Christmas is a festival of light and excitement, and Munich, a city in Germany, gets lit with very bright Christmas markets. The Christmas market in Munich is a way of adding more joy and entertainment to the festive season.
So if you are looking for a place to spend your winter or Christmas vacation, then Munich is very suitable. The Munich Christmas market is one of the best events in Europe. Despite having a winter season and freezing temperatures during Christmas, Munich can still maintain the festival’s spirit.
Top 8 Things to Do at Christmas Market in Munich
During Christmas, you will see the city’s utterly new look. The Whole of Munich dresses up and welcomes the most significant event in the world, and the street markets of Munich cover the city’s streets.
Streetcars also make transportation beautiful, as the snow gives the city centre a new look and makes it look like a branch of the North Pole.
Furthermore, you will witness continuous snowfall, so don’t forget to keep your winter clothes when packing your luggage. During the trip, you must keep these items with you: winter coats, waterproof boots and gloves, thermal socks and fleece, woollen hats and sweaters, and fleece pants.
Read on further for the list of the top 8 exciting things to do in the Munich Christmas market.
1. Take a Trip to Christkindlmarkt Christmas Market of Marienplatz
You can see a lot of Christmas markets in Munich, but the Christmas market of Christkindlmarkt is beyond your expectations. It is the largest market in the city as well as the most valuable one.
The Christmas market of Christkindlmarkt was started during the fourteenth century, and nearly three million visitors visit the market each year.
The Christmas market is situated at Marienplatz, which is the heart of the city. Marineplatz is a historic centre of Munich.
Furthermore, the Marienplatz Christmas market offers food stalls, the permanent music shows of Bavarians, and an enormous Christmas tree in front of City Hall.
This Christmas market is an instance of Christmas Eve. It is a meeting place for locals who eat yummy foods and drink glühwein, the delicious mulled wine.
This spiced mulled wine is consumed in Europe for the advent of Christmas.
2. Visit the Viktualienmarkt Food Market
An exciting thing you can do is to visit the Viktualienmarkt Food Market, a trendy place in Munich. This food market is located close to the central square of Marienplatz.
It is an open-air fair where you will find around 140 stalls. Furthermore, various fruits, poultry, spices, vegetables, flowers, cheese, and other traditional products are offered by the stalls.
Unlike some other flea markets in the city, Viktualienmarkt market is open during the whole year.
Viktualienmarkt Food Market is a gastronomic flea market; you can buy beautiful gifts from stalls. The Christmas Carols are played here, as the gastronomy turns to unique Christmas food.
Additionally, you can find a beer garden that is added to the best gastronomic tours of Munich, as well as a section on Italian food.
Like the Marienplatz Christmas market, you also don’t need to pay any fee to visit the market.
It is situated between the Residenz and Marienplatz, beside the National Theatre. You can go to the Viktualienmarkt Christmas market by subway line.
3. Go to The Nativity Market in St. Peter’s Church
The Nativity market is also known as Kripeermarkt. It is also one of the largest markets specialising in nativity scenes.
The Nativity market has been a local tradition since 1757 and opens its doors overnight at Christmas.
This market differs slightly from other Christmas markets like Viktualienmarkt and Marienplatz. The main goal of the Nativity market is to decorate Christmas trees and scenes of the Nativity.
The nativity market is situated just beside St. Peter’s Church. Here, you will see more than ten shops that provide handicrafts, handmade Christmas decorations, and various sizes of dioramas.
As the size of Kripeermarkt is very small, you can complete visiting the whole place in a very short period and easily access it.
The place is situated at the centre point of traditional Munich. The address of Nativity market is Rindermarkt 1, in Munich.
Like the other Christmas markets in Munich, you don’t need to pay any fee to visit. To reach the market, you can go by subway lines.
Except for subway lines, you can go there by train from Marienplatz station. There are various train lines from which you can choose.
4. Take a Trip to Christmas Village Weihnachtsdorfs at The Residenz Palace of Christmas Market Munich
The Munich Residenz was the former royal palace of the Bavarian Kings. This former palace is currently one of the continent’s most illustrative and decorated museums. The place is most significant for its beautiful leafy courtyards.
It is one of the traditional Christmas markets in Munich. The palace recreates the scenario of an alpine village in Weihnachtsdorfs.
It is a fantastic place to enjoy the music and staging. Here, you will find some beautiful places to spend time with your family.
You will see stalls of food and drinks and Christmas gifts for sale. As the Christmas market is situated in the inner courtyard of Munich Residenz palace, you will always be sheltered from cold due to the huge walls beside it.
