christmas markets
9 nights/10 days: November 30-December 9, 2024
Detour with christoph
My childhood memories are rooted in the Thüringen forest in winter. A Brothers Grimm, fairy-tale kind of place, the dark forest was my playground that spilled into the glowing warmth of the village. Imagine stomping through the sharp cold of night, the twinkling lights and aroma of Oma’s stollen serving as breadcrumbs calling you home. This is what I want to share with you—the magic of the dark forests of Bavaria, Thüringen, and even the Gate to the Erzgebirge on this luminescent Christmas journey. When you love something, often you can’t explain the essence, so detour with me to capture the Gemütlichkeit of the season, and my childhood memories.
highlights include
Soak up the Gemütlichkeit (coziness) of Germany’s oldest and most photogenic Christmas markets: Regensburg, Nuremberg, Bamburg, Coburg, & Dresden
Learn the secret ingredients of traditional Christmas dinner at a cooking school in Nuremberg
Get your glassblowing groove on in the birthplace of modern Christmas ornaments in Lauscha
Discover the remnants of the Inner-German Wall
Venture in the footsteps of Martin Luther
Sample the world’s largest fruitcake at Dresden’s Stollenfest
itinerary
While Germany may not have invented Christmas, it has certainly perfected it! Home to some of the oldest, largest, and sweetest Christmas markets in the world, the Gemütlichkeit (coziness) of Germany’s Christkindlmarkts-not to mention its glühwein-is sure to set your heart aglow with the spirit of the season. We’ll linger in three of our favorite towns to offer up a taste of Christmas spirit, from medieval Regensburg, to aristocratic Coburg, to baroque Dresden, with a special detour to Christoph’s Thüringen forest for a taste of its hidden gems. Frohe Weihnachten! (Happy Christmas!)
“Germans invented Christmas.”
Day 1: arrival in Regensburg
Saturday, November 30, 2024
Our detour begins in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Regensburg. This Bavarian town is full of charm with its perfectly preserved medieval streets and picturesque Christmas markets. We’ll call Regensburg home for three nights where we’ll explore the wonders of Weinachten in Bavaria.
Munich’s Franz Josef Strauss International Airport is an easy hour+ train ride away. We’ll meet tonight at 5 pm for a welcome reception followed by a wander through our first Christmas market and dinner together.
Hotel: Bischofshof am Dom | Meals: D | Activity Level: Moderate
day 2: regensburg’s magical markets
Sunday, December 1, 2024
This morning we dive head first into the history of Regensburg on a guided walking tour of the Alte Stadt (old town), including its gothic cathedral and the Old Corn Market, enjoying picture perfect views from its 12th century stone bridge along the way. We’ll take a wander to the Turn and Taxis palace-a former Benedictine monestary and home today to the Romantic Christmas market of Turn and Taxis. We’ll warm ourselves with Regensburg’s stunning assortment of glühwein (mulled wine) and hot soups together before breaking for a free afternoon and evening to explore Regensburg’s four Christmas markets.
Hotel: Bischofshof am Dom | Meals: B | Activity Level: Moderate
day 3: Savoring nuremberg
Monday, December 2, 2024
Nuremberg is home to one of Germany’s oldest and largest Christmas markets. We’ll detour today an hour north to explore its famous Christkindlesmarkt. Known as “the little city of wood and cloth,” its stalls pack the town center with handmade Christmas decorations and sweet treats, including Nuremberg’s famous Lebkuchen (gingerbread). But before we indulge in dessert, we’ll learn the craft of making a traditional Christmas dinner at a local cooking school. You’ll have plenty of free time to delight in the market and discover the perfect lebkuchen before we return to Regensburg this evening.
Hotel: Bischofshof am Dom | Meals: B, D | Activity Level: Moderate
day 4: bamberg’s breweries
Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Today we head north to our base in Coburg, detouring along the way in Bamberg. This medieval World Heritage town is home to stunning architecture, a postcard worthy Christmas market, and most famously, beer. With its more than 250 breweries, we’ll be hard pressed to sample them all, but we’ll savor the oldest at the Schlenkerla, where a warm lunch of Bavarian specialties and a glass of rauchbier awaits us. We’ll have time to explore the town and its market before heading to Coburg where we’ll enjoy a wine tasting of Franconia’s varietals at our favorite wine stop. The evening is yours to enjoy dinner at Coburg’s quaint Christmas market or in its cozy eateries.
Hotel: Goldene Traube | Meals: B | Activity Level: Moderate
day 5: coburg’s aristocracy
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Prettly little Coburg was the stomping ground of Prince Albert, of Queen Victoria and Albert fame. This morning we’ll explore this quaint little Baroque gem of a town and with the help of our local guide we dive into 19th century history. After imagining life in the aristocracy, we’ll sup together at Martin Luther’s (and ours!) favorite gasthaus and brewery before climbing the Veste Coburg. This fortress perches high above Coburg town with 360 degree views of northern Bavaria and the neighboring Thüringen forest. We’ll storm the castle where Martin Luther spent 6 months translating the Bible in refuge from the Catholic Church. The evening is yours to savor the charm of Coburg.
