Germany: Luther Country, Four Authentic Christmas Markets - The Real Goods! 
Are there any authentic Christmas markets left in Europe? Any place locals outnumber tourists? In Luther Country, the answer is "Yes!"
I am passing along this information because family travel with senior parents (or parent) usually needs a purpose and shopping for Christmas in a traditional market cannot be beat. Unfortunately many of the markets in Europe, as well as North America, have succumbed to Asian mass production thus diminishing the value of any shopping experience. Not so in Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, where at least for now, tradition holds fast. Even if your shopping budget has been lessen by the crunching economy the atmosphere and quality will be worth the trip - especially if your trip include Lufthansa one of my favorite airlines - they define hospitality in the air and on the ground.
From North America airfare is cheap until mid December so I am passing on the shopping details so you can make your own decision to go Christmas shopping in eastern Germany. Get a map and checkout these locations.
Here's the scoop. In this part of eastern Germany (Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt), visitors can still smell the cinnamon, and fresh pine in the frosty air. This is the spot to taste the sausage and speak with over a mug of glühwein (mulled wine) or coffee and a scrumptious slice of stollen (traditional German cake with dried fruit). The holiday atmosphere includes the chiming of bells that have rung for more than 500 years. Wait for it! Everyone in the market area is encouraged to join in singing of traditional carols repeating traditions established centuries ago.
Not made in China. There are gifts to take home that have been made locally. Select from wooden toys and exquisite glass Christmas decorations to special cakes and delightful candies and preserves. In the federal German states of Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, the build up to Christmas is still celebrated the way that Martin Luther suggested it should be 500 years ago - with joy and kindness.
Christmas Market in Erfurt, Thuringia (23 November - 22 December 2011.) Guarded by the towering cathedral, more than 200 wooden stalls fill the vast Domplatz (Cathedral Square). Highlights include the nativity scene, with 14 near life-size, hand-carved figures, a traditional tall wooden pyramid and the 80-foot Christmas tree, lit with hundreds of candles at night. The festive specialty here is Schittchen, a delicious version of stolen - made with flour, butter, candied fruits and ground almonds, it is the perfect gift to take home. Bonus points: The post office has a stall where you can get your Christmas cards and postcards franked with the special Christmas market stamp. Travel tip: Visit the crypt beneath the cathedral to see the 24 Advent scenes (Florales zur Weihnachtszeit), the imaginative floral tableaux that are created by local enthusiasts; book a guided tour and climb up the cathedral tower to see the 500-year-old Gloriosa, the oldest free swinging medieval bell in the world.
Christmas Market in Wartburg Castle, Thuringia (26-27 November, 3-4, 10-11, 17-18 December, 2011). Nearly 1,000 years old and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Wartburg Castle was a refuge for Martin Luther while he translated the New Testament into German. It was also an inspiration for Wagner's opera, Tannhäuser. Flecked with snow, this atmospheric backdrop gives an authentic feel of the Middle Ages to the weekend Christmas markets, where candle makers, glass blowers and wooden-toy makers are dressed in medieval garb. There is delightful food meant to be savored including sugared almonds, right-off-the-grill Thüringer bratwurst, and Thuringian-style sausage. Travel tip: In Eisenach, the Lutherstuben Restaurant in the Eisenacher Hof Hotel hosts medieval evenings, with a hearty meal, a witty master of ceremonies, even a monk doing a medieval twist and shout.
Christmas Market in Halle (Saale), Saxony-Anhalt (23 November - 23 December, 2011) As well as the usual Christmas ornaments, wood carvings and mulled wine, there are foods from Finland, Hungary, France, Austria, Russia and the Netherlands in the "European village." But Halle is also the birthplace of composer George Frederick Handel (1685), and no work is more associated with Christmas than Messiah. Bonus points: As well as visiting the Christmas market, you can attend a concert in the Marktkirche or in the Händel-Haus, the house where he was born. Travel tip: Look for the 275-foot tall 'Advent Candle' - when the Red Tower of the Market Church is alight.
Christmas Market in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Saxony-Anhalt (25 November - 21 December, 2011). There is perhaps nowhere more historic or atmospheric for a Christmas market than Lutherstadt Wittenberg. Explore compact market courtyards showcasing well-crafted toys, holiday decorations, delicious roasted almonds and tasty mulled wine. Bonus points: As well as half-timbered townhouses, there is the church where Luther once preached, with its famous altar triptych, painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder. Travel tip: On 18 December, the Martin Luther Nativity play is in the Church of St. Mary, where the Great Reformer preached his sermons.
Location on the planet. Located halfway between Berlin and Frankfurt, Luther Country region is celebrating the Luther Decade – a 10-year build-up to 2017 and the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.
Make it happen. To plan your Christmas shopping adventure in Germany visit Luther Country
www.visit-luther.com Content and images provided by Luther Country. Comments by Nancy Nelson-Duac, Editor Family Travel Files. Copyright 2011.
