This includes gingerbread hearts, roasted almonds and hot spiced wine, but also handcrafted jewellery and leather bags.

BBC: Four great Christmas markets outside Germany

On the other side of the pond in Munich, travelers and locals alike look forward to the traditional crafts and hot spiced wine in the Marienplatz Christmas market.

CNN: Spectacular Christmas destinations

It was juice, not jumbo shrimp spiced with garlic and wine sauce, however, that brought Lin to Saudi Arabia in 1977.

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