Festive Franconia & Bavarian Christmas Markets

After breakfast, we continue our journey in Germany today with a visit to Würzburg for our first Christmas market experience. One of Germany's most enchanting Christmas Markets, you'll find stalls in its picturesque Market Square at the heart of the Old Town, with the Marienkapelle Chapel providing a historic backdrop. The market offers a variety of Christmas-related items, crafts, and treats. From here, we proceed to our hotel.<br />

This morning, we drive south to the walled city of Rothenburg on Bavaria's 'Romantic Road’, which has remained essentially unchanged since the Roman Empire. Rothenburg is a small, picture-book town often referred to as the 'Jewel of Germany', filled with perfectly preserved half-timbered buildings and a charming main square. Soak up the festive atmosphere and perhaps treat yourself to a warm, comforting mug of glühwein at the town's magical Christmas market, which dates back to the fifteenth century and is one of the most popular Advent events in Germany. Here, we include admission to the town's German Christmas Museum, offering a taste of festive nostalgia as you discover unusual, rare, and historic Christmas decorations, trees and items. Afterwards, why not take the opportunity to visit the world-famous Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas Village shop, offering the world's most extensive selection of traditional Christmas decorations and many unique gift ideas?<br />

We travel to Nuremberg, one of Germany's most magical Christmastime cities. You'll find one of the world's oldest and most famous Christkindlesmarkts, which dates back to the fourteenth century. Explore the Altstadt, the old town, and its brightly decorated wooden stalls selling handmade decorations, Nuremberg Bratwurst, and traditional sweet treats like Lebkuchen gingerbread and Spekulatius cookies.

This morning, we begin our return journey as we cross into Belgium and experience a different flavour of continental Christmas markets in Liège. These cherished Wallonian markets are the oldest in Belgium and features the famous Christmas Village, which boasts hundreds of seasonal chalets. We later continue to our overnight hotel.

We begin our homeward journey full of Christmas spirit, but not before one final visit to a Belgian chocolatier for a demonstration and tasting of delicious confectionery, perfect for picking up a few stocking fillers. Afterwards, we board our ferry back to the UK and return home.