Day 1 – Total length 17 minute walk
Marienplatz (City square)
Viktualienmarkt
Hofgarten
Munich residence castle
Theatinerkirche church
Friedensengel monument (Angel of Peace)
Old Town (Munich-Altstadt-Lehel)
Usually, day one calls for some serious jetlag fighting, and so, I planned for all the closest attractions on this day to give you plenty of time to explore and take some well-deserved snack breaks. Begin at the Marienplatz city square and wander through the various Christmas market stores and streets filled with restaurants, cafes and boutiques, before heading to Viktualienmarkt for some breakfast or lunch. From there head over to Hofgarten to visit the city park, royal residence and Theatinerkirche church. Finally, stop over at the Angel of Peace monument on your way to the old town.
Now in terms of Christmas markets for day one, you can approach these however you like, with clear planning or completely spontaneous, the choice is up to you!
There’s usually an ice rink at Stachus/Karlsplatzat the beginning of Marienplatz, so I’d recommend scoping it out at the start of your day. There’s also an upstairs bar with seriously amazing Glühwein and warm Aperol, plus crepes and German sausages. There’s also this insane market at Tollwood, called the Theresienwiese Christmas Fair. I’d recommend going here at night; it’s absolutely gorgeous all lit up. The fair has fire shows and countless food spots and bars. The hardest part of your day is going to be deciding what to eat – don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Day 2 – Total length 1hr walk
Saint Peter’s Church
Cathedral of Our Dear Lady
Kunstareal art area
Kleinhesseloher Lake
Englische Garten
Day two is a very big day but totally do-able and definitely worth it! Begin the day at Saint Peter’s Church and then walk about five minutes to the Cathedral of Our Dear Lady, both offering incredible architecture and history. Once you’ve fueled-up on coffee or snacks at one of the cafes or restaurants surrounding the church, you’re ready to head over to the art district and the very incredible Alte Pinakothek museum if you’re interested in European paintings (I definitely loved it). Get your comfortable walking shoes on, because from there we’re heading to the Englische Garten and Kleinhesseloher Lake, which is about a 40 minute walk.
For today’s Christmas markets, be sure to visit Wittelsbacherplatz palace plaza for the coolest Medieval inspired markets, serving the best food and drinks until 9pm. There’s roaming street performers dressed in wizard and viking outfits, folk merchant stores and live music and entertainment on the mainstage. The whole market gives ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ vibes. Once you get to the Englische Garten, check out the Weihnachtsmarkt am Chinesischen Turm Markt. It’s located at the Chinese tower and is famous for its crepes, but has a huge variety of other food options. There’s even a little curling rink for some traditional gaming fun!
Day 3 – Total length 45min walk
Salzburg, Austria Day Trip
Mirabell Gardens
Mozart Residence
Imbergstiege
Mozart Birthplace
DomQuartier
Hohensalzburg Fortress
Old town/Altstadt
Definitely one of my favourite day trips, head over to Salzburg on day three, a little under 2 hours on public transport. Begin at the Mirabell Gardens (the filming location for The Sound of Music’s ‘Do-Re-Me’ scene) and Mozart Residence (though I will advise that tickets can be quite pricey – it is definitely worth seeing from the outside but if you’re on a tight budget, entrance admission can be missed). From there, there’s a super creepy dark staircase known as Imbergstiege that gives you some pretty breathtaking views of the gardens near the Kapuzinerkloster Monastery. Mozart’s Birthplace, the DomQuartier Baroque and old town are next on the list. Last but certainly not least, hike up to the Hohensalzburg Fortress for incredible views of Salzburg city and insane architecture.
The Salzburger Christkindlmarkt is spread throughout the city, with its main area in the heart of Salzburg’s UNESCO heritage site (Domplatz and Residenzplatz). There’s a small ice skating rink here too. A little note if you’re visiting during early December, there’s an Austrian tradition where a terrifying version of Saint Nicholas, known as ‘Krampus,’ roams the streets scaring misbehaving children. These ‘monsters’ are really just actors and totally safe, offering a hilarious or hella frightening experience for us tourists.
If you would like some further advice or itinerary tweaking, feel free to send me a message!
Ciao for now,
Jacqueline.
