Munich, Germanyin $480s-$520s RT

It's hardly a secret that Germany's Christmas markets are the stuff of magic. A simple search for "Europe's best Xmas markets" reveals a flood of images: enchanting half-timbered towns swathed in blankets of snow, their cobblestones aglow under a canopy of twinkling lights. 

Grinches I will warn you, you are no match for Bavaria. Its snow-capped mountains and gingerbread villages have a way of wrapping you up in its festive cheer — before you know it, your humbug attitude is a thing of the past. Trust me, I should know…

A 10-month au-pairing stint led me to Munich with absolutely zero intention of celebrating "that dreadful time of year", designed to torment introverts like myself. 

But inevitably I found myself in Marienplatz, surrounded by chalets selling handcrafted ornaments, lebkuchen hanging from rooftops, the air thick with the scent of roasted chestnuts. Vendors enthusiastically thrusting steaming cups of Gluhwein in my direction. How dare they attempt to thaw my scrooge-like heart. Nein!! 

And it wasn't just the markets. It was the entire Bavarian approach to Christmas. Infectious.

How could I not feel the warmth in my heart while watching the children I was minding become giddy with excitement when St. Nicholas Day approached."We put sweets and small gifts in our shoes and leave them outside of our door, and St. Nicholas replaces them with presents!" Oh boy. My heart grew three sizes that day.