December 2006
Christmas Markets
Whether you’re looking for
Glühwein,
Lebkuchen or a
Tannenbaum to get you in the spirit of a German Christmas, you’ll find them all and much more at the many Christmas markets staged in the area this Advent. Here are a few options to get you started with good cheer and gift-buying:
It would be hard to miss the Christmas market that’s been lighting up the city center since 1642: the
Christkindlmarkt on Marienplatz and
Kripperlmarkt (Germany’s largest crèche market) on Rindermarkt. The markets will run from December 1 to 23, Monday through Friday, 10 am to 8:30 pm, Saturday, 9 am to 8:30 pm, and Sunday, 10 am to 7:30 pm. Musicians will take to the stage daily at 5:30 pm.
During the
Schwabinger Weihnachtsmarkt, artists who normally display their work along Leopoldstrasse move up to Münchner Freiheit to offer their pieces to holiday shoppers. A diverse program of music, kid’s activities and gastronomical delights rounds out the offerings, a full listing of which is available at
http://www.schwabingerweihnachtsmarkt.de. The market will be open from December 1 to 24, weekdays from 12 pm to 8:30 pm, and weekends from 11 am to 8:30 pm.
The Christmas market at
Sendlingertor was held as far back as 1896. Re-vived in 1996, it runs for the eleventh time in recent history, from November 30 to December 23, 10:30 am to 9 pm, with 40 exhibitors, refreshments, glass-blowing demonstrations and much more. For more information, see
www.sendlinger-tor.com.
The
Haidhauser Weihnachtsmarkt (Weissenburgerplatz) will bring Christmas cheer to the other side of the Isar from November 30 to December 24. The market is open daily from 11 am to 8:30 pm and 9 pm on Fridays. Weekdays from 11 am to 3 pm, stands offer “heavenly discounts” on goods.
For more information on offerings and special performances by bands and balloon artists, see
www.haidhauser-weihnachtsmarkt.de.
For something completely different but still Christmasy, try the
Medieval Christmas Market on Wittelsbacherplatz, open November 30 to December 23, 11 am to 8 pm. Authentic handmade goods, pigs on a spit and roasted game give the market the character of a medieval village. See
www.mittelaltermarkt-muenchen.de for a schedule of performances by jesters, jugglers and musicians playing pieces from the Middle Ages.
Some options farther afield:
There’s perhaps no better place to enjoy Springerle cookies or Elisenlebkuchen than where they were invented:
Nuremberg. The city’s Christmas market will take place this year from December 1 to 23, Monday through Wednesday, 9 am to 8 pm, Thursday through Saturday, 9 am to 9 pm, and Sunday, 10:30 am to 9 pm. A full program of scheduled performances and events is available at
http://nuernbergerchristkindlesmarkt.de.
All Christmas markets are rich with Bavarian tradition, but you can fully immerse yourself in all things alpine at the Christmas market at the
Glentleiten Open Air Museum. The open-air museum treats visitors to a taste of what life was like on a Bavarian farm years ago. Here, from December 1 to 3, 10 am to 6 pm, 30 exhibitors will show traditional handmade goods from the region. The museum is located in the foothills of the Alps, between Murnau and Kochel am See. Directions are available at
www.glentleiten.de.
Nestled in the middle of the Chiemsee, the annual Christmas market on the
Fraueninsel is surrounded by a sea of sparkling lights, which is reflected on the water. Over 60 exhibitors will offer traditional and modern crafts from December 1 to 3 and 8 to 10, Fridays 2 pm to 8 pm and 12 pm to 7 pm on weekends. For directions and a schedule of special concerts, see
www.christkindlmarkt-fraueninsel.de
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