Christmas market season: Dresden
I love December in Europe. This continent really does the Christmas season well. Markets pop up in hundreds of cities in and around Germany, full of holiday decorations, handicrafts, seasonal treats and hot drinks. You’ll often find Christmas markets in multiple squares around a city or town, each market consisting of a cluster of small wooden huts selling various goodies.
The eastern city of Dresden hosts Germany’s oldest Christmas market. Dresden is one of my favorite cities in Germany, and it is worth a visit any time of year, but if you can make it during the month of December, you’ll find the city even livelier than usual.
The regional culinary specialty of Dresden is stollen, a Christmas sweet bread with raisins and marzipan which is sold at many stands at the markets. In addition to Glühwein (hot mulled wine), you can find rum-based hot drinks, as well as warm eggnog-like concoctions. The various Christmas markets around the city each put out their own souvenir mugs in which the hot drinks are served – you can either keep the mug when you’re done with the drink, or return it for the deposit you paid up front.
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