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Forget Oktoberfest.
2016-12-14
One of the best — and most authentic — times to visit Germany is during the holidays, when the country's famous Christmas markets are in full swing (don't worry, they involve plenty of booze too).
Said to have originated in the late Middle Ages, these markets are as much a history lesson as they are tradition, and they are guaranteed to bring holiday cheer in spades.
Keep scrolling to see them in all their glory.
Christmas in Germany is a magical thing.
Nuremberg.Getty Images/Thomas Langer
People really go all out.
Shutterstock.com
That's why Germany is world famous for its Christmas markets.
They're known as "Christkindl" markets. Christkindl is roughly translated into Christ's child, and is the Christmas angel — Germany's version of Santa.
Munich.Getty/Sean Gallup
Christmas markets are said to have originated in Germany.
Einsiedeln.Reuters/Arnd Wiegmann
Their history dates back to the late Middle Ages, and the Striezelmarkt in Dresden is believed to have first been held in 1434.
Dresden.Reuters/Hannibal Hanschke
The Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt is the country's largest, with around 180 stalls.
Nuremberg.REUTERS/Michaela Rehle
Stalls sell everything from tree decorations to jewelry and candy.
Reuters/Michaela Rehle
Gingerbread hearts covered in nicknames and sayings are common.
Sophie is a trilingual journalist who grew up in Germany. When she isn't writing about travel, she's traveling.Previously, she was an editor at Business Insider. She has a master's degree in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's degree from Boston University.Sophie has slept in everything from a stylish potato in Idaho to a hotel made of ice in Canada, and has traveled in vehicles ranging from RVs to the world's largest cruise ship for Insider. She also spearheaded Insider's Next Stop series.Check back here or follow her on Instagram.
