Last Friday night I hopped on a BA flight from Heathrow to Munich with the plan to spend a weekend wandering around the city and making the most of its Christmas markets.
Whirligig off Sendlinger Strasse
We arrived quite late so took a taxi from the airport to the Courtyard by Marriot City Center Munich hotel which was located just off the main ringroad of the city.
After a big breakfast at the hotel we spent the day wandering through the various Christmas markets and making the most of what the city had to offer.
Christmas Tree at the Rathaus
First we headed to Marienplatz to see the Rathaus (Town Hall) and its famous Glockenspiel which shows two historic scenes: the first, the marriage of Duke Wilhelm V to Renata of Lorraine celebrated by knights on horseback jousting; the second, the coopers’ dance organised said to have taken place in 1517 to cheer up residents following a terrible plague.
Glockenspiel
After wandering around some of the stalls and looking at the decorations we headed over to Munich’s traditional food market. This is a great place to pick up schnitzel or haxe in a bun.
Decorations for Sale at Marienplatz Market
I was particularly taken with the local cheese shop.
Cheese Shop at Viktualienmarkt (Food Market) in Munich
We picked up a few traditional decorations before trying to find somewhere to sit down and warm up over a cup of tea and some traditional torte.
Decorations for Sale at Marienplatz
Finally, we came across Schuhbecks Orlando (not far from Maximilianstrasse, one of the city’s four royal avenues where you’ll find the likes of Dior and Bvlgari) a brasserie restaurant set up by Alfons Becks, a notable chef from Bavaria. This part of the city seemed to be a little bit like the equivalent of Padstow in Cornwall where Rick Stein has some sort of eatery at every turn, with several gastronomic outlets all under the Schuhbecks brand within just metres of each other.
Strudel at Schuhbecks Orlando
I enjoyed a lovely jasmine tea and some of the best strudel I’ve ever eaten: poppy seed strudel with berries and pistachio ice cream. I was thoroughly blown away, this strudel was fantastic.
I’d recommend trying the Schweinhaxe, local beer and gluehwein in abundance. The Christmas tram (Christmaskindl Tram) is also worth a ride. It costs 2 Euros and can be picked up every 30 minutes outside the pink church by the Sendlinger Tor market.
Our trip cost £1,089 booked via Expedia.
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