You can go to the agricultural village with its small chapel at the market’s centre. The place is lovely and embellished with the lights of Christmas, as well as a life-size bell tower.
The atmosphere of Weihnachtsdorf’s Christmas market is quite different from other markets. No fee is required to pay to visit the market.
The Christmas market is situated at Residenz, Residenzstrasse 1 in Munich. You can get there by subway or train.
5. Enjoy the Tollwood Winter Festival and The New Year’s Eve Party
From December of every year at the Theresienwiese field, The Tollwood winter festival takes place.
At the time of this festival, the site is filled with art tents. The different kinds of art tents are cultural, political, climatic, and atmosphere themes.
Since 1991, Tollwood has become a reference point in the city. Every year, the Oktoberfest is also held in this field from November to December.
Besides, these cultural tents, near about fifty or more food stalls, attractive items for children, musical shows, and various external activities are available.
The Tollwood New Year’s Eve Party is one of the most visited events during Christmas in Munich.
You don’t need to pay any fee to enter the field during the Eve Party. The market is open 24 hours on each day of the week.
6. A Ride to ChristkindlTram
During the Advent season, the Christkindl Tram is a vehicle with wooden seats.
The tram travels through the iconic centre of Munich. They serve mulled wine as well as gingerbread.
The streetcar goes through the same route as it was at the time of operation. But on Sundays, the path includes magical shows and great surprises for kids.
Things you will see during the ride of ChristkindlTram are Sendlinger Tor, Isartor, Maxmonument, National Theatre, Theatinerstrasse, Lenbachplatz, and Stachus.
This tour is an excellent opportunity for you to see the iconic sites of Munich. All these places are covered with the lights of Christmas and provide you with an incredible atmosphere. You can book the tickets for ChristkindlTram from their official websites.
You can also buy tickets offline from Sendlinger Tor. You need to pay two euros to book the tickets for ChristkindlTram. The tram runs several times daily from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The tram starts from Sendlinger Tor metro station and ends there too.
7. A Trip to The Medieval Flea Market at Wittelsbacherplatz
This is a beautiful Christmas market in Munich. During Christmas, the atmosphere of the market is delightful.
The goal of the market is to redeem the actual spirit of these regions. In medieval times,, it started to be built as a tradition so that nobody alone would wait for Christmas.
You will be offered Christmas decorations and dresses from the Middle Ages. The dresses will make you feel like you are a citizen of the Middle Ages.
No fee is required pay to visit the Wittelsbacherplatz Christmas market.
You can reach the place by subway line. You can also go to Wittelsbacherplatz by train.
8. Enjoy Ice Skating At Muenchner Eiszauber
Ice skating is a trendy event at the Christmas market in Munich. Don’t miss this event during the trip to the Christmas market in Munich. During winter, the market is turned into an ice skating rink.
This is the biggest moveable arena in all of Europe. You don’t need to be an ice skating pro to do skating because a lot of fun lies here in the Muenchner Eiszauber.
If you move towards Dirndl or Lederhosen, you will get into the Wies’n Hits for free. Here, you will get many food and drink stalls nearby.
Other Things to Do in Christmas Market Munich
1. Take a Look at Munich’s Christmas Pyramids
There is no particular location to see the Christmas pyramids. All over the market, you will see the Christmas pyramids. These pyramids are a tradition of Germany and Munich.
Furthermore, these pyramids are built with wood, and on top of it, you will see a crown by the blades of a windmill. The pyramids are an age-old tradition, and when you notice them, they usually mark food stalls and drink stalls.
So, if you are searching for a place to eat or drink, find these accolades. The giant Christmas pyramid is usually created around the Nativity market.
2. Bayerische Staatsoper
Bayerische Staatsoper is the most popular venue in the world for opera and classical concerts. Enjoy an incredible evening at a beautiful opera house.
3. Alte Pinakothek
Visit the most reputed museum, the Alte Pinakothek, in Munich. Here, you will find the various arts of the Middle Ages and the Modern Ages.
An Outline on Christmas Markets in Munich
To summarise, Munich’s Christmas markets are a splendid way to experience the festive spirit and holiday magic that engulfs the city during the winter season.
Furthermore, these markets in Munich are the most popular events in the nation. Here you can do many things and enjoy food and drinks from the stalls. In addition, the tasty mulled wine at a cold temperature is a must-try.
So, when planning your winter getaway, don’t miss the opportunity to revel in the enchantment of Munich’s Christmas markets.
Last Updated on July 11, 2024 by Sathi Chakraborty