Hotel: Goldene Traube | Meals: B, L | Activity Level: Strenuous
day 6: Thüringen’s hidden gems
Thursday, December 5, 2024
Today Christoph takes us home to the Thüringen forest, where he’ll recount his experiences growing up behind the Iron Curtain. Mere minutes from Coburg, the inner East German Wall defined the lives of those on the other side. We’ll visit hidden remnants of the wall, climb a watch tower turned museum, and wave to Christoph’s family on our way to Lauscha-the birthplace of modern Christmas ornaments. We’ll get our glassblowing groove on before marveling at the masterpieces in this Murano of Germany. We’ll enjoy lunch together with a view on Thüringen, enjoying an optional stroll in the woods to the Märchenstein (Fairy Tale Stone) before returning to our final evening in Coburg.
Hotel: Goldene Traube | Meals: B, L | Activity: Moderate to Strenuous
day 7: Saint Nicholas Day Special
Friday, December 6, 2024
Farewell to Coburg, and welcome Saint Nicholas Day! Naughty or good, our group travels to the top of the Thuringia Forest to learn about Leistungssport (Competitive Sports), in a town with the highest density of Olympic Champions - Oberhof. Before heading to the delightfully baroque town of Dresden, we make a scrumptious stop at the Stollen Bakery where we bake and taste this region’s most amazing fruit cake. After an orientation walk, the evening is yours to take in the Dresden’s Weinachtsgeist (Christmas spirit).
Hotel: Steigenberger Hotel de Saxe | Meals: B, L | Activity Level: Light
day 8: dresden’s stollenfest
Saturday, December 7, 2024
Every year on the Saturday before second Advent, Dresden welcomes the Christmas season with a giant Stollen (fruitcake) celebration. This massive bake fest dates back to medieval times and involves parading the oversized cake through town with medieval costumes and music to match. We will join in the revelry and partake of the stollen, immersing in this historic annual tradition. This evening we’ll have ample time to enjoy Dresden’s Striezelmarkt (Christmas market), stocking up on last minute gifts and souvenirs, or to catch a performance at it’s famous opera house.
Hotel: Steigenberger Hotel de Saxe | Meals: B | Activity Level: Moderate
day 9: dresden’s resurrection
Sunday, December 8, 2024
This morning we work off our stollen on a walking tour through Dresden’s architectural treasures. Known as the Florence of the Elba, Dresden was decimated in a 1945 bombing. Since then, it as risen from the ashes as the vibrant and resurrected capitol of Saxony. We’ll visit its beloved baroque Frauenkirche, entirely reconstructed in 2005, marking the full restoration of Dresden’s skyline. We’ll contemplate the priceless pieces in the Zwinger Museums' Old Masters Gallery, Royal Palace, and Green Vault before breaking for lunch and a free afternoon. We’ll gather tonight for a final feast together before bidding each other auf wiedersehen (until we meet again)!
Hotel: Steigenberger Hotel de Saxe | Meals: B, D | Activity Level: Strenuous
day 10: auf wiedersehen!
Monday, December 9, 2024
Our detour ends after breakfast. Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport is a 1.5 hour train ride away. We’ll help arrange your post-detour travel arrangements to your next destination, be it your return flight home or next travel destination in Europe.
We never say goodbye, preferring the German alternative, auf wiedersehen, or until we meet again! Until then, happy trails!
$4,695 (double/triple occupancy)
$5,495 (single occupancy)
10% deposit
FAQs
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Each detour includes the price of all admissions to sights seen as a group; tours by local guides, meals as listed in the trip itinerary; accommodations each night of the detour including breakfasts; all transportation required for group activities from the first hotel to the last hotel of the detour (transportation for optional group activities and independent travel during the detour is not included), travel consultations and advice from our staff, guides, and vendors including suggestions, tips, and directions, and all trip leader, local guide, driver, and hotel tips. Prices do not include airfare to and from the detour, nor ground transportation to/from airports.
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Detour prices do not include international airfare or ground transportation to/from the airport.
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Each detour includes all breakfasts and about half of your lunches and dinners as indicated in the meal guide included in each itinerary: B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner.
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Our groups range from 10-20 participants with 1-2 trip leaders and local guides to connect us to local culture and experiences.
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Yes! Our detours are the perfect way for children (and adults) to learn in action. We welcome and celebrate multi-generational travel. History class was never so fun!
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Each detour begins the evening of Day 1 at our first hotel, where we will meet for a welcome reception. Meeting times vary by detour and are indicated on each itinerary.
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The most convenient international aiport for your arrival is Munich, and for your departure is Berlin.
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While this varies by detour, we generally plan to meet between 5-6 pm at our hotel on Day 1. If you plan to arrive a day early and want to stay in our trip hotel, please make arrangements with the hotel directly, indicating that you are part of our group.
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Each trip page has a “book now” button that links to our online registration and payment system. There you can pay the 10% per person deposit and choose to pay in installments or to pay the full amount.
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Deposits are refundable for 30 days from receipt. After 30 days they are nonrefundable.
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Final payment is due 90 days prior to detour commencement but you may pay in full any time prior to this.
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Cancellations are allowed without penalty (excepting deposit) until the final payment deadline. After the final payment deadline 100% of funds paid are nonrefundable.
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The $500 deposit is due upon registration, after which time you will receive a payment link where you can choose to pay the remaining amount, or you can contact us to set up a payment plan.
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Yes, all published prices are per person, based on double occupancy, or when available, single occupancy. Please contact us for triple occupancy pricing.
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During the registration process you will have the opportunity to request single occupancy, if it is offered. Due to the boutique nature of our hotels, we are not always able to offer single accommodations, but are happy to pair you with another single traveler.
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Yes. You must be able to carry your own luggage up at least three flights of stairs and on uneven ground for up to a quarter mile.