Best Christmas markets and what to do there?

I have been on the Christmas Markets in Dresden and in Nuremberg (I lived there several years) and I like them very much. But my favorite Christmas Market in Germany is in a little town called Rothenburg Ob der Tauber, which is a 1:15 hour drive from Nuremberg. Another little and wonderful town to visit is Dinkelsbuhl, but I haven't visited the Christmas Market there. Maybe this year. ;)

The oldest and best of them all is the Christkindle's Mart in Nuremberg. The spiced cookies and wooden toys are legendary. From there, a short trip up the autobahn to Wurzburg is in order. Depending on where you start and end, include these two. You will find Wurzburg to be a delight. A hidden gem. I lived in Germany for 5 years. Trust me!

Hi,

If it is not much of a detour, I recommend you the Christmas Market in Braunschweig. I have been to all the Christmas Markets mentioned in the other posts and it is worth the visit! Try the Mozart-Mumme!

If you're thinking about adding another city, Vienna has great atmosphere at Christmas, plenty of lights and several markets to choose from. The one at Schönbrunn Palace just outside the city, has locally-made items, like "Krampus" themed (the Christmas troll) decorations.

One of the many markets in Vienna's old town, keep warm with punsch!

If you were to add another market/region, I'd suggest heading west to see the markets in Cologne. There are actually five markets to see there and you can take a small train to each one. This market can get insanely crowded though, so to enjoy it, go early in the day on a weekday. Don't go on a weekend or evening.

Just an hour from Cologne by train (one of the markets is at the COLOGNE DOME near the Dom/Hbf train station), is Aachen. Aachen was the seat of Charlemagne's empire. Their Christmas market fills the large square in front of the Aachener Rathaus (city hall) and spills down the hill towards the Aachen Cathedral, Charlemagne's church. Aachen is known for their printen, a local spicy gingerbread cookie. You'll see printen shops in several places with gorgeously decorated windows. It's not a taste for everyone, but it's local and very traditional, so try one.

If you'd like to escape the big cities and see something different, but close, head just about 30 minutes south of Aachen to Monschau. This is one of the small towns that escaped the war, so the half-timbered buildings are original and pristine. It lies in a small valley with a stream running through it. Try the many mustards made here (senf) and the many, many flavors of liqueur. I really like the champagne liqueur. Delicious.

Best advise? 

• Try to enjoy the markets during the day as much as possible or just pop in at night for photo ops and food. They can get extremely crowded, especially in Cologne.
  
• Eat!  Try the reibkuchen (like a potatoe pancake), as much wurst as  you can handle, and if you see anything served with grunkohl, get it. The Germans know how to take green cabbage and make it heavenly.
  
• Drink the gluwein. You always have the option of buying the cup as well for a tiny bit more... sometimes the cups are automatically included.  They are a tacky little souvenir, but fun.
  
• READ LABELS!  Unfortunately, even in a German Christmas market, you'll find the infamous "gemacht in China" label. If you want an authentic German souvenir, look for those labels. Unfortunately, the real thing WILL cost more.
  

My favorite souvenirs:

• Printen (cookies) does last a while, so you can stock up and bring it home. The Dominos are also really delicious, but squish easily, so need to be packed carefully.
  
• Käthe Wohlfahrt is a company in Germany that makes exceptional traditional wooden toys. They have booths at most larger markets including Aachen where you can buy ornaments and the traditional spinning pyramids with candles.
  
• In Aachen, there's a seller that makes ceramic/terra cotta houses with cut out windows for lights. I have a whole scene of traditional Aachen homes that I bring out at Christmas. They're fun and beautiful. Made in Eastern Europe, not Germany.
• Wool scarves are amazing here and so warm. I found my favorite in Cologne. Shop around.