Christmas Market Madness: Germany, part 1 (Munich)

“Are you some kind of Christmas nut?”

I have gotten some variant of this question over the years, but most recently it’s been applied to my love of visiting Christmas markets.

Exploring the markets in and around Hamburg gave me insight into little differences between communities and regions. So, with Munich’s international proximity, I thought I’d take full advantage of additional “sociological” exploration.

First, I compared online lists of Munich markets, read the descriptions, and decided which ones I wanted to check out. Next, I searched “best European Christmas markets” online, and added anyplace that showed up on at least three lists to my spreadsheet. Then, I narrowed down my choices to what was a reasonable daytrip...and was off!

Since I decided to do more of a travelogue format with this year’s long-distance adventures, I’ve broken my trips into multiple blog posts. This first one focuses on the markets I visited here in Munich:

A Hansel and Gretel booth in the Fairy Tale Forest.

Residenz – I’m so glad this was the first market to open and set the tone. It was already a magical setting—in the courtyard of the downtown palace—so I was ready for a good time.

But it exceeded my expectations with its larger-than-life Weihnachtspyramid, traditional market ringing the courtyard, a bandstand in the middle, and a separate "Fairy Tale Forest" with booths full of animatronic puppets and a singing moose head. Awesome.

Sendlinger Tor – Several days after my Residenz market visit, most of the other city markets opened. I mapped out a 5-market day across the city, starting with this one. 

Other than the imposing city gate overhead, I have no idea why this market was on lists as one to check out. It was small and utterly unremarkable.

Viktualienmarkt – My next stop was another disappointment. The Viktualienmarkt is a year-round market of interesting crafts and fresh food, but the it seemed to have only gotten a token Christmas varnish with the changing up of some craft stalls, and some Christmas food stands.

Marienplatz – Thankfully, my third stop of the day was great. This market, on the plaza between the old and new town halls, was full of great-smelling food and a nice variety of traditional wood and glass ornaments, creche décor, and the omnipresent Christmas star lights. 

I finally found a Christmas star
that was a bit out of the ordinary.
This snowflake design sang to me the
moment I saw it in a Marienplatz stall.

After grabbing a bratwurst and some Glühwein, and helping translate for a woman next to me at the food stand, I was buoyed for my next market visit.

Wittelsbacherplatz/Mittelaltermarkt – This market is noted for its Middle Ages theme. The booths were all wooden stalls, the vendors were all dressed in medieval garb, and the food and drink all fit the bill. 

But aside from some metal weaponry, a medieval-style clothing stand, and one of the jewelry vendors, this market was more about atmosphere than anything else.

Chinescher Turm – The Chinese Tower in the English Garden is one of the most popular beer gardens in Munich. (Read that sentence again; kinda funny, huh?) So it was a bit disconcerting to see it so devoid of people on a late weekday winter afternoon. But for me it tied with the Residenz for magical appeal, although in a more dreamy, romantic way. 

The market was set up like a village all around the tower, so I wandered from stall to stall and listened to the softly piped-in Christmas music without being jostled or fighting my way through bodies to see what a particular booth had to offer. It was a nice mix of traditional Christmas crafts and some unique wood and jewelry pieces, and a good way to end my one-day Munich market blitz.

I know it doesn't look like it in this shot, but there were other people at this market besides me!

Schwabinger – This market was noted as 
“non-traditional,” and sat on lists with other markets described as “funky” or “offbeat.” Since it was on the edge of our Schwabing-West neighborhood, I definitely wanted to check it out, even though I’m more a fan of traditional fare. 

On the opening evening, I convinced Larry to met me there after he got off work, and we enjoyed a band playing 60s rock (with a lead singer who was a lookalike for Janis Joplin), a sculpture installation at one end, an art exhibit tent at the other end, and two levels of booths to wind your way through in between. 

An interesting market, but I would sum it up as a lot of crafts and very little Christmas.

All in all, I was off to a good start, and optimistic that my measured itinerary this year would combat any potential Christmas market fatigue!

Tomorrow: Train trips to two other nearby German Christmas markets of note.