1

If you are looking for "smaller" towns dont go to Stuttgart.

2

Have a look at this thread, and the one linked in it. Use of the search function at the top right of the page may unearth older, but nonetheless valid, discussions of the same topic.

I don't know if "that pristine cultural feel" ever was with regard to Christmas markets. Your biggest chance of catching it is probably going somewhere a lot smaller than Stuttgart (i. e. towns with less than 20,000 inhabitants) where the Christmas market only runs for one weekend and part of the stands are set up by members of local sports clubs, voluntary fire brigade etc. selling home-made Christmas biscuits or jam.

It would it make it easier to help you choose if you could mention when and how you are planning to go, which airports or regions in Germany would be easy to reach for you, and what else you would like to do - go clubbing or listen to classical music, that sort of thing.

3

Over ten years ago I visited the Christmas market on a November night in Aachen, Germany, which is close to the Holland and Belgium borders. If you won't be far away from Aachen then that city could be worth the visit. I appreciated it.

4

Stuttgart is a great Christmas market...but not a small town,not 'pristine' and not less commercialised ;-)

5

I would loke to send you to Saxony again, but to the small towns in Lausitz (Görlitz, Bautzen) and the Ore Mountains (Freiberg, Annaberg-Buchholz, Marienberg, Schwarzenberg, Seiffen...) with their local traditions. All these are also places with a rich history and a lot of worthwhile attractions to see.

6

Hi - and welcome to Thorn Tree.

http://www.germany-christmas-market.org.uk/

7

For Posdam:
http://www.potsdamtourismus.de/veranstaltungen/jahreshoehepunkte/potsdamer-weihnachtsmaerkte.html
Opening hours under "Details"

There are two permanent markets and three special markets on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd weekend of December. Number 1 and 4 are the permanent markets. #1 is in the city center and just okay, but not good as they also sell plastic stuff or folk music CDs. #4 at Krongut Bornstedt is at the former royal crown estate north of Orangerie Palace and really nice, but small and only made for tourists.

In case you're in Potsdam at a weekend have a look at the special markets. All three weekend markets refer to one group of immigrants coming to Potsdam in the last centuries. The Bohemian market, the dutch market and the Polish market. Thus all of hem are nice and have a special flair. One tip for the dutch market: Normally, the SinterKlaas arrives at the harbor by boat and there is a music march with his fellows to the Dutch quarter followed by the kids. I haven't found the arrival time for this year yet...
The Polish market costs an entrance fee (2Euro), the market at the crown estate at weekends, too.

Other suggestions:
as mentioned above: Görlitz and Bautzen near Dresden
Or Quedlinburg: http://www.adventsstadt.de/ very medieval town(half timbered everywhere) with Christmas market and small markets all over the small backyards.
A bit bigger than Potsdam but much smaller than Stuttgart: Erfurt - one very big market and one small medieval market. Görlitz, Bautzen Erfurt and Quedlinburg belong to the most beautiful towns in Germany.

The Stuttgart region offers many nice markets in small towns, too, like Esslingen...http://tourist.esslingen.de/servlet/PB/menu/1290650_l1/index.html

8

A lovely setting and great project but it has been overrun by its own success. I went last year and it was so crowded everywhere that it was almost impossible to even enter the tiny courtyards, let alone catch a glimpse of the stalls and their goodies, or find a table in any of the cafes and restaurants.

9

Thanks, Görlitz and Bautzen are definitely on the top of my list. And strolling through the bohemian market in medieval clothes should be fun. They also have some Christmas concert there, right?
Christmas market in Aachen sound promising as well. Will it be feasible visiting all these places in four days? Also what would be the best way to move around, I don’t have much idea of the German transport network.

10

The best way to move around is the train.

Görlitz and Aachen are at the opposite ends of the country. You'd lose one day fro the transfer. With just 4 days I'd focus on one region. Better combine with some place in the Ore Mountains, for example Seiffen, the centre of traditional woodcarving with dozens of workshops so the whole village is a Christmas market, and Freiberg with its rich cultural heritage. Seiffen is off the railway lines but you have direct buses from Freiberg.

You may want to have a look at my pages over on Virtualtourist, based on visits in December:
Bautzen
Görlitz
Freiberg
Seiffen

11

Stuttgart is quite relaxed and the christmas market is great

12

If you are looking for smaller towns and location is not a limitation, you must try Nuremberg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Würzburg for the traditional Christmas markets. It is also a popular wine destination by the way. And also, not a small town but Munich has some wonderful Christmas markets.

13

Does a city of more than half a million inhabitants, i.e. Nuremberg, qualify as a "small town"...?