It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

The smell is unmistakeable. From the stalls along Wein Strasse come a blend of roasted almonds, sugar, pine , cinnamon and orange as warm and as inviting as a freshly brewed coffee. The air is crisp, even a warm coat fails to shrug off the promise of snow. It is Munchenr Kripperlmarkt – the month long celebration of Christmas in Munich.

Every year thousands (and I mean thousands) of people come to the winter markets in Germany to celebrate and embrace the spirit of Christmas. From early December until Christmas Eve, the city devotes itself to this joyful season. The markets can be found scattered throughout the suburbs but most are in the old city centre near Marienplatz, all in walking distance from one another.

The busiest of all is at Marienplatz, the largest market of Munich, featuring over 100 stalls. Beneath the historic Fisch Brunnen, rows of stores open from midday through to late evening.

There is a store devoted to baking – cookie cutters in every size and shape from the traditional holly leaf and snowflakes to cupcakes and umbrellas. There are cake moulds of bears, dolls, sunflowers and gnomes.

Another is simply decorations and is one that is most crowded. These are the decorations of my childhood – baubles, so iridescent that you could see your reflection in them. The paint and gold and silver glitter worn in places and so fragile, that they scattered when accidentally dropped.

At the small market at Haupt-post near Maximillan, I find a store that sells these vintage wonders but here in Marienplatz, everything is new from the London telephone box to the glistering pink cupcakes.

Every second store offers food either for the table or for immediate consumption. A firm favourite sells Schaumkusee – best described as a marshmallow mound covered in chocolate and coated with coconut, crushed almonds or simply more chocolate. You bite through the chocolate layer to a sweetly favoured mousse of airy sugar, so light that it almost disappears before you have tasted it. You finish with the waffle base.

At one point I see St Nicholas emerge from this stall, dressed in a long red gown trimmed with white fur. There are no reindeers in sight – I presume that he’s done a stop of shopping for the wife.

The main shopping strip is crowded and amidst all the people, my eye is attracted to a vision of red. Vivid red amaryllis stand erect, confident in their statue and elegance. Floral arrangements include candles and winter nuts and Christmas decorations. There are bundles of cinnamon to buy and pots of winter roses, all extraordinary.

Christmas is everywhere and the festivities would turn the most cynical into a devotee. At the medieval market at Wittels-bacher-platz, there is the gothic pageantry of the 14th century from furs to festoons and wood stove ovens, from which come paper thin pizzas with speck and leek.

At Falkenhof Lenggries, an earthenware dish of beef with potato dumplings leads to thoughts of a second helping and a definite return the following evening to eat a dish of warming beef favoured with paprika and cinnamon.

In the early evening, the markets suddenly become social as people meet up after work to sample mulled wine and eat bratwurst. People huddle together around the stalls, some with open fires.

With most markets closing at 9.00, this is the time to eat. The ravenous go to the stall advertising ½ metre of bratwurst or to the specialist markets, for traditional fair such as the medieval market.

Full of food and winter comfort, the day ends with some ice-skating at Prinzregentenstadion. For the novice skater, you can get help from a bear. Take hold of the ears, grab for dear life and push.

Christmas markets
Christmas Market at Marienplatz (27th November - 24th December 2009) Marienplatz; S-/U-Bahn Marienplatz. Opening hours: Mo - Fr 10am -8.30 pm, Sat 09 am- 8.30 pm, Sunday 10 am - 7.30 pm

Kripperlmarkt, one of the largest in Germany to specialise in cribs and other nativity accessories, is a short walk away on nearby Rindermarkt.

Medieval Christmas Market (26th November - 23rd December 2009) Wittelsbacher Platz (close to Odeonsplatz) Opening hours: daily 11am - 8 pm

Christmas Market at Residence (27th November - 22rd December 2009) Munich Residence, Entrance Residenzstrasse, Odeonsplatz) Opening hours: Mo-Sa 10am - 8.30 pm, So 10am-8.30pm

Christmas Market at Sendlinger Tor (27th November - 23nd December 2009) Sendlinger-Tor-Platz, U-Bahn Sendlinger Tor (center)Opening hours: daily. 10.30 am- 9 pm

Some of our favourite things
For some of the best people watching in Munchen, Schumann’s serves up German spectacle with an espresso on the side. The menu is spare and simple with an interior of uncomplicated lines and restrained textures. Located on the highly fashionable Odeonsplatz 6+7, this is the place to see and to be seen.

Post caffeine and style charge is the nearby Le Q. Combing the experience of day spa, homewares, interior design, hair salon and café, this boutique store is a statement in German exclusivity. From the one-off pieces of bespoke jewellery by Marjana von Berlepsch to the selected pieces of Limoges china, everything speaks style.

Behind Marienplatz near the main Christmas market is Dallmayr, the legendary food emporium. The windows displays evoke involuntary salivations with offers of caviar, champagne, blue mountain coffee and blends of exotic tea. Instead, it eclipses Harrods food hall in its blatant branding – the world of Dallmayr is literally the world of Dallmayr, few other labels exist.

Next door to Dallmayr is Manufactum for whom ‘the good things in life still exist’. So whether you are looking for the perfect pen, shoe horn, carpet, lamp fitting, spanner or saucepan, look no further. Manufactum brings new definition to DYI.

And finally, to Viktualienmarkt – the food market. Go the cheese vendor, Luigino’s Bui Feinkost Stand II, for some ripe Munster

For the larder
This wouldn’t be a travel entry from slower eater, if there wasn’t room dedicated in the suitcase to the ladder:

For some Christmas cheer, Oblaten- Lebkuchen mit Vollmilchschokolade – a gingerbread biscuit coated in dark colour and flavoured with hazelnuts and star anise; Marizanstollen, a Christmas tradition – a slightly dry, almost crumbling flattened cake, sweetened with marzipan, dried fruit and warm spices.

Waldheidelbeeren – blue berries in syrup and Pflaumen – plums in syrup – both from the local Aldi supermarket and for cakes and baking.

Orangen-Sent – an orange mustard to warm the belly and clear the nose in winter

Mandel Spekulatius or almond specoloo – a biscuit best eaten with expresso coffee.

Fichi carmellati all’Aceto Balsamico di Modena – fig paste (imported from Italy and recommended from our friendly guy at the Market. While there, we also brought Mostarada di Cipolle Rosse – red onion jam and a very ripe, to the point of intoxicating, washed rind Munster cheese.

A stocking filler from the food emporium, Dallymar, (the word food hall would fall to do it justice). Inside honey roasted almonds a wooden toy soldier; dark chocolate and gingerbread.

And finally to hang on our tree, silver balls from Leysieffer, filled with praline chocolates.

Dedicated to my Mum - who loves Christmas more than anyone I know.