MUNICH (MÜNCHEN) Germany 🇩🇪 Christmas Markets Walking Tour [4K/60fps, UHD, Binaural Sound, Captions]

MUNICH (MÜNCHEN) Germany 🇩🇪 Christmas Markets Walking Tour [4K/60fps, UHD, Binaural Sound, Captions]

Welcome to Munich! We begin our tour on Kaufinger Street. Kaufingerstraße (or Kaufinger Street) is the oldest street of the city, dating back to the 13th century. It is the most expensive shopping street of Germany, and also one of the busiest. It has been pedestrianized since the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

Christmas Markets had been held in Munich since the Middle Ages. The first mention of such an event is from 1310, when it was called “December Market” Today Christmas markets in Germany are called Christkindlimarkt (or Christ Child Market) and are usually held during the four weeks of Advent, that precede Christmas.

During Christmas markets Nativity Scenes are erected and a variety of traditional goods, such as gingerbread cookies, Bratwurst sausages, eggnog and mulled wine are sold and consumed.

This is one of the many Glühwein (or mulled wine) stalls. Mulled wine is usually prepared from red wine, heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, cloves, aniseed, orange, sugar and at times vanilla pods. The word Glühwein translates as “glow wine” because the beverage will make you feel lit from within.

Bosna is a spicy Austrian fast food dish, said to have originated in Salzburg. It resembles a hot dog, consisting mainly of a Bratwurst sausage, onions and a blend of mustard and ketchup. A stall modeled on the Frauenkirche, and the Frauenkirche (or Cathedral of Our Lady) in the background. Let’s go check it out!

Frauenkirche is the largest church in Munich, measuring 109 m (358 ft) by 40 m (130 ft), with 99 m tall towers. It was built between 1468 and 1524.

The peculiar shape of the domes on top of the towers are a result of a cost cutting measure, that have since become a symbol of Munich. Tourists can climb to the top (there’s no elevator), and one can see the Alps from there. Virgin Mary is the patron saint of Bavaria.

The exterior looks good! Now let’s see the interior. The interior……… How should I put it politely… It looks a bit SPARSE for a Catholic church. But I bet there’s something interesting behind this wall….

The tomb/monument of Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian was made in 1622. The central structure is made of black marble, it is surrounded by bronze figures, the central one being of Prince Albrecht V.

Ludwig actually lived 200 years before it was made, and he is actually burried in the crypts below. The intention of the monument was rather to glorify Albrecht V in the form of this Mannerist sculpture.

The cathedral was severely damaged by indiscriminate bombing during the Second World War. Much of the art that adorned it was lost then, this explains the simplicity of the interior. Now back to our tour of the city, exiting through a side door. Glühwein is served from the large antique looking boiler thing.

Another mulled wine stall, where punch is also sold. Weihnachtspunsch (or Christmas punch) is made of wine, sugar, orange, cinnamon, chocolate, and marzipan. There is also a non-alcoholic variant for children, called Kinderpunch. Besides the food and drink, stalls with Christmas decorations are also commonplace.

The usual procedure at these mulled wine stalls is that you get a mug in return for a deposit. After you’re done, you can take the mug back and have your deposit returned, or you can just keep the mug as a memorabilia.

Lebkuchen – a form of gingerbread are the most traditional snacks during Christmas. They were invented in the 13th century in Nuremberg, and have been sold at Christmas markets ever since. The kiosks in themselves are also worth admiring. Some of them are real works of art.

The crowd is getting a bit dense, let’s circle around. Marienplatz is one of the city’s main transportation hubs. 2 metro lines and 3 regional train lines (S-Bahn) intersect here. Marienplatz (or Mary Square) has been the city’s main square since 1158. The imposing New Town Hall towers in the distance.

In the Middle Ages Marienplatz was called Grain Market Square and knightly tournaments were held here. In December this is the site of the city’s main Christmas market. Lots of Christmas decorations here. Europeans hang not just globes, but all sorts of things on their trees. The pointy thing goes on top.

