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Are the dark, dreary days getting to you? Worried about what to buy family and friends for Christmas? Just have that “Bah, humbug!” feeling?

Nothing is better for getting you in the holiday spirit than a good, old Christmas market.

The markets pop up all over Europe right about now — in France, Austria, Italy, Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and the U.K. — but especially in Germany.

In Germany, just about every town and village has a Christmas market. Known as Weihnachtsmarkt, Christkindlemarkt or Adventsmarkt, they vary in size, duration and the crowds they attract. But they all have much in common: hot mulled wine, food, rides for children, Christmas decorations and plenty of holiday cheer.

While Christmas markets can cure your blues, they do present one challenge — deciding which to visit. There is no easy solution, as each has its own particular attraction and charm.

Many are in historical settings, old town squares or medieval castles. Some last only a day, others are only on the weekends leading to Christmas, and some run daily from now until nearly Christmas Eve.

The one-day markets are usually in local villages. They are good places to capture local atmosphere and get to know your neighbors.

Markets on the Advent weekends (Advent is the four Sundays before Christmas) are often in old, picturesque villages, which draw locals and tourists alike. Good examples are the markets in Michelstadt in the Odenwald, Bad Wimpfen on the Neckar River, and the medieval Christmas market at Ronneburg castle near Hanau.

The big ones are in the cities, and some of the best known, and most visited (i.e. crowded), are in Nürnberg, Frankfurt, Munich, Dresden, Heidelberg and Erfurt. We’ll look at the Frankfurt, Heidelberg and Erfurt markets on Pages 25-26.

Whichever market(s) you choose this year, rest assured you’ll enjoy a feast for the senses.

To help you plan, here is a sampling of markets compiled by Stripes’ Karen Bradbury from information provided by tourist offices and Web sites.

Now there’s no excuse not to trade your winter blues for some holiday cheer.

2004 Christmas markets

EDITOR'S NOTE: This year’s Christmas market calendar was compiled by Stripes Calendar Editor Karen Bradbury from information from tourist offices and Web sites. It is as accurate as possible given the information available at press time. It will be updated in the travel section throughout the holiday season. Special thanks to Elke Herberger, public affairs specialist at U.S. Army Europe headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany, for her assistance with the German market listings. Please e-mail corrections or additions to travel@mail.estripes.osd.mil.

Austria

Austrian National Tourist Office Web site: www.austria-tourism.at

BURGENLAND REGION

Breitenbrunn: Dec. 17-19

Eisenstadt: through Dec. 24

Lockenhaus: through Dec. 12

Purbach: Fri., Sat. and Sun

CARINTHIA REGION

Gmünd: through Dec. 24

Klagenfurt: through Dec. 24

Spittal: through Dec. 24

Velden: through Dec. 21

Villach: through Dec. 24

UPPER AUSTRIA REGION

Linz: through Dec. 24

Steyr: Advent weekends

Unterweissenbach: Advent weekends

Wolfgangsee: through Dec. 19

SALZBURGERLAND

Salzburg: through Dec. 24 in city center and Mirabell Square

Oberndorf: through Dec. 31

St Leonhard near Grödig: Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 19

Koppl-Guggenthal: Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 19

STYRIA

Kornberg Castle-Feldbach: through Dec. 23

Mariazell: through Dec. 19

Aflenz-Resort Area: through Dec. 24

Graz: through Dec. 24

TYROL

Innsbruck: Dec. 19-24

Seefeld: through Dec. 24

Rattenberg: Dec. 12 and 18

Mayrhofen: Dec. 17-19

Hall in Tyrol: through Dec. 24

Imst: through Dec. 23

Kufstein: Advent weekends

Plangeross St. Leonhard: through Dec. 24

VORARLBERG REGION

Dornbirn: through Dec. 23

Schwarzenberg: through Dec. 19

Feldkirch: through Dec. 24.

