While much of Germany eagerly waits for the opening of traditional Christmas markets, the charming town of Tübingen is preparing for ChocolART — the largest chocolate festival in Europe. Located approximately 40 minutes south of Stuttgart and 2.5 hours southeast of the Kaiserslautern area, Tübingen’s half-timbered Altstadt transforms into a chocolate wonderland of delicious treats and confections.

With more than 100 chocolatiers, plenty of tasting and sampling will be available. There will be hands-on courses in candy making, seminars about the history of chocolate and cacao, and exotic culinary offerings from local restaurants. Children ages 7-18 can make custom chocolates and packaging with German chocolate giant, Ritter Sport. Don’t worry adults — on Dec. 3 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., you can create your own sweet souvenir.

ChocolART runs Nov. 29 through Dec. 4, 2016. Hours are 1 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. For more information, visit http://www.chocolart.de.

If you’d like to take a tour, RTT Travel at Ramstein and ITT at Spangdahlem are both offering day trips to the fest on Dec. 3.