Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt

On the central square of Nuremberg's old town, wooden stalls under red-and-white striped canopies form a "town of wood and cloth." The smoke of grilling sausages, cinnamon gingerbread and mulled wine mingle in the cold air, and on the balcony of the Frauenkirche a golden-haired, gold-crowned Christkind recites an ancient prologue to declare the Christmas season open. It is Germany's most famous and most traditional Christmas market.