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Celebrating German Christmas Markets

| STORY & PHOTOS BY ALISON DAROSA |

nvision yourself snuggled in woolens, Frazzled and jet-lagged after flying from the west
meandering the cobbled streets of a coast of the U.S. to Frankfurt, then hopping a train
snow-dusted medieval fairytale village. to Baden, I checked in at Der Kleine Prinz hotel,
With a steaming mug of glühwein in hand, unpacked my swimsuit, and walked straight to the
Eyou’re browsing festive stalls decked with Caracalla Spa.
twinkling holiday lights, admiring hand-crafted
wooden toys, one-of-a-kind ornaments and sam- Romans were the first to note the healing power of
pling a cornucopia of seasonal eats. the thermal waters here – and two millennia later,
the magic thrives. Baden means bath; 29 natural
You’re dreaming of German Christmas markets. mineral-rich hot springs feed the town’s spas.

During almost two weeks last December, I visited a Road weary, I sank into the warm, bubbling waters
diverse collection of those markets. There are doz- at Caracalla’s big indoor/outdoor pool. I drifted lazi-
ens of them – in big cities, small towns and remote ly from station to station in the flow channel, lean-
villages. Many date back to the middle ages. Each ing into massaging jets, comforting aching shoul-
visit was unique, but all gave me the opportunity to ders under soothing waterfalls. I allowed my brain
mix with locals and enjoy the Christmas traditions to breathe; stress dissipated into the starry Black
and treats they know and love. My trip was enrich- Forest sky.
ing, enlightening and just plain fun – a perfect hol-
iday gift to myself. Back inside, I sampled the aromatic stream bath, a
brine inhalation room and an upstairs sauna extrav-
Baden-Baden in southwestern Germany was the aganza. By then, the tangled knots of long-distance
perfect place to start. The town has a compact, economy class travel had slowly, deliciously unrav-
classy Christmas market, a bounty of cultural at- eled. For dessert, I treated myself to a 30-minute
tractions, multiple Michelin-starred restaurants – back massage. Pure bliss.
and an array of thermal spas.

Food and drink vendors (left) in Nuremberg provide warm sus-
tenance for Christmas Market shoppers. At Garmisch –Parten-
kirchen in the Bavarian Alps, the small Christmas market offers a
colorful collection of hand-crafted wooden toys.

Wine Dine & Travel 2016 31