffen

Dresden

My mom and I returned from our Christmas Market extravanganza in Germany on Wednesday. We are exhausted! After our trip to the Neuschwanstein Castle, we headed to Regensburg. This was one of my favorite towns of the trip. The buildings are much older then others throughout Germany, since it was spared from the bombings of WWII. There were Christmas Markets set up throughout the town, and we scurried from one to the other trying to absorb all the atmosphere before they closed down at 10 pm.
The next day, we drove to Nürnberg and checked into our hotel. It was a great location in the heart of the old town. Matt was able to spend a few hours there before catching a train back to Zurich. Again, Christmas Markets were scattered throughout the downtown area. We walked and walked to see as much as we could. We eventually took a break and had supper at a fantastic Mexican restaurant. This tasted so good to me! I don't get any quality Mexican in Zurich. The best part was, mixed drinks were half off. Believe me, I took full advantage.
The next morning we drove to Seiffen in the eastern part of Germany, right along the Czech border. This town is known for their woodworking. It's clear it's a popular stop for the tourists year round, but during the Christmas season, it was in full swing. We spent several hours looking at all the smokers, nutcrackers, windmills, candle holders, and ornaments. We made our selections and got out of dodge!
We stayed the night in Dresden. This city of 3 million people was much more impressive then I was expecting. The dramatic buildings that lined the river front created a regal backdrop to the oldest Christmas Market in Germany.
The next day and last stop of the journey was Baden-Baden. We LOVED Baden-Baden. It was the perfect ending to an amazing trip through Germany. We spent the afternoon poking around the shops, then off to the spa! Baden-Baden is known for their thermal baths. They were fantastic too, I'm already plotting my next trip back. In the evening, we stopped by the Casino and played some slots. We managed to both walk out the door with a few extra Euros.
Then back to Zurich! The GPS, in the end, turned out to be a fantastic aid in helping us navigate the confusing European roads. We all feel that without it, the vacation would have been quite stressful.
We still have some fun things ahead before my mom leaves on Monday. Tonight, we're off to see Casino Royale at the movies. Tomorrow, the Opera House, then on Sunday, we'll be checking out the musical "We Rock Rock You."
Keep you posted....