From the Munich Airport, it is a 50 minute S-Bahn (local train) ride into Munich (München) historic town center. The main square, Marienplatz, is alive with activity at any time of the year, but at Christmas, it is festive and filled with the Christkindl Markt (Christ Child Market).
This is Marienplatz. Notice the Christmas Tree, a very important item in any Bavaria town square. Each year, a “perfect” tree is donated from an alpine village in Germany and displayed and decorated in Marienplatz. The village whose tree is selected has the honor of serving their own special recipe Glühwein on the city hall’s courtyard.
The Christmas Tree with the new town hall in the background. The Neues Rathaus (New City Hall) is the ornate building towering over the square. Smack-dab in the center is the glockenspiel which puts on a “show” for all to see at 11:00, 12:00, and 17:00 every day.
Notice this souvenir mug. It promotes Munich’s Christ Child Market 2019 (München Christkindl Markt 2019). Munich and all of Bavaria were once part of the Holy Roman Empire and became the last northern bastion defending the Church against Martin Luther and his reformers in the 16th century. Therefore, Bavaria today is still heavily Catholic (almost 50%) when it comes to religion.
Every Christmas market has its own souvenir ceramic mug. When purchasing your hot drink, notice a placard stating the price of the drink and the deposit (pfand). This deposit ranges from €3-4 per cup. When finished, either keep the mug or return it to get your deposit returned. Often there will be a queue and sign for the mug return (pfandrückgabe).
Fröhliche Weihnachten!
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Do you want to learn more about traveling to Europe? There is a wealth of information and special discount pricing on my tours at https://davidmcguffin.com/.
David McGuffin is Founder and CEO of David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe, Inc., based in Middleburg, Florida. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+,LinkedIn and YouTube. David spends his time in Europe organizing and leading small group and independent tours to European destinations. In business since 2001, David has provided exceptional travel opportunities to several thousand satisfied customers. You can find out more about David and his European tours at his website, https://davidmcguffin.com.
The Munich Airport’s (MUC) Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 are linked by a big outdoor covered square, which during December, is turned into a traditional Christmas Market. “Christmas” in German is Weihnachts and market is markt. This adds an extra layer of festive fun to the already customer-friendly airport center.
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Last night was Friday, and the market was filled! Travelers, pulling suitcases, mixed with hundreds of locals out for a night the town. A Christmas market brings everyone together for a common cause… bundle up, visit with friends, get some authentic German “carney” food, have a drink, and enjoy the festive evening.
There are many locations in Europe where I often say, “You can’t do this in Middleburg,” my little hometown in Florida. Especially during the holiday season, we at home tend to get caught up in the hustle and bustle about shopping for relatives, attending Christmas parties, and going through the motions of the holiday, without slowing down an enjoying the experience.
The folks I encountered last night in the market were there to relax, slow down, shop, and enjoy visiting with friends. Stopping for a snack, Charlotte and I were standing at an outdoor table with people we did not know, yet we all had a good experience there together. There were a couple of young ladies at the next table with two Yorkie dogs tethered to the wrists. The dogs loved it! Perfect beggers and fierce to bark when challenged!
We are traveling around several Austria and Bavaria town this coming week, and I hope you will check in here often to see what’s going on in my world.
Fröhliche Weihnachten!
If you found this article informative, please share it with your friends, family, coworkers, and associates. If you have something to add, just leave a comment in the box below.
Do you want to learn more about traveling to Europe? There is a wealth of information and special discount pricing on my tours at https://davidmcguffin.com/.
David McGuffin is Founder and CEO of David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe, Inc., based in Middleburg, Florida. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+,LinkedIn and YouTube. David spends his time in Europe organizing and leading small group and independent tours to European destinations. In business since 2001, David has provided exceptional travel opportunities to several thousand satisfied customers. You can find out more about David and his European tours at his website, https://davidmcguffin.com.
We arrived at the MUC Munich Airport this morning, and by 8:00, we were through passport contral and customs. Charlotte and I are here to lead tours visiting the Christmas Markets in Salzburg, Nürnberg, Rothenburg, and Munich.
After checking into the Hilton Hotel Munich Airport, we slept off the jet-lag, freshened up, and visited the airport Weihnachts (Christmas) Market.
This market is under the enormous glass-covered outdoor square located between Terminals 1 and 2. Known as the MAC (Munich Airport Centre), this square is always bustling with activity any time of year, but at Christmas, it is most delightful.
There are many wooden stalls staffed with vendors selling winter clothing, ornaments, hand-made wooden crafts, and all sorts of items perfect for gifting.
