Braunschweig, Germany. Weihnachtsmarkt season.

Braunschweig is a city of 250,556 people, located in the state of Lower Saxony, Germany. A powerful and influential centre of commerce in medieval Germany, Braunschweig was a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th until the 17th century, and the capital of the state of Brunswick until its disestablishment in 1946.
On 28 February 1974, as part of a district reform in Lower Saxony, the rural district of Braunschweig, which had surrounded the city, was disestablished. The major part of the former district was incorporated into the city of Braunschweig, increasing its population by roughly 52,000 people.

In the 1990s efforts increased to reconstruct historic buildings that had been destroyed in the air raid. Buildings such as the Alte Waage (originally built in 1534) and the Braunschweiger Schloss now stand again in their pre-war glory.

See photos of Braunschweig (including the glow of festive illuminations, the scent of hot mulled wine and roasted almonds, all among the most impressive, historical ambience),  in this travel photo gallery from Verde Wanderer. Pictures taken at 14 of December, 2013.

wikipedia.org