Germany for Christmas Markets

Regensburg is my favorite Advent Market City with its Christmas and Romantic Markets. There are plenty of Roman and Medieval sights as well as the markets.

https://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-2010/Regensburg/

https://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-2010/Thurn-and-Taxis-Palace-Market/

If you use the Search function at the top of the page, you will find lots of information about "German Christmas Markets".

Christmas and Christmas Eve are still more family oriented than in the US. I'd stay in Berlin for the 24 and 25. There is a Christmas concert at the Berliner Dom on Christmas and probably more to do there than in Munich.

Just some random thoughts:

• on the 24th the whole country shuts down after 2pm, including most restaurants (except some ethnic restaurants in big cities). Wherever you are, after 2pm you will have the city/town/village for yourself (which is actually pretty cool). Make sure to book a hotel with a restaurant that is open on the 24th.
• on the 25th and 26th the country returns to normal (shops are still closed), but restaurants will be packed, and it's better to pre-book if you like to visit one.
• most Christmas markets will end on the 24th, so you have 4 1/2 days to see them. Some Christmas markets continue for a few days more, but these are in very touristy areas and cater mostly to foreign tourists.
• to the south of Dresden are the Ore mountains, Germanys Christmas country. Part of the Christmas season there are miners parades, and the largest with more than 1.000 miners, actually the largest in Germany, is held on the 23th in Annaberg-Buchholz. This biggest parade closes all Christmas markets of the Ore mountains.

I think Berlin is little different (tourist-friendly) around Christmas days than the rest of Germany but some things are country-wide. Most sights and museums opearte in Sunday mode on Dec 25 and 26.

A real nice one is an evening walk on illuminated Kurfrüstendamm and Tauentzien or Unter den Linden. Or visit Christmas Garden in Berlin's Botanical Garden.

Christmas markets: Between Dresden and Nuremberg (train-wise) you will find Erfurt which has a market tourists also like to visit.

Tip: Book train tickets for travel around Christmas days early enough!

If you decide to spend Christmas in Berlin I'd go to Nuremberg then Dresden than Berlin to avoid backtracking. But, unless you're going into Poland or the Czech Republic, if you're going to spend a week after that touring around Munich would make a better base. Bavaria is a lot nicer than up North in the winter. The drive from Dresden to Nuremberg goes right through the area that makes most of the Christmas decorations Germany sells. You may just want to hit a factory or two and buy direct.

If you're ex-military or DOD you could easily go to Garmisch-Partenkirchen for Christmas. They will have stuff going on due to the Military Recreation area there.

Myself, I'd spend Christmas in Nuremberg (and have done so several times) or Rothenburg odT, which, as the main tourist town in the area, always has something going on. They have really good fireworks Christmas eve and there's dancing and drinking in the streets. Take a bottle of schnaps and you'll meet all kinds of people.

"They have really good fireworks Christmas eve and there's dancing and drinking in the streets."
You seem to mistake Christmas Eve for New Year's Eve. Christmas Eve is the most silent evening of the year (at least in Germany).
Fireworks and dancing in the streets wouldn't even be allowed.