Step Into the Glow at Marienplatz
It is late afternoon on the first Sunday of Advent and the sky over Munich has gone the colour of wet slate. Then the Rathaus balcony lights come on, the brass ensemble begins to play, and the whole square turns gold: a Norway spruce 25 to 30 metres tall from the Bavarian Forest stands at the centre, its lights reflected in a hundred shop windows along Kaufingerstraße. The air carries Glühwein, toasted almonds and Bratwurst, and 130-plus wooden stalls spread from Marienplatz down Weinstraße and Rindermarkt. This is the Christkindlmarkt, in continuous operation at this address since 1972, and on the first Advent Sunday it is the centre of the city's Christmas.
In 2026 the market runs from Friday, November 20 through Thursday, December 24. It stays closed on Sunday, November 22 for Totensonntag. Hours are 10:00–21:00 Monday to Saturday and 10:00–20:00 on Sundays, with a short final day on December 24 from 10:00 to 14:00. Entry is free.
Hear the Brass from the Rathaus Balcony
The single best free thing you can do on Advent Sunday is stand beneath the Neue Rathaus at 17:30. Every day from opening through December 23, the balcony hosts a free Advent concert of roughly 25 minutes — brass ensembles, choirs, alphorn players. It is the same balcony FC Bayern Munich uses for title celebrations, and on a cold Advent evening the sound carries clean across the square. Arrive by 17:00 if you want to be near the front; the crowd thickens fast once the Glühwein stalls hit their evening peak.
Walk the Stalls, Then Find the Kripperlmarkt
Give the market two passes: one in daylight to see the crafts, one after dark when the lights do the work.
- Marienplatz core — Glühwein runs about €5 for 0.2 L plus a €4 refundable mug deposit, with a new mug design each year. Non-drinkers get Kinderpunsch; Feuerzangenbowle is the stronger traditional option.
- Kripperlmarkt — the nativity-scene sub-market near Rindermarkt. Bavaria has the world's densest Krippe-making tradition, and you can browse small figures from around €15 up to museum-quality sets above €5,000.
- Eat as you go — Bratwurst in a Semmel (€4–€5), Lebkuchen hearts (€5–€15), Schmalzkrapfen, Gebrannte Mandeln, Magenbrot, Käsespätzle, Reibekuchen, Stollen.
- Bring the children — the Himmelswerkstatt in the Rathaus arcades runs free craft sessions on weekends: cookie decorating, candle making, card workshops. Carriage rides leave from Marienplatz on weekend afternoons (about €10 per adult, €5 per child), and there is a carousel near the Mariensäule.
Advent Customs That Land on Specific Days
Beyond the stalls, the season has its own calendar. St. Nikolaus visits the market on December 6, handing out small gifts to children. The Krampuslauf — the Krampus run, with costumed figures parading through the streets — falls on a Sunday in early December. The market itself opens each year with a procession and a speech by the Mayor at the Rathaus. Treat these as the fixed points of the Munich Advent and plan your Sunday around whichever falls during your stay.
Branch Out Across the City's Other Markets
Munich runs roughly 15 to 20 markets simultaneously, and Advent Sunday is a good day to sample two or three.
- Residenz Weihnachtsmarkt — an eight-minute walk from Marienplatz.
- Wittelsbacher Platz — boutique crafts, plus a Medieval Market with mead.
- Schwabing / Münchner Freiheit — reachable by U-Bahn.
- Pink Christmas in Glockenbach — the LGBTQ+ market, about a 12-minute walk.
- Tollwood Winter Festival at Theresienwiese — S-Bahn access, and it runs past New Year.
- Schloss Nymphenburg — weekends only, about 25 minutes by Tram 17.
- Englischer Garten at the Chinese Tower — beer-garden style, for when you want the market without the crush.
Practicalities for a Cold Sunday
December temperatures in Munich average between -2°C and +5°C, so dress for standing still. Reach Marienplatz on S-Bahn lines S1–S8 or U3/U6, which exit directly into the square, or take Tram 19/21 to Theatinerstraße, a four-minute walk. The central streets are pedestrianised and driving is discouraged, with parking from €25 a day; an MVV day pass covers zone M at €9.90 single or €18.80 for a group. Most stalls take cards, but smaller artisans prefer cash — carry €30–€50 in small bills. Public WCs are in the Marienplatz S/U-Bahn station (€0.50) and the Rathaus arcades. The square is flat and accessible for strollers and wheelchairs, though some side-lane stalls have step thresholds, and dogs are welcome on leashes. Weekday mornings between 10:00 and 13:00 are quietest; 17:30–19:00 has the best atmosphere; Friday and Saturday evenings and the first Saturday of December are busiest, while Tuesday and Wednesday evenings are the least crowded.
Book your travel for late November or early December, check which Sunday the Krampuslauf falls on, and build your first evening around a 17:30 balcony concert with a mug of Glühwein in hand. Munich's Advent does the rest.