German Christmas markets

EVERY year in Germany, in market squares across the country, pretty shanty towns of Alpine huts sprout up beneath the spires of gothic churches, selling all sorts of seasonal goodies. There are exquisite handmade ornaments and exotic Christmas wreaths that reek of seductive herbs and spices.

There's linen, lace and porcelain plus beautifully-sculpted toys and crib sets for the children.

But by far the best thing about German Christmas markets is the food. There are waffles stuffed with fluffy cream, mountains of marzipan and chocolate, huge piles of Stollen (German Christmas cake) and spicy gingerbread Lebkuchen. And the drink's not bad either: jolly crowds gather around alfresco bars serving piping hot Gluhwein - mulled wine - quite literally drinking in the festive spirit. A German Christmas market may not restore your belief in Santa Claus, but it should send you back to Britain with enough goodwill to survive the Yuletide marathon to follow.

BAMBERG

A Unesco World Heritage site, Bamberg's Christmas market stalls are complemented by numerous nativity scenes, and its renaissance architecture lends this baroque city a distinctly Italianate air (bamberg.info).

BONN

Beethoven's birthplace (and West Germany's former capital) is a quiet yet attractive university town whose town hall doubles as a giant Advent calendar, with a new window lit up every day (bonn- region.de).

COLOGNE

The site of Germany's greatest gothic cathedral (and one of its greatest modern art galleries) hosts half a dozen Christmas markets, including a "medieval" market outside the Chocolate Museum and a floating market on a riverboat on the Rhine (koelntourismus.de).

DRESDEN

Germany's oldest Christmas market dates back to 1434.

Specialities include hand-blown glass baubles and hand-carved wooden curios from the Erzgebirge mountains ( dresdentourist.de).

LEIPZIG

The city of Schumann and Mendelssohn hosts of one Saxony's finest Christmas markets, featuring the world's biggest Advent calendar, 857 metres square.

Its centrepoint is St Nicholas's Church, where the peaceful revolution of 1989 began (leipzig.de).

ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER

This medieval citadel is like a living Christmas card - romantic, antiquated and almost ridiculously picturesque. The Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas Village in the old town combines a comprehensive shop and an informative museum (rothenburg.de).

RUDESHEIM

Famous for its wine, Rudesheim am Rhein acquires a distinctly international air at this time of year. Its 120 stalls represent a dozen different countries, selling indigenous Christmas fare from all around the world (ruedesheim.de).

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