Our favorite Christmas markets
Our favorite Christmas markets in Munich
'Tis the season! This week, the stalls at Munich's largest Christmas market on Marienplatz finally opened. Some winter markets have already started earlier, while others will follow within the next few days. There are about 30 (!) Christmas markets awaiting your visit in Munich alone. Some of them are big, some are small, some are touristy, some are crowded, others are small, fine and hidden.
We are happy to present a selection of our favorite Christmas markets in Munich to you!
Weihnachtsdorf in der Residenz – a Christmas village inside the old palace
Yes, we know - this market is no longer an hidden spot, but we do remember times when it was still quiet here. We suggest you come here during the day, no later than in the early afternoon, because it usually gets really crowded here after 5 pm. Except a magnificently illuminated Kaiserhof (Emperor’s Courtyard) with cozy spots amidst the many food and gift stalls, a large pyramid under which people perform Christmas carols, and a whole fairytale street for children. Our favorite character is the Canadian moose who will sing traditional Christmas carols as well as tell short stories in fine Bavarian accent.
Open daily 11:00 - 21:00., last day: Sun., December 22 (11:00 - 20:00)
Mittelaltermarkt am Wittelsbacherplatz – back to the Middle Ages
This market has a very special atmosphere, but it can get crowded in the evenings and at weekends, forcing you to really push your way through. So, it's better to come outside of peak times! You will find a cozy market with a unique medieval atmosphere, a colorful program of dancing, minnesong and magic, very good street food (we love the “Schupfnudeln”!) and honey mead alongside mulled wine, served from magnificent goblets. The goods on offer range from all kinds of knightly supplies to dragon figurines and drinking horns to quills and sealing wax.
Open daily from 11:00 - 21:00., last day: Mon., December 23
Winterzauber am Viktualienmarkt - winter magic
There's a market in two senses here, as many of the market stalls at the famous Viktualienmarkt also offer mulled wine, punch, roasted chestnuts and other Christmas delicacies in addition to their regular range. You can do your weekend grocery shopping and enjoy a Christmas market at the same time – how convenient! At this market, we like the non-alcoholic mulled kombucha from First8 Kombucha, which can be found in department 6 towards Frauenstraße. We've also tried the hot apricot punch from Pferdemetzgerei Wörle and thought it was delicious!
Open daily except Sundays from 10:00 - 20:00., last day: Sat., January 4
Christkindlmarkt am Marienplatz – the classic Christmas market
The most traditional of Munich's Christmas markets - and probably the oldest. Here you can buy all you want for Christmas, from cookie cutters and wooden figures to Christmas tree decorations. We even discovered pickled gherkins to be on sale here. These are particularly popular with visitors from the USA, who claim the pickle in the tree to be a real German tradition...we will tell you more about that another time. A few steps further up, towards St. Peter's, you can find a huge selection of nativity figures. And if you walk on a little more, you will reach Rindermarkt. We love their flambéed salmon and the Feuerzangenbowle!
But let’s get back to Marienplatz: every day at 5:30 pm, Christmas carols can be heard from the balcony of the New City Hall. Our suggestion: Enjoy your mulled wine in the Prunkhof (ceremonial courtyard) of the New City Hall. It's quieter here, and the town of Antdorf will provide you with delicious hot drinks served from the windows. Like every year, the municipality that donated the Christmas tree on Marienplatz sells its own mulled wine here!
Open daily 10:00 - 21:00, Sundays 10:00 - 20:00, last day: Tu., December 24 (10:00 - 14:00)
Märchenbazar im Olympiapark – a fairytale in the Olympic Park
On the grounds of the Tollwood summer festival, you will be enchanted by a small but very nice Christmas market in the winter. During the day, the fairytale bazaar is popular with families with small children who enjoy a free kids program offering fairytale lessons, candle making and puppet shows. In the evening, you can meet up with friends and colleagues to end the day in a relaxed atmosphere. To warm up, visit the cozy tents with lots of culinary delights and a varied program ranging from fire shows and rope acrobatics to poetry workshops and daily live music. There is plenty of food on offer. In addition to the classic bratwurst, you can enjoy loaded hot dogs, Japanese ramen and Vietnamese bánh mí baguettes.
Open daily Mon - Wed 14:00 - 22:00, Thu - Fri 14:00 - 23:00, Sat 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 11:00 - 21:00, last day: Fri, Dec 29th.
Schwabinger Künstlermarkt – arts and craft and Christmas vibes
The Christmas market on Münchner Freiheit is a reminder that Schwabing was once the artists' quarter. You can purchase objects made of glass, wood or ceramics and find pretty Christmas presents at stalls offering colorful displays of jewelry, sculptures and paintings. The arts tent, where artists present their own work, offers a particularly large exhibition space. There is a colorful program for young and old on the stage every day, and of course there are plenty of culinary delights on offer: We particularly love the hot raspberry punch and the crusty bread with deliciously melted organic scamorza, a tasty cheese from Italy.
Open daily from November 29, Mon.-Fri. 12:00 - 20:30, Sat.-Sun. 11:00 - 20:30, last day: Tue., Dec. 24 (11:00-14:00)
Other Christmas markets that we would like to introduce to you in more detail can be found at the Chinese Tower, Weissenburger Platz, in the Glockenbach neighborhood and, of course, the Winter Tollwood. There are many markets to discover!
Would you like to explore the Christmas markets in Munich with your team, your friends and family? Then book one of our Christmas tours now!