In the year 1471 the city of Dresden distributed baked fruit loaves called “Stollen" (=Striezel), a special Christmas cake, In those days nobody could have thought that this Christmas market and the tradition of making "Stollen" would ever turn out to be so popular with millions of people and travelers' who visit the various Christmas markets. This is really something special: standing quietly with a cup of warming "Glühwein" (mulled wine) in your hand looking over the Christmas market where it seems that everybody is driven by the same strange, special emotions. Other delicious food items are found and beloved by Christmas markets goers such as Bratwurst (fried sausages), gebrannte Mandeln (roasted almonds), and Lebkuchen (gingerbread), a spicy cookie. The recipe for Lebkuchen is a treasured secret and includes nuts, eggs, honey, sugar, flour, and cardamom, clove, cinnamon, and coriander. The spices represent a time when Nürnberg was a center for the spice trade.

Nearly 40 Christmas markets, mostly found in big cities, of Germany such as Munich , Stuttgart , Berlin and Hamburg , and in midsize and small towns ranging from Affing and Aichach to Zweibrücken and Zwingenberg.

These markets offer baked goods, sweets and toys and feature local and regional specialities. Augsburg: This "Christkindlesmarkt" is one of the most atmospheric markets in Bavaria .  Dresden: "Striezelmarkt", the oldest Christmas market founded in 1434 offers Hand carved Erzgebirgsfiguren (figurines from the Iron Ore Mountains) are the specialty there, miners, pyramids, nutcrackers and Rauch- (Räucher-) männchen (smokers).

Leipzig: one of the oldest and most traditional in Germany.  Stuttgart: also known as one of the oldest Christmas markets but one that is the biggest and most atmospheric in all of  Europe and Rothenburg o.d.T. Christmas market is open throughout the year.