HISTORIC HIGHLIGHTS OF GERMANY

AND HISTORIC HIGHLIGHTS OF GERMANY'S MEMBER CITIES OFFER A RANGE OF POSSIBILITIES

                Augsburg, Germany, September 2009 -- Stepping back in time is a consistent theme in this year's celebration of the November and December holiday season -- and five members of Historic Highlights of Germany's tourism consortium -- Augsburg, Freiburg, Münster, Osnabrück and Wiesbaden -- are offering true Old World-style Christmas markets. Twinkling lights, traditional yuletide music, festively decorated old-fashioned wooden stalls selling one-of-a-kind local crafts and culinary treats, and opportunities to tour the Old Towns all contribute to bring back the feeling of simpler times. Many of the cities have also created packages combining hotel stays with city and market tours.

                With more than 500 years of holiday tradition behind it, and set to a backdrop a Renaissance-style City Hall, Augsburg’s market (Nov. 23 to Dec. 24) will again host its Augsburg Fairy Tale Street, relaying the story of “The Nutcracker” in nine store front windows. An angel theme is front and center during the city’s traditional angel performance, where every Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m., City Hall is transformed into a monumental Advent calendar where angels provide musical performances in front of the structure’s windows. Augsburg is offering a two-night package that includes accommodations in a deluxe hotel, breakfast and a guided tour of the Fuggerei, the world's oldest social housing complex which still follows rules first set nearly 500 years ago - rent is one Rheinischer Gulden (€0.88/$1.33), daily prayers are required and the citadel gates are locked daily at 10 p.m., among others.  For information and package prices, visit www.augsburg-tourismus.de and www.augsburger-christkindlesmarkt.com.

                Freiburg’s Christmas market, drawing thousands of visitors annually, takes place on four different squares in the center of the city's beautiful and historic old quarter from Nov. 23 to Dec. 23. One of the market’s hallmarks is the unique charm of its rustic wooden stalls, boasting traditional arts and crafts from the Black Forest -- including one-of-a-kind holiday gift items such as straw shoes, vibrantly painted wooden toys, ceramics, puppets and jewelry.  Market workshops enable visitors to watch glassblowers, gem cutters and wood carvers practice their craft and seeing beeswax candles being made to order.  Christmas cookies and regional specialties are in abundance. Freiburg has a one-night package that includes accommodations, a tour of the city and its cathedral, and a voucher for a bratwurst and mulled wine at the market.  For more information, log onto www.freiburg.de.

The 1,200-year-old Old Town of Münster is transformed into a winter wonderland where the scent of gingerbread, mulled wine and roasting chestnuts evokes the positive feelings associated with the season. From Nov. 23 to Dec. 23 the city's main Christmas markets -- all in close proximity to one another -- are open to the public. They all offer different possibilities -- the largest, set in the inner courtyard of the Town Hall, features what appears to be Santa's village, where a range of jewelry and artisan items are for sale in addition to culinary offerings. The Lamberti Christmas market, located at the foot of Lamberti Church, is appointed with blue roofed stalls and a 72-foot-high Christmas tree decked out in glittering lights.  The Christmas Village is centered around the statue of the Kiepenkerl, the traveling salesmen who traded goods and gossip in medieval Münsterland.  The Aegidii market boasts a striking nativity scene and a 20-foot wooden pyramid and a host of well-appointed Christmas stalls. Contact www.muenster-tourismus.de.

Osnabrück’s Christmas market, twice voted the “most beautiful Christmas market in north Germany” by viewers of a German television show, is held in the city’s distinct Old Town from Nov. 25 to Dec. 22. The world's largest Christmas music box and 19-foot high nutcracker (fully functional) take center stage while twice daily visits by St. Nikolaus provoke enthusiastic responses from the city's youngest visitors.  Five local churches located near the market also offer special organ and choral performances.  Wooden huts near the Heger Tor gate offer a step into the time of the Renaissance, with the glow of lamps and candlelight. Travelers can take advantage of Osnabrück’s one-night package that includes an evening Christmas Market and Old Town tour, mulled wine with Christmas mugs; and hotel accommodations. For more information, visit www.osnabruecker.de.

The Twinkling Star Market, Wiesbaden's famous Christmas market, is held from Nov. 25 through Dec. 23 at the Schlossplatz, in front of the city's historic palace. Children are able to enjoy a merry-go-round and toy train rides – with a large and luminous Christmas tree serving as the center piece. Wood carvers create life size Nativity scene figures, candle makers show off their special skills, and the world champion of confectioners enthralls the visitors. Concerts and nativity plays, and storytellers spinning fairytale yarns provide the entertainment. For the first time ever, Wiesbaden will feature Advent calendars created from the city’s very own chocolate, to be sold in several local shops. The city is also introducing a one-night package featuring a market tour; vouchers for a mug of mulled wine and soup; admission to the Eiszeit ice rink and the Thermalbad Aukammtal thermal bath; and hotel accommodations with full breakfast.  Further information can be found at www.wiesbaden.de.

Additional information on each city’s offerings and highlights may be found at www.historicgermany.com. Historic Highlights of Germany is a tourism consortium consisting of Augsburg, Erfurt, Freiburg, Heidelberg, Koblenz, Mainz, Münster, Osnabrück, Potsdam, Regensburg, Rostock, Trier, Wiesbaden and Würzburg - cities rich in history and cultural. Contact Historic Highlights of Germany at info@historicgermany.com or visit www.historicgermany.com.

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