It's that time of year again in Berlin; the skies are cold and damp, darkness falls early, stays late, and you can't swing a dead cat around here without hitting a Christmas market.  One of the city's most loved holiday traditions; the markets are a time-honored way to lighten the gloom of Berlin's long December nights. This week I tried my luck at a 'traditional' Weihnachtsmarkt in front of Schloss Charlottenburg, on the far side of town.

Even from a distance the market glows invitingly, the twinkling bulbs of the Christmas trees framing the royal palace, festively painted with holiday colors. Crowded with merrymakers of every age wandering along the rows of wooden huts and rustic cabins, the palace's normally staid front lawn takes on the appearance of the small alpine village of Christmas fantasy.

The tiny sizes of the huts belie the wealth of goods they offer. I could have knocked out a good part of my Christmas list had I been in the mood, but I'm an unrepentant last minute shopper so i just browsed through, taking in the holiday cheer, the children's joyful shrieks as they whirled around the antique Christmas carousel or miniature Ferris wheel, and their wide-eyed wonder at the endless selection of toys and trinkets.

There’s plenty to tempt older children like me too. The vendors were laying out long rows of woolen gloves and scarves, fashionable felt hats, hand carved nativity scenes, and holiday house decorations. The stuffed shopping bags and cash changing hands confirm that this tiny alpine village is a one stop shop for every holiday need.

And then there are the edibles - lots and lots of edibles. Eating and drinking is a central part of the Christmas market experience and long lines of red noses circle cabins offering every sort of goulash, grilled beast and, this being Germany, a multitude of wursts. Bloodwursts, Bratwursts and Bockwursts are turning and burning on the grill and, though not a big meat eater, I waited in line like everyone else. There are few things that can warm the belly on a chill winter evening better than a smoked bratwurst slathered in mustard and washed down with a steaming mug of Glühwein, that sweet, warm, intoxicating brew that, as its name implies, adds an extra glow to every Christmas market. Afterwards I treated myself to a paper sac full of hot roasted chestnuts to keep that holiday warmth all the way home.

There are still a couple of weeks to go before the big day and I’m planning to make my way to a few more Christmas markets.  There’s the trendy Weihnachtszauber on the Gendarmenmarkt, the hipster market in Prenzlauer Berg's Kulturbrauerei, the proletarian market at Alexanderplatz with its ice skating rink, and even a Hanukkah Market at the Jewish Museum.  With so many to choose from I'll be able to keep the winter blues at bay and find plenty to marvel at while contemplating the true gifts of this holiday season.