Dresden

Dresden puts on a show over the holidays and is home to Germany's oldest Christmas market that has been officially recorded. There are always artisans on hand selling traditional Christmas Stollen from Dresden as well as Saxony's Silesian ceramics, Ore Mountain wood carvings, and numerous blown-glass ornaments.

During World War II, the bombing seriously destroyed Dresden, which required years of painstaking restoration. The Baroque palaces, churches, and other Dresden attractions can now be seen by tourists once more. One of the best places to go during the winter when advent concerts take over the city is the Hofkirche church, which was rebuilt using some of the original salvaged stones. Additionally, the beautiful Zwinger Palace looks equally stunning covered in snow. Between November and January each year, the inner courtyard of the Palais Taschenberg is turned into a large ice rink. The indoor malls welcome the winter months with fantastic sales and local food.