Imagine. Close your eyes now and let your senses take over.

Feel. Crispy cold air. Occasional warmth from the stalls where glowing coals roasting chestnuts crosses your path and provides the much-desired relief.

Hear. Laughter, chatter and merriment fills the wintry air as young children shriek excitedly on merry-go-rounds and choo-choo trains in the playground while adults engage  in slightly intoxicated conversation as they indulge on orange-spice-scented gluhwein, clinging onto their warm  mugs as they do so.

Smell. Freshly-grilled bratwurst creep into your senses and suddenly you crave for those juicy dogs bathed in creamy mustard and mayo. Sweet scents of crepes filled with Nutella and cinnamon make their presence felt as they leave their hot iron plates and are served steaming hot with light dashes of powdered vanilla sugar.

Taste. Hot potato pancakes--- that once-a-year treat eaten with homemade apple-sauce or garlic-cream. Grilled pork steaks from the swinging BBQs and cutlets soaked in onion

sauce served between crispy bread-rolls, juices a-dripping as you bite into them.

See. Glittering Christmas lights. Brilliant shades of colors from stalls filled with ideas for Christmas. Giant mushrooms. Mini dwarfs, Gingerbread hearts. Hundreds of cookies and chocolates, sugared nuts and pastel-colored mashmellows on sticks. Babies bundled like little pillows in nicely padded prams and dogs in winterwear darting here and there, totally distracted by all those smells and sounds.

Enjoy! You have arrived. Welcome to the Magical Christmas Markets of Germany!