If you’re dreaming of old school Christmastime charm, Munich should be your yuletide destination. Even if you consider the Grinch a friend, visiting a Munich Christmas market will make you feel festive.
As with many cities in Germany, Munich gussies up for the holidays with tasteful decorations, special food and an air of good cheer. It feels truly celebratory, not commercial. The city’s plethora of unique, charming markets deliver as many varieties of Christmas cheer as there are ways of celebrating the season.
Our Christmastime trip to Munich was a surprise. Alex was getting on-boarded at a new job, whose HQ is in Munich. Emilia tagged along and worked remotely from the city’s WeWorks. That is to say, our trip wasn’t dedicated to sightseeing. But we did make sure to visit all of the best Christmas markets. They provided happy hour cups of mulled wine, lunchtime bratwursts, and an excuse to wander through a hushed city cloaked in a layer of fluffy snow.
This guide covers the best Christmas markets in Munich, from traditional city center fairs to alternative ones farther afield. It’s not an exhaustive guide, but rather a highlights reel to inform your explorations in the city. We’ll also provide some tips on where to stay and how to extend your trip, just in case you didn’t plan to spend your entire trip with a lebkuchen in one hand and a mug of mulled wine in the other.
What’s Included:
- How much time should I spend in Munich?
- Where should I stay?
- What activities are there during Christmas?
- The Top Traditional Christmas Markets
- The Top Alternative Christmas Markets
How much time should I spend in Munich?
A week is sufficient to see the highlights of Munich. The museums are engaging and the walks are nice, but the city is relatively compact. Depending on where you stay, you’ll probably only need to take the Metro if you want to visit BMW Welt or the Museum of Science and Technology, both of which we highly recommend.
Munich is also a great jumping off point for more journeys in Bavaria, and even into Austria and Switzerland. Alex wrote a post explaining how to visit Liechtenstein and the Alps from Munich, which is a great activity to add on.
The one thing we didn’t have time to do, and we wish we did, was visit Neuschwanstein Castle. You might know it as the castle that inspired Cinderella’s palace at Disneyland. It’s a doable day trip, but we got distracted by all the amazing activities to do in Munich at Christmastime.
Where is the best place to stay in Munich?
We stayed at Airbnbs and the Ruby Lilly Hotel, which is about a ten minute walk from the train station, but feels distant enough in ambiance for this to be more of a pleasant bonus rather than a constant reminder. Our Airbnb’s were fine, but we loved the Ruby Lilly.
One of the main attractions for us at the Ruby Lilly was the lobby bar. It has a dark, lounge-like atmosphere. You can sample the cocktail of the day or order a simple glass of wine. In the mornings, the lobby bar also had coffee and pastries, but we didn’t try them.
The rooms were nice and spacious, with a chair and a desk if you wanted to work there. The one downside? The glass shower protruded into the room and the curtain was on the outside. We had fun laughing about it, but an all glass bathroom isn’t our favorite design when it comes to hotels.
There are plenty of lovely places to stay in Munich that straddle the boundary between historic and modern. Here are some other options that caught our eye:
- Schwabinger Wahrheit By Geisel – Love clean, no-fuss rooms but don’t want the clinical feel of an Ibis or Hilton? Check into Schwabinger Wahrheit, where a minimal ambiance reigns with a designer edge. The hotel is located on the edge of the English Gardens, which is perfect for a stroll, as well as being the site of one of our favorite Christmas markets in Munich.
- Bold Hotel Munich Zentrum – Steps away from the historic city center sits Bold Hotel, a clean hotel with a slight boho ambiance. We love the fact that their rooms embrace block textiles and actually palatable art, but the winning feature is frankly the location. Located just enough outside of the center to make you feel like a local, but not so much as to be inconvenient, we think this location should suit most visitors to Munich looking to get off the tourist track.
- 25 Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian – If you prefer your hotels to feel like a dazzling art experience with boutique-ready fixtures, then check out The Royal Bavarian. Its hip ambiance permeates both common spaces and bedrooms, which boast touches as unique and fun as the sheets are plush. The hotel is located near the train station, but it’s a sacrifice we’d be willing to make for an environment as compelling as this one.
What is there to do in Munich at Christmas?
Munich is a brilliant year-round location, but it shines particularly brightly during Christmas. Open-air markets dot the city and each has a distinct personality. Still, there are commonalities. Most markets will have stands offering traditional foods, like bratwurst and spaetzle, and all markets have mulled wine. There will also be stalls selling various Christmas-themed crafts, from holiday baking spices to handmade wooden ornaments and creche decorations.
It’s not just markets that make the city a brilliant Christmastime destination. Special light displays dot the streets and squares, special trollies are decorated with garlands, and stores take their holiday window displays seriously. There are also special events, such as carol recitals and Krampus runs, where people dress up as demons and playfully torment passersby. If you like to ice skate, there’s an outdoor rink in the city center you can try.
Tip: If you plan on drinking mulled wine, make sure you have a few extra euros to use as a deposit for the mug they serve it in. The designs and shapes vary between markets and make a brilliant souvenir.
The Best Traditional Christmas Markets in Munich
Marienplatz Christmas Market
If you visit Munich between November and December, you’d have to go out of your way to avoid the Marienplatz Christmas Market. Not only is it located in front of Munich’s iconic neo-gothic town hall, the stalls extend into the surrounding pedestrian-only streets, reeling people in with the promise of bratwurst and gingerbread.
