Us, Dec. 16 -- Europe's best-known Christmas destinations grapple with overcrowding, rising prices, and visitor fatigue, but a growing number of American travelers are quietly choosing a different path. This December, Leipzig-Germany's historic trade city in the east-has emerged as an unexpected favorite among U.S. visitors seeking a calmer, more authentic European Christmas.

Why U.S. Travelers Are Discovering Christmas in Leipzig? "I've done Paris, Vienna, Munich-the classics," said Michael R., a traveler from Chicago spending Christmas week in Leipzig. "They're beautiful, but they've started to feel like theme parks in December. Leipzig felt like Christmas was still happening for the people who live here."

Leipzig's Christmas market, ...