The Christkindlmarkt at Marienplatz is a

Christmas market A Christmas market, also known as ''Christkindlmarkt'' (literally: ''Christ Child Market'', but the term "Christkind" usually refers to an angel-like "spirit of Christmas" rather than literally the Christ Child), ''Christkindlesmarkt'', ''Chris ...

Marienplatz Marienplatz (English: Mary's Square, i.e. St. Mary, Our Lady's Square) is a central square in the city centre of Munich, Germany. It has been the city's main square since 1158. History During the Middle Ages, markets and tournaments were hel ...

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...

History

The largest and oldest Christmas market in Munich was first documented as a Nikolaimarkt ( Nikolausmarkt) in 1310, making it one of the oldest Christmas markets in the German-speaking world. In 1806, the Nikolaimarkt was renamed the Christmarkt. Since 1972, the market has found its place of business on the Marienplatz after several changes of location. Over the last few years, the exhibition area has been extended considerably (e.g. Rindermarkt). The organizer is the cultural office of the city administration.

Description

With around 140 market stands, it now has around three million visitors every year from all over the world. In addition to the extensive musical-cultural accompanying program, the almost 30-meter-high

Christmas tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in early modern ...

in front of the

town hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

, with around 2,500 lights, is donated every year to the citizens of Munich by a different town from

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. As a reward for the gift, the municipality can present itself in the inner courtyard of the town hall and operate a

Glühwein Mulled wine, also known as spiced wine, is an alcoholic drink usually made with red wine, along with various mulling spices and sometimes raisins, served hot or warm. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas. It is us ...

stand. The high interest of non-municipal communities for this in this self-presentation position, forced the organizers to create a multi-faceted waiting list. The market is usually open daily from the Friday before the first

Advent Advent is a Christian season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas. It is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity. The name was adopted from Latin "coming; arrival", translating Greek '' parousia''. ...

Sunday, until

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...

. To the west of the Marienplatz, in the direction of Stachus, is the so-called Kripperlmarkt. More than ten stands around the Richard Strauss fountain in the Neuhauserstraße offer only Nativity scenes, figures, and other accessories. There are also some market stands offering food and drinks. The Kripperlmarkt in the Munich pedestrian zone is open daily and also closes on 24 December (Christmas Eve) at 2 pm.

References

External links

Christkindlmarkt at Marienplatz in Munich
{{Authority control Tourist attractions in Munich Advent Munich, Marienplatz Events in Munich Christmas trees