10 Best Christmas markets for Gluewein on a Riverboat trip

Wurzburg 9.5/10  Again another big score from us. We drove back from Rothenburg to Wurzburg & thought nothing could beat what we saw there but we were wrong.  This market certainly rivalled it.  The town wasn't quite as picturesque but the market was huge & just went on & on. We loved the huts, some were so elaborate. We had the Kirsch wine here but it was the only place we gave back the cup. The stalls were amazing  and it was not too crowded. 

Rothenberg ob der Tauber Score 9.5/10 What is not to like about Rothenberg on the River Tauber.  Due to the amazing town itself which is a real chocolate Box town & the prettiest in Germany we scored this market the highest. It was our coldest day by far and a bit of a drive from Wurzburg where the ship was docked but I cannot recommend this trip more highly.  It had to be the highlight of our trip. It is completely surrounded by a 9 metre high medieval wall & the buildings within are charm themselves. There were the usual 1/2 metre long sausages but not a great variety of mulled wine only saved by the fact they were very hot. We had white wine punch in a beautiful blue cup with a picture of the town on it. The markets meandered along the narrow lanes & into the square by the church. There was a band playing & Santa Claus was playing an organ grinder. It had a generally great atmosphere and the best Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas shop we have seen.  The snow...

Bamberg market Score 8/10  Bamberg is famous for being the birthplace (or close by) of Levi Strauss, Willy Messerschmitt & Rauchbier - smoked beer. Love it or hate it, the beer is most definitely different.  The closest I can described it as tasting like drinking liquid bacon. It has a beautiful old town with it's colourful half timbered houses & intricate murals and elegant baroque architecture.  Separating the old town from the new runs the Regnitz river. It is on the new side that the main Christmas market is although there are a couple of minor markets in the old town. We scored this market higher than normal as it was  not overcrowded, the people were really friendly and the h uts were really well designed with half timbered style & dormer windows . They were  not just plain wooden stalls. We had  Brandy raspberry red mulled wine which was one of the best we had tried. The gingerbread was good, nice craft stalls & there w...