“Isn't it lovely that children still believe in Father Christmas”, says the traditionalist “What would Advent be without a hot cup of caipirinha?”, enthuses the global citizen. “Where can I find a suit of armour before Christmas Eve?”, asks the knight. Munich has the perfect Christmas market for everyone.
What you will see: a 25-metre-tall Christmas tree with around 3,000 lights
What you should like: Christmas the way it was before Santa Claus delivered Coca Cola
What you will hear: “Es wird scho glei dumpa”, trumpeted from the town hall balcony
Who you will say cheers to: to the left, a tourist wearing a santa hat; to the right, a creepy horned mask from the traditional Krampuslauf (traditional parade)
What you will say cheers with: organic mulled wine
What you will eat: Bratwurst (fried sausage), Rauchzipferl (smoked sausage), giant bratwurst, farmer’s bratwurst, organic bratwurst, Schweinswürstel (pork sausages), Debreziner (seasoned pork sausages). In other words: sausages
What you will buy: a beeswax star or a bauble in the shape of a pretzel
A possible slogan: “Mia san schon ewig hier”, which roughly translates as “We have been here for ever” (since the 14th century!!)
www.christkindlmarkt-muenchen.de
What you will see: blue, green, yellow, red, purple and brightly lit tents
What you should like: people
What you will hear: the soulful “Troubleshooters”, the swinging “Hot Cookies”, the poppy “Aggressive Swans” or the funky “Organ Explosion”
What you will say cheers with: pushchairs, it is quite crowded
What you will eat: vegan Spätzle (pasta) with seitan
And something sweet: crepes and hot chocolate with rum
What you will buy: sound bowls, anklets, items made from recycled electronics
What else you might see: druids serving wild boar sandwiches and magic potion
A possible slogan: “Mia san the world!” or “We are the world!”
What you will see: pink-coloured, sparkling plastic trees
What you should like: pink, plastic, glitter
What you will hear: Whitney Houston and Zarah Leander
Who you will say cheers to: Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter at the opening; otherwise, big women with firm handshakes
What you will say cheers with: hot sangria. Cheers!
What you will eat: air and love
What you will buy: a merman with a red bow tie, sunglasses and a martini glass
What else you might see: Uschi Glas or Lilo Wanders
A possible slogan: “Mia san queer!” or “We are queer!”
What you will see: a fire behind the memorial to Elector Maximilian I.
What you should like: jugglers, heralds, stilt-walkers and fire
What you will hear: minnesong, court dance and table music, and oriental sounds from the bagpipe
Who you will say cheers to: people with drinking horns from 'Die kleyne Kraemerey' (medieval shop)
What you will say cheers with: mead for three florins fifty
What you will eat: suckling pig from the spit from Erwin, sausages grilled on a beechwood fire from Alexander and smoked fish from Erich
What you will buy: the long-awaited knight’s armour
What else you might see: nightwatchman Jochen von Myrus with a lantern, announcing last orders
A possible slogan: “Wohlan, mia san wohlgestalt!”, which roughly translates as “Well, we are well-rounded!”
www.mittelaltermarkt-muenchen.de
What you will see: the 25-metre pagoda tower, lit up like a festive pyramid
What you should like: seclusion
What you will hear: Christmas fairy tales read by the old lady at the story stall
Who you will say cheers to: parents with non-alcoholic children’s punch (they have to drive)
What you will say cheers with: curling stones – on two 18-metre-long curling lanes
What you will eat: chips!
What you will buy: small wooden toys that children have painted with the old man in the craft stall ... No Maximilian, no Lego!
What else you might see: carriages, horses, horse-drawn carriages
A possible slogan: “Mia san family!” or “We are family!”
www.weihnachtsmarkt-chinaturm.de
What you will see: light columns and fairy lanterns
What you should like: (Munich) artistic freedom
What you will hear: the musical accompaniment (guitar and singing) in the Kunstzelt (arts tent) at the opening
Who you will say cheers to: sorry, we are too busy watching the colours change
What you will say cheers with: ginger mulled wine, hot spritz cocktails, Caribbean punch
What you will eat: Tuscan pasta con variazioni, Sicilian sausages, Argentinian steak burgers
And something sweet: two cappuccinos, please!
What you will buy: art
What else you might see: art
A possible slogan: “Mia san einzigARTig!” or “We are unique!”
www.schwabingerweihnachtsmarkt.de