Dornbirn: through Dec. 23

VIENNA

Vienna Rathaus Park: through Dec. 24

Spittelberg: through Dec. 23

Schönbrunn: through Dec. 26

Freyung: through Dec. 23

Belgium

Web site: www.visitbelgium.com

Antwerp: Dec. 10-23

Brussels: Marche aux Poissons and Place St. Catherine, through Jan. 2

Brugge: through Jan. 2

Ghent: Dec. 10-19

Leuven: through Dec. 12

Liège: through Dec. 30

Mechelen: Dec. 17-19

Tubize: Dec. 11-19

Czech Republic

Web sites: www.cccr-info.cz; www.visitczech.cz

Prague: through Jan. 6

Denmark

Web site: www.visitdenmark.com

Århus: Christmas in Old Town, through Dec. 23

Copenhagen: Tivoli Gardens through Dec. 23

Odense: Dec. 11-12

England

Web site: www.visitbritain.com

Bath: through Dec. 12

Warwick Castle: Dec. 11-Jan. 3 Medieval Fair. (Admission fee.)

Estonia

Web site: www.visitestonia.com

Tallinn: through Dec. 26, Raekoja plats

Parnu: Raehoov Dec. 11 and 18

France

Web site: www.franceguide.com

Aix en Provence: through Dec. 31

Amiens: through Dec. 24

Angers: through Dec. 24

Besancon: Dec. 11-12

Boulogne-sur-Mer: Dec. 11-12

Brest: through Dec. 24

Caen: through Dec. 24

Calais: Parade Dec. 12

Chambéry: through Dec. 24

Clermont-Ferrand: through Dec. 26

Colmar: through Dec. 24

Dax: Dec. 11-12 and 18-19

Dijon: through Dec. 14

Gap: Dec. 11- 24

Grenoble: through Dec. 24

Kaysersberg: through Dec. 23, Fri., Sat. and Sun. only

La Ferte St. Aubin: throughout Dec.

Laon: through Dec. 12

Le Puy en Velay: Dec. 11-24

Lille: through Dec. 29

Lorraine: through Dec. 31

Lyon: through Dec. 24

Marseille: through Dec. 24

Metz: through Dec. 24

Montbéliard: through Dec. 24

Montélimar: Dec. 18-24

Mulhouse: through Dec. 29

Munster: Dec. 11-12, 18-19

Nancy: through Dec. 24

Nantes: through Dec. 24

Nice: Dec. 10- Jan. 2

Reims: Christmas village, through Dec. 24

Rennes: through Dec. 24

Riquewihr: through Dec. 19

Rouem: through Dec. 28

Sarreguemines: through Dec. 24

Saverne: through Dec. 24

Selestat: through Dec. 24

Strasbourg: through Dec. 31

Toulouse: through December

Troyes: Dec. 11- 31

Germany

Web site: www.germany-tourism.de

Aachen: through Dec. 20

Amberg: through Dec. 23

Annaberg: through Dec. 19

Ansbach: through Dec. 24

Aschaffenburg: through Dec. 22

Augsburg: through Dec. 24

Baden-Baden: through Dec. 21

Bad Mergentheim: Dec. 16-19

Bad Münster: through Dec. 12, Saturdays and Sundays

Bad Tölz: through Dec. 24

Bad Wimpfen: through Dec. 14, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays

Bamberg: through Dec. 23

Bayreuth: through Dec. 23

Berlin: Markets throughout the city, including:

Center, through Dec. 24;Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, through Dec. 26;Marzahn-Hellersdorf, through Dec. 24;Pankow, through Dec. 19;Reinichkendorf, through Dec. 24;Spandau, through Dec. 23;Treptow-Köpenick, Dec. 10-19Bernkastel-Kues: through Dec. 22

Bonn: through Dec. 23

Braunschweig: through Dec. 28

Bremen: through Dec. 23

Büdingen: Dec. 10-12

Chemnitz: through Dec. 21

Cochem: through Dec. 19

Cologne: Markets throughout city, including:

