christmas markets

9 nights/10 days: November 29-December 8, 2025

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

  • 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.
— Christoph

Day 1: arrival in Regensburg

Regensburg Germany Alte Stadt Old Town

Saturday, November 29, 2025

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

Regensburg Christmas Market Turn & Taxis

Sunday, November 30, 2025

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, L | Activity Level: Moderate

day 3: Savoring nuremberg

Lebkuhen Nuremburg German Christmas Market

Monday, December 1, 2025

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 | Activity Level: Moderate

day 4: bamberg’s breweries

Bamberg Bridge

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

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, L | Activity Level: Moderate

day 5: coburg’s aristocracy

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Prettly little Coburg was the stomping ground of Prince Albert, of Queen Victoria and Albert fame. This morning we’ll visit the palace where he spent much of his childhood-the Ehrenburg. After imagining life in the aristocracy, we’ll sup together at Martin Luther’s (and ours!) favorite gasthaus before climbing the Coburg Veste. 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

Lauscha Handblown Glass Christmas Ornaments Germany Thuringen

Thursday, December 4, 2025

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 Märchen Hütte (Fairy Tale Hut) before returning to our final evening in Coburg.

Hotel: Goldene Traube | Meals: B, L | Activity: Moderate to Strenuous

day 7: Thüringen’s dumplings

Thuringen Dumplings Germany German Food

Friday, December 5, 2025

Thuringian food is famous for its Thüringer Kloß (potato dumplings) and no Christmas dinner would be complete without them. Today we’ll get our hands starchy at the Kloßwelt cooking school where we’ll learn how to make these pillows of heaven just like Oma’s. We’ll savor the fruits of our labor over lunch together before heading to the delightfully baroque town of Dresden, where Germany’s oldest Christmas market-and largest fruit cake-await us. 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

Dresden Stollenfest Christmas

Saturday, December 6, 2025

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 7, 2025

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 weidersehen (until we meet again)!

Hotel: Steigenberger Hotel de Saxe | Meals: B, D | Activity Level: Strenuous

day 10: auf wiedersehen!

Dresden Skyline Sunset

Monday, December 8, 2025

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!

Dresden Christmas Market Weinachts Markt
German Wine Tasting Wine Ortel Coburg Germany Franken Wine Franconia
Thuringen Dumplung Hand Made Klose
Lauscha Handblown Glass Christmas Ornaments
German gluehwein spiced mulled wine Christmas
German Christmas Market Cookies Ich Habe Dich Lieb

$4,695 (double occupancy)

$5,495 (single occupancy)

10% deposit

$300 early pay discount until March 29, 2025 with coupon: EARLYPAY

FAQs

  • 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.

  • Detour prices do not include international airfare or ground transportation to/from the airport.

  • 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.

  • Our groups range from 10-20 participants with 1-2 trip leaders and local guides to connect us to local culture and experiences.

  • 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!

  • 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.

  • The most convenient international aiport for your arrival is Munich, and for your departure is Berlin.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Deposits are refundable for 30 days from receipt. After 30 days they are nonrefundable.

  • Final payment is due 90 days prior to detour commencement but you may pay in full any time prior to this.

  • Cancellations are allowed without penalty (excepting deposit) until the final payment deadline. After the final payment deadline 100% of funds paid are nonrefundable.

  • 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.

  • Yes, all published prices are per person, based on double occupancy, or when available, single occupancy. Please contact us for triple occupancy pricing.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Dressler Detours are physically demanding. To enjoy the experience, you must be in good walking shape. The most active days may average 5 miles of walking (often over uneven surfaces and including lots of climbing/steps), lots of standing while listening to your guide during group sightseeing, and possibly stair-climbing while carrying your own bag up to your hotel room. We’ve included an activity guide for each day of our itinerary: light=mostly sedentary, moderate=walking 1-3 miles on mostly even ground, strenuous=walking 3+ miles on hills/uneven ground.