Bavarian Christmas Markets Tour Research

German Christmas Markets: [Spiegel Online article] "A Visit to Germany's Christmas Markets", includes a review of the Christmas market in Munich's Marienplatz.
Christmas Markets: Wikipedia article on Christmas markets around the world
Kempten Christmas Market: The Christmas market in Kempten' historical old quarter is the biggest in the Alpine Allgaeu region. To put you in the Christmas mood there are more than 70 stalls offering Christmas crafts and gift ideas galore along with sweet delicacies and more hearty fare. Daily musical interludes provide a wonderful festive ambience.

Nymphenburg Palace: Immense Baroque palace on 200 acre estate in Munich where Ludwig was born
Schloss Hohenschwangau: Castle near Fussen where Ludwig spent most of his childhood
Neuschwanstein Castle: Schloss Neuschwanstein – Ludwig's first and most famous castle, a dramatic Romanesque fortress build on a commanding hilltop high above the village of Hohenschwangau
Linderhof Palace: Schloss Linderhof – Ludwig's second major creation, an ornate palace in neo-French Rococo style with elaborate formal gardens, nestled in a secluded forest valley about 15 km from Fussen (as the crow flies)
Herrenchiemsee: Ludwig's third extravagance, a replica of the central section of the palace at Versailles, meant to outdo its predecessor in scale and opulence, built on an island in the middle of Lake Chiemsee

Town of Füssen: Home base for this tour is at Hopfen am See, just outside Füssen (or Fuessen). Füssen is the town where Ludwig was raised, and where he constructed two of his three new castles and palaces.
Village of Hohenschwangau: Hohenschwangau is the small village located between the Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein castles.
Village of Oberammergau: Oberammergau is a picturesque village famous for the elaborate passion play staged every ten years and also for its beautifully painted houses and woodcarving.
Town of Bad Tölz: Bad Tölz (or Bad Toelz) is know for its historic medieval town center, an architecturally significant church from 1466, its spas, its spectacular views of the Alps, and its lunch-time specials.
Kempten: Kempten, population 61,000 in 2006, is the largest city in the Allgaeu region of south-west Bavaria.
Munich: Munich (München in German) is the capital of the German state of Bavaria, Germany's third largest city (1.3 million), the home of world famous beer gardens and the annual Oktoberfest, and the origin and termination city for this tour.
Innsbruck: Innsbruck, population 120,000, is the capital of the Austrian federal state of Tyrol and an internationally renowned winter sports center.
Wieskirche: The Wieskirche, also known as The Church in the Meadow, is a Rococo church built between 1745 and 1754 in a remote location near the foothills of the Alps. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983.

King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Biographical note on Ludwig Friedrich Wilhelm II, King of Bavaria from 1864 to 1886