In the run-up to Christmas, Freiburg im Breisgau is offering visitors a unique experience: a fairytale on wheels. This year's extravaganza will take place at the FT-Sportpark from 12 to 15 December 2013. The FT 1844 Freiburg artistic roller skating team has been captivating audiences since 1977 with its unusual 'fairytales on wheels' concept. The creative costumes and elaborate stage set are particularly superb.

Festive tip for Freiburg: a trip to the Christmas market is a must for all the family!

Historic Highlights of Germany is an alliance of 13 German cities that have special significance in terms of history, culture, business and academia. There are few places in Germany older than these wonderful cities, whose history, which often dates back more than two millennia, is brought to life with style and verve. Walking around their streets and squares is like taking a trip back into the past. The combination of history and modernity also plays an important part in their appeal.

Good to know: visit Koblenz, Potsdam, Trier or Würzburg, all Historic Highlights of Germany, and you can easily include a trip to a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Thalasso Health Week by the North Sea is making a welcome return this year. From 3 to 10 November 2013, resorts along Lower Saxony's coastline will be hosting a range of wellness and activity programmes. Thalassotherapy harnesses the sea air, marine-based products and the sheer tranquillity of being beside the water to enhance health and beauty. Throughout the week, various providers will be on hand to offer special wellness treatments, and there will be numerous events on the beach such as morning aerobics and walks.

Germany has the feel-good factor – with over 350 certified spas and health resorts offering rest and relaxation, you're spoilt for choice!

From the end of November, Berlin will once again be getting into the Christmas spirit. You can enjoy festive cheer at around 60 Christmas markets across the city: the impressive Christmas market on Gendarmenmarkt square opens on 25 November 2013 and features a village of tents selling arts and crafts. Experience Berlin's famous sights, such as the Brandenburg Gate, Kurfürstendamm shopping street and Red Town Hall, in full festive regalia. Standalone stalls, beautifully decorated squares, handcarved nativity scenes, historical carousels for the children and all kinds of seasonal food and drink – Berlin at Christmas has something for everyone.

What the wine region of Saxony lacks in size, it makes up for in variety. Covering no more than 472 hectares, the region is home to an impressive 37 grape varieties. People have been producing wine in this idyllic hillside setting on the Elbe for 800 years. What makes it even more special is that it is the only winegrowing region where goldriesling is still produced. The best way to explore the area is along the Saxon Wine Route, which captures the harmony between the cultural and historical sights and the landscape shaped by the rivers and the vineyards.

From 5 to 10 November 2013 the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart will once again be hosting its Night of the Stars. The museum creates a breathtaking setting for an evening of first-class culinary pleasure. Apéritifs are followed by a tour of the museum's highlights. With the daytime crowds long gone, guests have the opportunity to fully explore the fascinating automotive history of Mercedes-Benz and to appreciate the building's distinctive design. Afterwards, Michelin-starred chef Alexandro Pape will be serving up an exclusive evening meal with a maritime twist.

Christmas time at Erbach Palace makes for a charming experience in historical surroundings. The Christmas market set amid the old quarter and all around the palace – residence of the Counts of Erbach-Erbach – is among Hessen's most beautiful and boasts one of the tallest Christmas trees in Germany. On the four weekends before Christmas, the market entices visitors with its 60 stallholders, a Nativity scene finished in wood and ivory, as well as glühwein, punch and other delicious festive treats. Timber-framed houses, the old town hall, the municipal church and the twinkling of lights in the palace courtyard combine to create a magical backdrop for festive fun the whole family will enjoy.

Now in its 13th year, the traditional Christmas market at Wartburg Castle will once again be transporting visitors back to a bygone era with an array of historical wares. Ancient, almost forgotten crafts are on show, and travelling traders set up stalls of goods. The market is an artistic affair too, with Christmas concerts, street performers and puppeteers. Discover a truly special Christmas market at Wartburg Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Thuringian Forest.

Art and dining – a combination that is increasingly popular in the former breweries of Berlin. This spring, celebrated chef Tim Raue opened his new restaurant 'La Soupe Populaire' in the former Bötzow Brewery in the trendy Prenzlauer Berg district. The restaurant is part of a studio complex which displays contemporary art. The stylish setting makes the dining experience all the more special and, to add a new dimension, the selection of food is themed on the current exhibition.

From Schleswig-Holstein in the north to Baden-Württemberg in the south, Germany offers a fantastic variety of food and drink.

The fourth annual Munich Literature Festival is taking place from 6 to 24 November 2013. The festival programme offers reading material with a wide appeal and is divided into three main areas. At the 'authors' forum', more than a hundred authors from all over the world are invited to present new works and enter into dialogue with readers. Another highlight is the Munich Book Show, the largest regional book fair in Bavaria – and the programme at the Munich Literaturhaus features readings and a market for independent publishers.

Munich is always worth a visit: modern yet traditional, the city has something for everyone.