Old Town Hall and the Marian Column in the distance. The tower is 85 m tall, and features the famous Glockenspiel with 32 life-sized figures and 43 bells arranged on 2 levels, that chimes two times each day. Oil paintings of Munich.

The Marian Column in the center of the square was erected in 1638 to celebrate the end of the Swedish occupation during the Thirty Years War. The statue of Mary on top. At the foot of the column are four putti, that are fighting allegorical figures representing war, pestilence, famine and heresy.

Handmade angels and stars. They all go on your Christmas tree. There’s a huge variety of everything and more being sold here. The main venue looks great so far, just a bit crowded. Most of these decorations seem to be handmade. Globes can have many different shapes. The other side of the Marian Column.

Those straw stars look interesting. The New Town Hall was built in two sections between 1867 and 1909 in Neogothic style after the city’s administration outgrew the ancient Medieval building of the Old Town Hall.

The design was inspired by the city halls of Brussels and Vienna. It has 400 rooms, with a facade that is 100 m long, and the tower is 85m tall. There is a large network of cellars (Ratskeller) that can be visited. There’s a little Christmas market here too, let’s check it out.

Sign reads: Munich Nativity Scene, by Reinhold Gellner, since 1953. Quite impressive! Everyone and their uncle is represented here. The courtyard has an authentic 15th century feel, even though it was built in the 19th century. Why cant’t they build like this any more?! LIKE, SHARE and SUBSCRIBE if you agree.

Original things made out of wood. I like how they did the fur and the feathers. Every self respecting medieval building needs its gargoyles. This one has them in abundance. What a beautiful building this was! Sister cities of Munich. Verona is a strange choice, you will later see why.

The 100 faces of Santa. All handmade, not one of them is alike. This is how pancakes are made in Europe. In this part of Europe people hang all those silly things on their Christmas trees. Seriously! One last look at this fabulous building.

This whole street is lined with these kiosks selling Nativity Scenes and various associated figurines that enthusiasts can can use to build their own Nativity Scenes. A typical Nativity Scene depicts the birth of Jesus and would include: barn, manger, Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the Three Wise Men, a lamb, and the Star of Bethlehem.

These stalls sell everything you would need and more. All the figures appear to be handmade and hand painted. They come in all shapes and sizes. Tune up your Nativit scene with folk figures, dwarfs, drunk people, dogs, camels, deer and more! All combinations are possible.

Various little accessories like cart wheels and amphorae are also available, as well as different variants of the Star of Bethlehem. Notice how all the Biblical stables look like Alpine chalets… If you want to save money, you can buy the plain figurines and paint them yourself.

These climbers look really cool. Imagine the craftsmanship needed to make one. Not sure where they fit into the Nativity Scene. This is the St. Peter’s Church, originally built in the 12th century, rebuilt in the 14th century. The tower, known as Old Peter is 91 m (299 ft) tall.

This is the oldest church in Munich. It is believed that the city itself grew up around it. There are shops on this street that sell these wooden models on a permanent basis. In business since 1874. This is Munich’s answer to Naples’s Via San Giorgio Armeno.

Now on to Viktualienmarkt and another Christmas market. This one on the Nativity Scene street was quite special and unique. Viktualienmarkt (or Food Market – “victuals” is a fancy word for food) is the main gourmet/organic market of Munich.

The market originated in 1807 as a farmer’s market. Various foods and ingredients are sold here every day except on Sundays. A large market hall, called the Schrannenhalle is attatched to the market. Parts of the city’s Christmas fair are held here.

Besides the seasonal Glühwein, beer is also sold here, and lots of it. You can buy it by the liter for 4.90! These beer garden type setups are commonplace in Germany. The cold doesn’t seem to deter anyone. There are hardly any free seats here.

Everything to do with Christmas trees. You already know where to get the decorations. This gigantic thing is a maypole. Maypoles were traditionally erected in all German markets. The illustrations show all the trades and crafts that operate in the market. This one is painted in blue and white, the colors of Bavaria.

