Christmas Markets #5-#9 2011

Jeff's daughter Kelly is visiting us for Christmas here in Germany so we took her on a Bavarian Christmas trip to experience the German Christmas markets. Along the way we were in Rothenberg, Nuremburg, Munich, Andechs and Dinklesbuhl. It was a wonderful trip. Here's some of the pictures from Christmas in Bavaria.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Jeff and I with Kelly at the Piönlein, the intersection in Rothenburg that is one of the most photographed sights in all of Germany.

What sort of business do you think has a statue like this on the corner of their building?

A Metzgerei, a butcher, of course.

And even the butcher's window looks very festive.  Especially if you like sausages of all sorts.

The beautiful Spitalgasse leading up to the old town square.

Our hotel for the night in Rothenburg, the Golden Griffin.  Very nice.

No photos allowed in Käthe Wohlfahrt, the world's largest Christmas store. If they see this blog we'll probably be banned for life.

Rothenburg old city square and the Rathaus, town hall, on the right.  Magnificent half-timbered buildings around every corner.

Rothenberg is just about the most special setting for a Christmas market.

The Piönlein at night.  Beautiful!

Rothenburg old town square at night.

Nuremburg

The Nuremburg Christmas market is also in the old city square highlighted by the Schöner Brunnen (beautiful fountain) and the Frauenkirchen, Church of Our Lady.

One of the many pretty vendors at Nuremburg.

Wonderful ginerbread cookies.

Pretty cookies of all sorts.

Lots of gingerbread hearts to choose from.

Pretty Christmas market at the foot of the Frauenkirchen.

Loaves of fruit breads.

A strange fish sandwich.

German Postal Service carriage.

Munich Marienplatz

There are 22 different Christmas Markets in Munich. This is the main market situated around the Marienplatz.

On the Marienplatz. The Glockenspiel above on the new Rathaus, city hall.

Inside the courtyard of the new Rathaus.

Beautiful Munich Christmas Market with the old Rathaus in the background.

The Marienplatz Christmas Market is situated around the Mariensäule column with the Virgin Mary statue on top.

At the Hofbrauhaus for breakfast. Pretty quite but fun to watch the crowd walk in and the place begin to come alive.

OK, the breakfast beer is here.  Where's the Weißwurst?

Jeff and Kelly, father and daughter.  She's so pretty and so much fun

SWEET!!  The Weißwurst is ready to eat.

Munich Chinesicher Turm

One of the prettiest Christmas Markets in Munich is the Chinesicher Turm, Chinese Tower.  It's located in Munich's English Garden.

Entrance to the Chinesicher Turm Christmas Market.

The Chinese pagoda gives it's name to to this large beer garden and the market.

Andechs

One of our favorite locations in Germany, Kloster Andechs. The local Bavarians refer to it as the Heliger Berg, the sacred mountain.

A jewel in the Bavarian countryside, the Hotel zur Post garni. A wonderful hotel to stay in if you're going to spend the night in Andechs.

Interesteing wood pile behind the hotel with windows and a door.

Here's the real reason Kloster Andechs is such a special place. Jeff with the monk's Doppelbock Dunkel, double dark, and Kelly with the Helles, light.

Dinklesbuhl

On the way home we stopped at Dinklesbuhl. It's another walled town just about 20 miles south of the more famous Rothenburg. Very pretty.

A magnificent half-timbered building in Dinkelsbuhl, the Deutscheshaus Hotel.

Dinkelbuhl's Christmas Market was loacted in one of the city's pretty courtyards.

Dinkelsbuhl Christmas Market.

How many of these Christmas Market vendors can possibly be operating in Germany each year?

Pretty setting for a Christmas Market in Dinklesbuhl.

That was Christmas markets 5-9 for 2011; Rothenburg #5, Nuremburg #6, Munich #7 and #8, and Dinkelsbuhl #9, with a wonderful visit to Kloster Andechs thrown in. Still not done though at least two more to finish off the 2011 Christmas market season.