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The Christmas season is here, and you're surely drawn to one of Munich's many beautiful Christmas markets. With over 20 different ones, choosing can be difficult.
Here's an overview of what I consider to be the most beautiful Christmas markets in Munich. Merry Christmas to you all!
1. Christmas market on Marienplatz
Period: 27.11.14 – 24.12.14
Opening hours: Monday – Saturday from 10:00 am – 9:00 pm, Sunday: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm, Christmas Eve: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Public transportation: Every S-Bahn line, U-Bahn lines 3 and 6 – Station: Marienplatz
Contact: 089 233 82804, www.christkindlmarkt-muenchen.de
The Christmas market at Marienplatz, spanning over 20,000 square meters, awaits you with numerous stalls and booths from nearly 160 different vendors offering Christmas decorations, gingerbread, handcrafted goods, and of course, plenty of mulled wine. The Marienplatz Christmas market stretches from the Town Hall, along Kaufingerstrasse and Neuhauserstrasse, all the way to Weinstrasse and Rindermarkt. In the evening, you can enjoy wonderful Advent music and admire Germany's largest nativity scene market. The market's enormous Christmas tree (a spruce) with around 3,000 candles, located directly in front of the imposing Munich Town Hall, is particularly famous. At the nativity scene market, you can view and purchase numerous handcrafted items and intricately carved figures. A variety of culinary delights are also available. The Marienplatz Christmas market is very popular and attracts numerous tourists every year. So, if you prefer a less crowded and touristy atmosphere, you might want to consider visiting a different market first. For delicious mulled wine, a wide selection of food and stalls, you've come to the right place.
2nd Christmas Market at Sendlinger Tor
Period: 27.11.14 – 23.12.14
Opening hours: Monday – Sunday: 10:30 am – 9:00 pm
Public transportation: Subway lines 1, 2, 3, 6 – Station: Sendlinger Tor
Contact: www.sendlinger-tor.com
The Christmas market at Sendlinger Tor has been around since 1995. It's considered one of Munich's most beautiful markets, boasting atmospheric, illuminated stalls, a cozy ambiance, delicious mulled wine, Feuerzangenbowle (a traditional German mulled wine punch), children's punch, and a wide array of other tasty treats and culinary delights. Whether you're craving a Bavarian potato specialty, a classic bratwurst, or a sweet crepe, you're sure to find something to your liking. In addition to the delicious food and drinks, there are approximately 40 vendors offering charming gift ideas, figurines, Christmas decorations, and much more. Throughout the market, there are also regular musical performances, games of chance, and puppet shows for children. In my opinion, this Christmas market is the perfect meeting place during the Advent season. Like the Christkindlmarkt at Marienplatz, the Sendlinger Tor Christmas market is very centrally located and easily accessible.
3rd Medieval Christmas Market – Wittelsbacher Platz
Period: 27.11.14 – 23.12.14
Opening hours: Monday – Sunday: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Public transportation: Subway lines 3, 4, 5, 6 – Station: Odeonsplatz
Contact: www.mittelaltermarkt-muenchen.de
A visit to the medieval Christmas market at Odeonsplatz is like stepping back in time. The market's program, the music, and the drinks, dishes, and wares offered by the individual vendors all evoke a bygone era. Here, the merchants not only showcase their unique goods but also offer glimpses into what life might have been like back then. Whether goldsmiths, glassblowers, or scholars – the market offers plenty to see, and the diverse entertainment (fencing demonstrations, storytelling, musical performances, etc.) adds to the experience. A medieval entertainment and festive program awaits you, along with delicious mulled wine, Feuerzangenbowle (a traditional German mulled wine punch), Flammkuchen (a type of flatbread pizza), and much more. This market is unlike a traditional Bavarian Christmas market and is definitely worth a visit. Besides enjoying a relaxing evening, you can also learn a great deal about medieval life and history.
4th Haidhausen Christmas Market – Weißenburger Platz
Period: 26.11.14 – 24.12.14
Opening hours: Sunday – Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 8:30 PM, Thursday – Saturday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Christmas Eve: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Public transportation: every S-Bahn line, U-Bahn line 5 – station: Ostbahnhof, various bus lines and trams
Contact: www.haidhauser-weihnachtsmarkt.de
The very traditional Christmas market at Weißenburger Platz is taking place for the 39th time this year, and I particularly like it because it's quite small and manageable, yet offers everything you could wish for at a proper Christmas market. The atmosphere at the Haidhausen Christmas market is very family-friendly and has a wonderfully tranquil character. It's set up around the fountain at Weißenburger Platz and creates a festive Christmas atmosphere. Sixty different, beautifully decorated and illuminated stalls await you. Here you can shop and enjoy various delicacies, as well as, of course, mulled wine. In the South Tyrolean nativity scene, young and old can admire the hand-carved figures and relax with a delicious mulled wine, children's punch, or hot chocolate. Although the market is always quite busy, it has a different and somewhat more "homely" atmosphere than the one at Marienplatz in the city center.