Rheinpromenade, through Dec. 21;Chocolate museum, through Dec. 23;by cathedral, through Dec. 23Darmstadt: through Dec. 23

Deidesheim: through Dec. 19, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays

Dinkelsbühl: through Dec. 21

Dortmund: through Dec. 23

Dresden: through Dec. 24

Düsseldorf: through Dec. 23

Erfurt: through Dec. 22

Essen: through Dec. 23

Esslingen: through Dec. 22

Feuchtwangen: through Dec. 18

Frankfurt: through Dec. 22

Freiburg im Breisgau: through Dec. 23

Freudenstadt: through Dec. 12

Fulda: through Dec. 20

Giessen: through Dec. 20

Hamburg: through Dec. 23

Hanau: through Dec. 22

Heidelberg: through Dec. 22

Heilbronn: through Dec. 22

Kaiserslautern: through Dec. 22

Karlsruhe: through Dec. 23

Kirchheim unter Teck: through Dec. 19

Koblenz: through Dec. 22

Ladenburg: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 19

Landsberg am Lech: through Dec. 12

Leipzig: through Dec. 22

Ludwigsburg: through Dec. 20

Magdeburg: through Dec. 23

Mainz: through Dec. 23

Mannheim: through Dec. 23

Memmingen: through Dec. 22

Michelstadt: through Dec. 19

Miltenberg: Dec. 10-12 and 17-19

Münich: through Dec. 24, markets throughout the city

Nördlingen: through Dec. 23.

Nuremberg: through Dec. 24

Regensburg an der Donau: through Dec. 23

Reutlingen: through Dec. 19

Rosenheim: through Dec. 23

Rostock: through Dec. 22

Rothenburg ob der Tauber: through Dec. 22

Rüdesheim am Rhein: through Dec. 19, Wednesdays and Sundays

Saarbrücken: through Dec. 22

Schweinfurt: through Dec. 22

Speyer: through Dec. 22

Straubing an der Donau: through Dec. 23

Stuttgart: through Dec. 23

Tauberbischofsheim: Dec. 10-12, 17-19

Trier: through Dec. 22

Ulm: through Dec. 22

Wiesbaden: through Dec. 23

Wolfenbüttel: through Dec. 22

Würzburg: through Dec. 23

Hungary

Web site: www.hungarytourism.hu

Budapest: Dec. 1-24, Vörösmarty Square

Italy

Website: www.italiantourism.com

Bolzano: through Dec. 23

Bressanone: through Jan. 8

Merano: through Jan. 7

Rome: through Jan. 6, Piazza Navona.

Venice: through Dec. 24, Santo Stefano Square

Luxembourg

Web site: www.luxembourg-city.lu

Luxembourg City: through Dec. 24, Place d'Armes

Esch-sur-Alzette: through Dec. 24, Place de la Résistance

Vianden: Dec. 18-19 Medieval Christmas Market at the castle

Norway

Web site: www.norskfolkemuseum.no

Bygd∅y: Dec. 12 and 19

Netherlands

Web site: www.holland.com

Arnhem: Dec. 11-12, Rijnhal

Deventer: Dec. 18-19

Maastricht: through Dec. 31

Valkenberg Castle: through Dec. 21

Poland

Web sites: www.polska-be.com; www.cracow-life.com

Krakow: Through December

Sweden

Web site: www.visit-sweden.com

Stockholm: through Dec. 22, Gamla Stan

Skansen: Dec. 13-14

Switzerland

Web site: www.myswitzerland.com

Basel: through Dec. 23

Bern: through Dec. 24

Fribourg: through Dec. 24

Geneva: through Dec. 24

Montreux: through Dec. 23

Winterthur: through Dec. 22

Zug: through Dec. 12

Zurich: through Dec. 24

Migrated