Earlier this month, I visited Munich with my parents. They wanted to visit a Christmas market in Germany. I had already been to Nuremberg on a previous trip (covered here) and Rothenburg ob der Trabeur (covered here), so I made the booking reservations to visit Munich's Christmas market (with additional day trips that I will cover in later posts). Munich is the capitol of the Bavaria area in southern Germany, and the Christmas market has been here since the 14th century. The Christmas market was originally located along the river, but it moved to Marienplatz in 1972.
We got the train into Munich and got off at Marienplatz where we saw the Old Hall and clocktower before having a wander around.
The Rindermarkt is located a short walk away, and it specialises in food (fruit and vegetables, cheeses, meats, and cooked food and mulled wine) and items for the home, such as wreaths, floral arrangements, crafts, small firs, and mistletoe. I also saw a selection of items for tourists and a couple of wooden huts selling antique Christmas ornaments.
We had a long look around the main Munich Christmas Market in Marienplatz, opposite the Rathaus. A large Christmas tree is located in the square here, and at certain times of the day, there is singing and an orchestra playing music here. We had a good look around the wooden huts while it was quiet as the market gets more crowded during the day, and the areas selling the mulled wine and food tend to get packed.
I did manage to find a treat; these coconut macarons (kokosmakronen) were one of the best coconut items that I have ever eaten. They were slightly crisp on the edge and gooey in the middle as they were served slightly warm. These are delicious, and if you like coconut, you have got to try these. These were located in Marienplatz at a kiosk selling chocolate, gingerbread, and other sweet treats.
Of course, watching the Munich Christmas Market come to life as the sky grew dark was wonderful. The lights and the Christmas tree in front of Rathaus came to life.
We also visited Munich on what was meant to be our last day in the city, but we got delayed due to a little bit of snow in London. We checked out the Christmas Market at Residenz. They have a special area for children here with various scenes from fairy tales and Christmas on display as well as a nativity scene.
Another area of the Christmas market in Munich is located on Neuhauser Strasse and is about a ten minute walk from Marienplatz. This Christmas market, known as Kripperlmarkt, features several wooden huts selling items for nativity scenes.
On the Sunday we visited (our last day), we saw a large group of the Krampus scaring people in the traditional 'Krampus Run'. The Krampus are men and boys dressed up in scary costume, and they look like a blend between goat, devil, and man. These are the Krampus, a tradition and myth of Germany and sidekick to Saint Nicholas. While the saint turned a blind eye to the naughty children, the Krampus demands authority and respect. The Krampus would kidnap naughty children and take them to the mountains.
Overall, we had a good time in Munich, but the bad weather in London and cancelled flights and waiting around at airports for over twenty-four hours due to cancellations and delays meant that we were more than ready to get home and relax after a busy few days of sight-seeing.
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