5th Schwabing Christmas Market – Forum Münchner Freiheit
Period: 28.11.14 – 24.12.14
Opening hours: Monday – Friday: 12:00 – 20:30, Saturday/Sunday: 11:00 – 20:30, Christmas Eve: 11:00 – 14:00
Public transportation: Subway lines 3 and 6; various buses and trams – Station: Münchner Freiheit
Contact: www.schwabingerweihnachtsmarkt.de
The Schwabing Christmas Market was founded in 1976 – based on the idea that artists and craftspeople had already been exhibiting their wares and products on Leopoldstrasse in earlier times. Thus, the Christmas market at Münchner Freiheit was conceived and organized as an artists' market from the very beginning. The international flair of the approximately 100 exhibitors, the high quality of the artistic works and the cultural program, as well as the annually changing decorations, create the market's unique atmosphere. In my opinion, the Christmas market at Münchner Freiheit is definitely worth a visit. While the mulled wine might not be the absolute best, the atmosphere is very Christmassy and a cozy ambiance quickly develops. There are countless stalls and booths offering food, mulled wine, children's punch, tarte flambée, and much more. The Christmas market begins right after the exit at the Münchner Freiheit U-Bahn station and stretches across the entire Forum Square. Although it's always quite crowded and cramped here, as the market is quite long and also goes "uphill", overall it's one of my favorite markets.
6. Tollwood – The Winter Festival
Period: Market of Ideas: November 25, 2014 – December 23, 2014; Events: November 25, 2014 – December 31, 2014
Opening hours: Monday – Friday: 2 PM – 1 AM, Saturday/Sunday: 11 AM – 1 AM
Public transportation: Subway lines 4 and 5 – Station: Theresienwiese
Contact: www.tollwood.de
Tollwood is more like a festival than a traditional Christmas market. It offers theater, concerts, cabaret, a Christmas market, and is also deeply committed to environmental sustainability. Opinions about Tollwood vary widely – I personally enjoy going there and soaking up the Christmas atmosphere. Throughout the festival, there's a fixed program with a diverse and fantastic range of performances, shows, plays, concerts, and much more. The food selection is also far more extensive than at a typical – albeit somewhat smaller – Christmas market. At Tollwood, you'll find Asian food, sweets like Germknödel (yeast dumplings) or Dampfnudel (steamed dumplings), bratwurst, and various alcoholic beverages, from classic mulled wine and Bavarian beer to wine. Tollwood is definitely worth a visit. The ground is always a bit muddy in winter, and you'll get cold quite quickly, as it's more spread out outside the warm tents, and the cold breeze is quite noticeable. The atmosphere is very Christmassy with all the stalls, stands, and lights. You should definitely visit if you haven't been there yet. The "Deep in the Woods Bar" is also very popular and is open daily until 1:00 AM. Here you can enjoy over 60 different concerts with a wide variety of music genres while savoring your (Christmas-themed) drinks.
7th Munich Ice Magic at Karlsplatz (Stachus)
Period: 21.11.14 – 18.01.15
Opening hours: daily from 10:30 am to 10:00 pm
Public transportation: All S-Bahn lines, U-Bahn lines 4 and 5, tram lines 20/21 – Station: Karlsplatz (Stachus)
Contact: www.muenchnereiszauber.de
The Munich Ice Magic isn't exactly a Christmas market, but rather a huge ice rink for skating. This ice rink is surrounded by a large, several-meter-high wooden stand offering various delicacies – such as beef sandwiches, sausage sandwiches, Kaiserschmarrn (shredded pancakes), hot teas, mulled wine, and much more. The stand, including the ice rink, is located right in the middle of Munich's Karlsplatz and is hard to miss. While it doesn't quite create a true Christmas atmosphere due to the hustle and bustle and its rather open location, it's still worth a visit – for example, after Christmas shopping. The mulled wine is delicious, and the view from the high stand overlooking the ice and the shopping street adorned with Christmas decorations is also worth seeing. You can skate here – ideally before enjoying your mulled wine – for between €4.50 and €8, depending on the time, until 10:00 pm. The filled rolls and sweets are worth the wait. If you're expecting a proper, traditional market with stalls to stroll through, this isn't the place for you. Here you can either watch the ice skating or exert yourself and warm up a bit with mulled wine and a small snack.
8th Neuhausen Christmas Market – Rotkreuzplatz
Period: 27.11.14 – 23.12.14
Opening hours: daily from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Public transportation: Subway line 1 – Station: Rotkreuzplatz
Contact: www.weihnachtsmarkt-muenchen-neuhausen.de
The Neuhausen Christmas market at the beautiful Rotkreuzplatz is definitely worth a visit. This market has been around for over 20 years. It boasts a relaxed atmosphere, allowing you to forget the infectious Christmas hustle and bustle for a moment – or perhaps for the duration of a mulled wine. Numerous stalls offer a variety of goods to browse, buy, enjoy, and indulge in. You'll find beautiful Christmas tree decorations, handcrafted nativity figures, soaps, beeswax candles, gloves, felt stars, wooden toys, jewelry, ceramics, leg warmers, scented oils, and much more. The Neuhausen Christmas market, located a little off the beaten path and therefore less crowded, is also a culinary delight. Delicious mulled wine and crêpes are available, well worth a small indulgence. A comprehensive program of events is also offered – puppet shows for children, a raffle, and a daily changing musical program. Here, you can truly relax and unwind. If you need a sobering-up walk afterwards, the Nymphenburg Canal and Palace are not far away.
I wish you a wonderful Christmas season with lots of delicious mulled wine and many beautiful moments!
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