All the cheese you can want and more! Stollen is a fruit bread of nuts, spices, and dried or candied fruit, sometimes coated with icing sugar and often containing marzipan. It is a traditional German Christmas bread.

This market has its own elaborate little Nativity Scene. Market vendors appear to stand in for the Magi. That’s a truck tire sized cheese! Bratwurst sausages are a must at any Christmas fair in Germany.

Old Town Hall was originally built in the 14th century, then redesigned in Gothic style in the 15th century. Until the 19th century it served as the city hall of Munich, but then it was outgrown by the administration. Today its great hall is used for various representative purposes.

Heilig-Geist-Kirche (or Church of the Holy Spirit), originally built in the 14th century, remodeled in Baroque stye in the 18th century. Silvester means New Year’s Eve. That street leads to the Isar Gate. Nothing much going on over there. Old Town Hall in the foreground, New Town Hall and Frauenkirche Cathedral in the distance.

Verona is Munich’s sister city from Italy. This Juliet statue is an exact copy of the one in Verona, donated in 1974. What a view! LIKE, SHARE and SUBSCRIBE if you appreciate it. Back at Marienplatz. We will now head to the Residenz Palace, the site of another Christmas market. Thomas die Glühwein Zug!

More Stollen fruit bread. The Christmas store. We will see a life-size example of that helicopter tower shortly Entrance to the cellars of New Town Hall. There’s a quaint little park behind New Town Hall (to our left). Currently they are building an underground parking garage, hopefully we will see the park itself one day.

It appears they are protesting against fur in front of the Louis Vuitton. Max-Joseph Platz is a large, representative square in the historic center of Munich, named after Maximilian Joseph, the first King of Bavaria.

The National Theater was built between 1818 and 1823 in Neoclassical style. It can seat 2100 and has the 3rd largest stage in the world, at 2500 square meters. The grand monument shows Maximilian Joseph seated, waving to the crowd. It was erected in 1835.

The Residenz is the former royal palace of the Wittelsbach monarchs of Bavaria. The Residenz is the largest city palace in Germany and is today open to visitors.

The complex of buildings contains 10 courtyards and 130 rooms. Well traveled people will notice that this part of the palace is a close copy of the Pitti Palace in Florence. The Königsbau (or King’s Building) part of the palace was built between 1825 and 1835.

The palace (to our right) stretches on for several blocks. At its rear is a sumptuous garden, that is now also open to the public. Lions were a favorite symbol of the Wittelsbach rulers of Bavaria. The Palais Preysing is an 18th century Rococo palace that belonged Bavarian counts.

We have reached the site of our next Christmas market, held inside the largest courtyard of the Residenz Palace. I have a feeling this will also be a bit crowded….

The helicopter-pagoda is called a Christmas pyramid (or Weihnachtspyramid). It represents a centuries old German Christmas tradition. Biblical figures from the Nativity Scene adorn each floor of the pagoda…

Table-top versions would have candles lit under the propeller, and the hot air from these candles would drive the vanes. The propeller would be linked to the figures below, making them move around in a circle. How clever! It’s quite busy… These people are selling Ghlüh-beer.

Same sort of gifts and decorations we already saw. So far there’s a huge variety of food at this market. Something for everyone. You gotta have your bratwursts… Two sausages in one hot dog! More food… A trash can disguised as a gingerbread house. A talking rat. This looks like the children’s section.

A lifelike moose telling Christmas stories in German. The adults are also impressed. This is Hansel and Gretel. There’s the old witch beckoning them towards her. She looks evil. I love these paper lanterns. They are very popular now at Christmas markets. Lots and lots and lots of food at this market. Eierpunsch means eggnog.

A better view of the Christmas pyramid. You can see how the figures are revolving around. You can buy small scale versions in a few shops. I don’t expect they are cheap. That was the Residenz Christmas market. Very crowded but a lot of fun. Especially if you’re hungry.

To our left we have the Feldherrnhalle (or Field Marshals’ Hall), that was modeled on the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. The question arises that if so many buildings were modeled on Florence, than why isn’t Florence Munich’s sister city?