Here is our snack – flatbread with veg and salmon and hot mulled Glüwein.
I am smack dab in the middle of my Best of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and France tour. I picked up a group of just four folks a few days ago in Munich and we’ve had a blast getting to know each other and experiencing Germany and Austria. It being the beginning of spring, we’ve run in to several celebrations dedicated to digging out of the gloomy winter and leaping into spring.
Frühlingfest Munich
Frühlingfest Munich
In Munich, the massive outdoor Octoberfest site was booming with the Frühlingfest. This, a yearly spring celebration seemed very much like our state or county fairs at home with the addition of lots of lederhosen, dirndls, beer, and sausage. As the opening ceremonies began I enjoyed marching bands, horse-drawn beer wagons, and fifty or more ancient pistols being fired into the air in celebration of spring.
While in Salzburg fellow tour members stumbled upon a celebration of the Lord Mayor’s birthday in the Mirabell Gardens complete with fanfare, song, toasting, and celebration. The Augustiner Bräustübe had just switched over to its standard brew, changing from the special Lenten Bier it had served from Ash Wednesday to Easter.
Mirabell Gardens
Driving through Bavaria and the Austria Tirol we encountered lush green fields covered with beautiful wildflowers. Each little village seemed to be trying to outdo the next with its freshly painted and über-Bavaria blue and white maypoles. Even the livestock seem to be extra happy to be out of the barns and into the fields. At times we would encounter field after field of vivid bright yellow rapeseed in full bloom adding to the contrast of the countryside.
Fields of Rapeseed
Tirol
On the morning of May 1st, I watched a crew put up a huge tent and install the 90- foot Maypole topped with a tree and dripping with hanging pretzels. Throughout the morning, locals would drop by to check on the progress, looking up and giving the guy hanging from the Maypole advice and encouragement. Young ladies, clad in traditional dirndls, arrived to set up the tent as a makeshift beer hall while local volunteers laid down wooden walkways and carried all sorts of “potluck” food into the tent. I was sure the celebration would be grand and sort of sorry I was going to miss it.
Maypole in Tirol
Later we arrived in Vaduz, the capital of the Principality of Liechtenstein. Popping out from the underground parking garage it appeared the city was deserted. As I walked toward the main square it became evident that most of the locals were settling in here under a huge tent. The Liechtenstein fire department had all their trucks and equipment out on display. Some of the firemen were in their “dress blues” while others were manning the hot grills loaded with sausages and bratwurst serving lunch to hundreds of people. There was a pair of strolling troubadours, with an accordion and guitar, willing to serenade a table for just a small donation to help the fire department. Nearby, kids were jumping in the bounce house, playing firemen games with water, climbing all over the fire trucks, and getting a ride in the 60-foot “cherrypicker” bucket on the hook-and-ladder truck.
Vaduz Festival
We are in the heart of Switzerland today. The Lauterbrunnen Valley is my favorite alpine spot in all of Europe. I don’t know what today will bring, but I am sure it will be filled with fresh wildflowers in high alpine meadows, snow-capped glaciers, and the gently clanging of bells as the cows are moved from the winter barns to the spring meadows. Everyday is an adventure on an Exploring Europe tour and stumbling upon local celebrations makes travel even more authentic. Why not consider joining one of my tours in the coming months.
This is Marienplatz. Notice the Christmas Tree, a very important item in any Bavaria town square. Each year, a “perfect” tree is donated from an alpine village in Germany and displayed and decorated in Marienplatz. The village whose tree is selected has the honor of serving their own special recipe Glühwein on the city hall’s courtyard. 
The Christmas Tree with the new town hall in the background. The Neues Rathaus (New City Hall) is the ornate building towering over the square. Smack-dab in the center is the glockenspiel which puts on a “show” for all to see at 11:00, 12:00, and 17:00 every day. 
Notice this souvenir mug. It promotes Munich’s Christ Child Market 2019 (München Christkindl Markt 2019). Munich and all of Bavaria were once part of the Holy Roman Empire and became the last northern bastion defending the Church against Martin Luther and his reformers in the 16th century. Therefore, Bavaria today is still heavily Catholic (almost 50%) when it comes to religion. 
The folks I encountered last night in the market were there to relax, slow down, shop, and enjoy visiting with friends. Stopping for a snack, Charlotte and I were standing at an outdoor table with people we did not know, yet we all had a good experience there together. There were a couple of young ladies at the next table with two Yorkie dogs tethered to the wrists. The dogs loved it! Perfect beggers and fierce to bark when challenged!