Those who venture into the market’s center will be rewarded with steaming mugs of mulled wine, a towering Christmas tree, and one of the largest selection of stalls selling goods for designing your own nativity scene. For those who want more structure, you can book onto tours that take you around the market and delve into its history, which dates back to the 14th century.
Don’t Miss: Get a festive view over the action when you buy a ticket to climb to the top of Alter Peter, a nearby church. From the windy balconies you get brilliant views over Munich, as well as the perfect vantage point to admire the market. While we normally recommend visiting viewpoints during the daytime, this one is best viewed at night to appreciate the lights.
Christmas Village at the Residenz
It’s worth the effort to find this Christmas market tucked away in one of the courtyards of Munich’s former royal palace for two reasons: it serves the best mulled wine and it has a series of life-sized nativity scenes featuring animatronic puppets that sing and dance. As you explore the offerings, take the time to pause and admire Residenz’s opulent, trompe l’oeil façade (then stop inside if you’re visiting during the day).
One of our favorite attributes of this market is how easy it is to navigate. Everything turns out from the Christmas Pyramid — a traditional German decoration believed to be a predecessor to the Christmas tree — in the middle of the square, which is also the hub for paying your mulled wine cup deposit and getting your drink.
Don’t Miss: The nativity scenes are an entertaining, if occasionally eyebrow raising display. If you love animatronics, you won’t want to miss this.
Medieval Christmas Market at Wittelsbacherplatz
Celebrate Christmas like it’s 1299 at this Medieval-themed market located steps away from Odeonsplatz and the Residenz. This market knows its theme and sticks to it. Rather than mulled wine, you’ll be sipping on mulled mead from an earthenware chalice. You can buy medieval-themed merchandise, Christmas-appropriate or not. And even some of the food departs from the traditional German fare at most markets. If you’re a true Christmas market enthusiast, this one has to be on your list.
Don’t Miss: On your first sip of mulled mead, you might not realize that you’re drinking honey wine as opposed to white wine. But the richly flavored drink has an appeal all its own from the floral undertones to the slight citrusy aroma. The terracotta chalice the drink is served in is one of our top-picks for Christmas cup keepsake.
Chinese Tower Christmas Market at the English Garden
Several locals told us that, if we enjoyed Christmas Markets, the one at the English Garden had to be on our list. This market gets its name from the Pagoda that towers over the stalls. That’s where the Eastern references end, however. The food and crafts are fully German, and fully enticing. Nestled in the middle of the park, the market takes on a forest festival atmosphere.
Even better is if you can visit when there is snow on the ground, which makes this setting all the more magical. The activities at this market are also thematic with a curling rink, carriage ride, and live music for adults, plus storytime and detective activities for kids.
Don’t Miss: We recommend visiting in the evening, when you can take the time to revel in the market’s unique activities. Of course, if it’s snowing during the day, then race over for a storybook Christmas landscape.
The Best Alternative Christmas Markets in Munich
Tollwood Winter Festival at Theresienwise
Visiting Munich in December but still want a taste of Oktoberfest? Head to the Tollwood Winter Festival, which is located in the fairgrounds that host Munich’s famed beer festival. What this market lacks in tradition it makes up for in range. You’ll find everything from yerba mate to African wood carvings in the stalls. Head into the drinking tents, and you’re thrust into a boisterous atmosphere that calls to mind Oktoberfest, but with mugs of mulled wine in lieu of beer steins. And if you’re into curling, you’ll be pleased to know there are four curling fields available, so you’ll never have to wait your turn.
Don’t Miss: With bratwurst and spaetzle the default at many Christmas markets, Tollwood stands out for its international take on the holiday. Whether your craving pad thai or a Moroccan tagine, this market delivers.
Christmas Market at Alte Utting
During the rest of the year, Alte Utting is well-known for being a bar tucked inside a boat sitting atop a former railway bridge. During Christmas, it throws a festive market into the mix. Like Tollwood, this one veers on the unconventional side with a rambunctious party atmosphere and plenty of guest DJs. Still, it hues to the yuletide ambiance with mugs of mulled wine, rich food and gifts aplenty.
Don’t miss: Time your visit to collide with a musical performance, whether that’s a local band or DJ. The party atmosphere differentiates the festivities at Alte Utting from other Christmas markets, making it perfect if you want to celebrate the holidays by simply having a good time.
Schwabing Christmas Market
The Schwabing Christmas Market is dedicated to local craftsmanship, only featuring items cooked, designed or brewed by resident artisans. The market has been around since the 1970s and retained its local ethos all the while. And if your budget can’t handle more Christmas shopping, there’s plenty of activities here to be enjoyed, from live music and performances to guided market tours and art installations.
Don’t Miss: Browsing through the unique stalls is the highlight of a trip to Schwabing, where the goods retain a sense of craftsmanship that’s absent at many of the other markets. We recommend visiting this market toward the end of your trip, so you can fill your extra suitcase space with souvenirs and gifts!
Pink Christmas Market at Glockenbachviertel
Munich’s LGTBQ+ friendly market’s unique selling point is there in the name: everything is pink. The tree is covered in pink decorations, the mugs are varying hues of pink, and the Christmas lights that illuminate the area are pink. While the description sounds gimmicky, the theme is well executed. The live stage is a focal point with nightly performances ranging from drag events to drop-in music concerts from German pop stars.
Don’t Miss: While the entire atmosphere of this market is unique, visiting during one of the live performances underlines its distinct attitude. You can choose between a drag performance or an informal pop concert, but not optional is sipping mulled wine from a festive pink cup.
Roam The Reaches 