Subject: christmas markets
they're great.... in '98 i went specifically to enjoy them and boy did i ever. so much so, that i'm returning this year and bringing my mother-in-law along! munich, nurnberg, salzburg are three that i would deem worth a journey. others that i visited were in bamberg, and regensburg. this year (depart 12/8) i intend on dinkelsbuhl, rothenburg and augsburg, too. i understand that tubingen has a great market. mulled wine, bratwurst, music, snow and NO commercialization.... a real christmas! numerous other villages, towns and cities have christkindlmarkts and it is very easy to research them and their dates via the internet.

barry