The Field Marshals’ Hall was the scene of heavy fighting during Hitler’s 1923 Beer Hall Putsch. The Theatine Church was built in the late 17th century in Italian Baroque-Rococo style. The towers are 66 m tall. There is a Dominican monastery attached to the church.

As you can see there is plenty of snow in this Christmas themed walk. As there should be. On to our last stop, the Christmas market at Wittelsbacher Square.

Wittelsbacher Square is named after the dynasty that ruled Bavaria for centuries. The square is surrounded by prestigious palaces and is home to many events, the most notable being a 2 week fish market and the Christmas fair.

This Christmas market is a bit more special, as it is a Medieval-themed event. The Knight of the Cigarette and the noble lady already gave that away. Medieval chimney cake. They are cutting the grooves into it and cooking it in an electric oven… It’s busy here too…

Notice the detail in the buildings and how they are drinking their Glühwein from medieval cups. Medieval watch tower serving Glühwein and the equestrian statue of Elector Maximilian I in the background. The medieval cups. Look at the detail on that sculpture! And this is just a temporary kiosk that sells mulled wine.

There’s a large variety of food at this market too so far. Here they sell fish, a popular food in this part of Europe during Christmas. Live music from the Middle Ages to provide an authentic atmosphere. Now playing the top 20 hits of the 13th century.

Ah, here’s something interesting! Mind you, these are actual swords and knives, not just for decoration. Some friendly maidens. They look good in those costumes. It’s starting to sound like the 15th to 16th century… A little bear and a jovial German!

This is a very fun place, definitely worth a visit if you are in the city. A whole pig on the roast and a wild boar’s head. This side is more focused on arts and crafts. Look at the detail on that! Even the stalls have gargoyles and snake themed columns.

Don’t let the fur protesters see this… Rob Stark selling some interesting wooden trinkets. Gary Oldman in the role of the blacksmith… Soap? Drinking horns.

And that was it! The Munich Cristmas market was definitely a top one. If you enjoyed the tour, please LIKE the video, SHARE it on your social media, and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Thanks for watching!

Explore the Munich (München) Christmas market in this 4K/60fps UHD walking tour. 📺 I use the best video camera and 🎧 the best audio equipment to record sound. For a truly immersive experience it is advised to watch the video on a wide screen TV and use an advanced sound system or to wear headphones.

See where I went on Google Maps 👉 https://bit.ly/3tUHaSS

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Equipment I used:

Sony FX30 Cinema Line Camera
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EM272Z1 XLR Microphones
Zoom F3 Field Recorder

Christmas Markets had been held in Munich since the Middle Ages. The first mention of such an event is from 1310, when it was called “December Market”. Today Christmas markets in Germany are called Christkindlimarkt (or Christ Child Market) and are usually held during the four weeks of Advend, that precede Christmas. During Christmas markets Nativity Scenes are erected and a variety of traditional goods, such as gingerbread cookies, Bratwurst sausages, eggnog and mulled wine are sold and consumed.
Munich (München) is the capital and most populous city of the Free State of Bavaria. With a population of 1,5 M inhabitants it is the third-largest city in Germany and the 11th-largest city in the European Union. The city was first mentioned in 1158. Catholic Munich strongly resisted the Reformation and was a political point of divergence during the resulting Thirty Years’ War, but remained physically untouched despite an occupation by the Protestant Swedes. Once Bavaria was established as the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1806, Munich became a major European center of arts, architecture, culture and science. In 1918 the ruling House of Wittelsbach, which had governed Bavaria since 1180, was forced to abdicate. During the Second World War, the city was heavily bombed, but has restored most of its old town. After the war there was a great increase in population and economic power. The city hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics.

0:00 Intro

1:05 Kaufinger Street

6:00 Frauenkirche Cathedral

17:35 Marienplatz Square

34:00 Nativity Scenes

45:30 Viktualienmarkt

1:08:30 Max-Joseph Square

1:15:00 Residenz Palace

1:37:00 Wittelsbacher Square

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