Trip Report: Merry in Munich
To continue our festive Christmas trip, we travelled to Merry Munich! While we have been to Munich before this trip, the Christmas markets are fabulous and well worth a visit!
Logistics
I would hurry to read our overall travel planning post here to get some tips! Wombats Munich is literally in the heart of the old town so we were steps away from the main square, thus the main Christmas market. Because we were only here for one night and taking a train the next day, it was perfect for our needs.
Munich Activities
Because we were only here for one night, we did not plan on many Munich activities outside of the Christmas markets. Similar to another big city, there are many markets scattered throughout the city. For a complete list of Munich markets, I used a few sites, including their own tourism site and popular sites!
Food and Drink
Because we had been to Munich, we already had a solid list of places to visit and eat! Since we love German food, Mary Frances wanted to try something new! We went to the great Wirtshaus in der Aus!!
Here is our complete list of favorites in Munich!
One Last Time in Nuremberg
Because we began the day in Nuremberg, we wanted one last visit to the famous markets! Thus, Mary Frances arranged for an early morning breakfast. When I woke up, I quickly realized it would be a reservation for one! Not only did I get a delicious breakfast, I also had a great tour of the city!
Before everyone wakes up, the Christmas markets are silent, yet beautifully decorated. In the peaceful morning air, the city and markets are incredibly picturesque. It is a different glow compared to bright lights at night!
However, all good things must come to an end and we had to take our tank of a car back to Munich. Before we realized, we were at Wombats getting our room and preparing for a quick day of exploring the Munich Christmas Markets!
Merry in Munich
Because there are plenty of markets in the city center, we spent our time wandering through the stalls. Throughout the city center, there are 4-5 markets. Each of them have so many stalls featuring Christmas trinkets, tasty food, and other fun toys! We only purchased some snacks and a Christmas ornament.
By far, the prettiest (and busiest!) market is located at Marienplatz. With a gorgeous and giant Christmas tree, there is plenty of Christmas cheer! Combined with a row of Christmas stalls and lights, the market is awesome!
Krumpus Parade
After a relaxing and warm visit to a great wine bar near Odeonplatz, we headed back into the cold to see a few more markets. Along the way, we stumbled on one of the most unique German Christmas traditions - the Krumpus Parade!
In the show the Office, Krumpus was a scene that I honestly thought was made up at the time. Now, I am seeing it in reality! Dressed in scary costumes, they tried to scare a lot of people. The parade did not end after a few of them! It was really unique.
Wirtshaus in der Aus
Located away from the city center, Wirtshaus is a highly recommended and rated beer house and gastropub. Mary Frances found it on Trip Advisor and it has an amazing vibe with loud music and lots of happy Germans! Because it was almost Christmas eve, we decided to splurge. We ordered a very large schnitzel and the house speciality - dumplings! We had a trio of three - cheese, spinach, and beet - dumplings and everything was tasty! I hadn’t realized that dumplings were a big meal in Germany.
Our meal was a fantastic ending to being Merry in Munich!
The UnChartered Summary
In Munich, the markets are plentiful and amazing! The stalls are fully decorated with great trinkets and food. The markets make it really easy to be merry in Munich!
- Staying in a private room in Wombats Munich is great! It is one of the best hostel groups in Europe and the rooms are usually very clean and basic.
- For the Christmas markets, I would grab a tourism guide and check the dates for certain markets. There are a few that close “early” although the main ones are usually until 23 December.
- If possible, see the Krumpus parade! The tradition and story are unique!