Munich Christmas Market

Visiting Neuschwanstein Castle and the Christmas Market in Munich

Munich is a popular starting point for those touring the annual Christmas Markets in and around Bavaria, Germany due to its international airport and proximity to other European cities. While it is a large city, Munich has so many old world attractions and several cozy markets to explore, making it a great place to set the mood for your entire trip. Such was the case here.

An overview of our complete 6-Day Christmas Market itinerary can be found here.

Our goal for each city or village we visited was two-fold. (1) Visit the Christmas Markets and (2) See some of the other historical and cultural attractions. Munich has several Christmas Markets located throughout the Old Town center. There are even more as you venture out to the surrounding neighborhoods. The Simply Munich website has a complete overview of all of the markets, which is super helpful if you are planning a Munich itinerary of 2+ days. If your time in Munich is limited, your day might look a bit more like ours. We really focused our time at Munich Christkindlmarket in Marienplatz, but managed to see a couple others during our short visit.

The Christmas Markets in Old Town include:

• Munich Christkindlmarkt in Marienplatz Square
• Viktualienmarkt food market
• Christmas Village in the Kaiserhof of the Residenz
• Christkindlmarkt at Sendlinger Tor
• Munich Advent Spectacle and Medieval Christmas Market

The historical sites on our list included:

• Neuschwanstein Castle
• Marienplatz Square & Rathaus
• St. Peter’s Cathedral

Neuschwanstein Castle

My BFF and I live in different cities. So, we decided travel to Munich solo and meet up after arriving at the airport. From there, we rented a car for the day to visit Neuschwanstein Castle, located in the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria.

The drive was actually quite easy, aside from a detour our navigation app decided to take us though. It was on this drive that I learned the importance of mapping out your route prior to getting in the car. I don’t 100% trust the app anymore. I mean, we made it, but did not have to see that tiny farming village. (!!!)

Despite the photos you’ve seen that make it look like this castle is nestled in between mountain peaks, in reality it is just on the very edge of the mountainous terrain. We were a little confused driving through a very flat area that was supposedly just minutes from the castle. Füssen is flat with fields and agricultural buildings. It isn’t until you walk up to the castle and look behind it that you appreciate how well it is positioned between the two landscapes.

Above photo: Füssen

Before you go to Neuschwanstein Castle, be sure to visit their website to read about parking, opening hours, and tickets. The castle and inner courtyard can only be visited by guided tour. Also be aware that weather conditions may result in Marienbrücke (Queen Mary Bridge) closures. This pedestrian bridge is famous for the viewpoint of the castle. Unfortunately, it was closed during our visit, but the tour and walk around the grounds were still very much worth the drive.

Above photos: Neuschwanstein Castle

Munich Christkindlmarkt

After returning our rental car and getting checked-in to our hotel, we ventured out into Munich to enjoy the lights and Christmas Market at night. Munich Christkindlmarkt on Marienplatz Square was the place to be! There was a lot of activity and excitement from people out enjoying the food, shopping, and festival attractions.

Above photo: Munich Christmas Market

I was hesitant to buy anything since this was just our first stop on a week-long itinerary. We went stall-to-stall looking in on all of the different types of things for sale and especially admiring the huge gingerbread cookies. I ended up buying a hat, which I actually thought would be useful on this trip (it was!).

Above photos: Stalls at Munich Christmas Market

Kath is a professional florist and gravitated towards the cut-flower stalls and the many hand-crafted arrangements and intricate crafts. She was busy snapping pictures and gathering ideas to take back home as there was no shortage of decorating inspiration! There is so much to enjoy just by looking. While it is always fun to take home a suitcase full of treasures, it was such a joy just being there in the most wonderful, festive atmosphere.

Above photos: Stalls at Munich Christmas Market

The food is a whole other level! At first we didn’t even know what we were looking at. It looked tempting, but we were a bit clueless as to what everything was. Thankfully, we had a full week of market-to-market to get around to sampling everything. I definitely recommend sharing plates – it allows you to try more than one thing and avoid the guilt of over indulging.

Above photos: Food stalls at Munich Christmas Market

Our first night in Munich was a perfect introduction to the German Christmas Markets. We were absolutely knackered from our long overnight flight and full first day, but managed to stay up late enough to get a sense of what was in store for the rest of our week.

Exploring Old Town and Other Markets

When we ventured out in the morning, the mood was completely different. The streets were relatively quiet and most of the market stalls were still closed. It was the best time for a leisurely stroll through the Old Town to see historical buildings in the daylight.

Above photos: Munich, Germany

We had decided ahead of time that visiting St. Peter Church was at the top of our must-see list. The church of St. Peter is the oldest parish church in Munich. It is also one of the top attractions due to the view from the tower and the nearly 300-year-old Baroque high altar with a golden figure of St. Peter.

Above photos: Views from St. Peter Church, Munich

While in the area, we spent some time walking around the shops and other holiday markets, Winterzauber auf dem Viktualienmarkt, which specializes in all kinds of local products and festive treats, and Sternenplatzl at Rindermarkt, which was tucked away just a block or so from St. Peter. It was easy to fill the morning, but the excitement was building for our next stop. So, we bid auf wiedersehen to Munich.

Above photos: Winterzauber auf dem Viktualienmarkt

If you are planning a trip to Munich, please keep in mind that there is so much more to do and see than we had time for during our quick stop. There is every reason for me to go back again. That being said, if you are planning a multi-market tour, like we did, a single day is sufficient to recover from jet lag, see a few highlights, and launch your adventure!

To continue to Day 2: Nuremberg Christmas Market, click here.

Need help packing? Read my Christmas Market Packing Guide here.