Our first stop in Germany was Munich, and our first stop in Munich was to the main Christmas Market! Briony and I were both starving and wanted to spend what little daylight was left seeing as much as possible! Of all the Christmas Markets we visited on our trip, Munich was my very favorite in terms of the market’s offerings. They had the best variety of food, the prettiest ornaments (so many of the others were cheesy/seemed cheap) and had multiple markets to visit within the city! I found my favorite angel ornaments here (scroll down for a pic) that I bought for my mom, sister and grandmother. I wish I’d gone ahead and bought all of my ornaments in Munich, because we couldn’t find any others quite like these anywhere else!
There are actually a number of great Christmas Markets in Munich alone! The first is the biggest in St. Mary’s Square (Marienplatz), where the majority of these photos are taken. The second is a smaller Christmas village in The Emperor’s Court of of the Munich Residence. Super cute and quaint! Finally there is the Christmas Market at the English Gardens, which unfortunately we didn’t have time to do on our short trip as it was a bit of a drive. If you’re planning a trip next year, check out this website for information on when and where they are!
A few items you must try when visiting the Christmas Markets include Gluhwein (mulled wine – so yummy!), Schuptnudle (sort of like gnocchi!), Lebkuchen (German gingerbread – I recommend the chocolate covered!), and of course, sausage! They serve the Gluhwein in festive mugs that you can either keep or return and get your “deposit” back!
Before departing Munich for Nuremburg, Briony and I visited Schloss Nymphenburg. This Baroque palace is in the western district of Munich, and features a sprawling landscape and gilded interiors. I wish we had time to do more of this kind of exploring, as I love going to museums, palaces and just walking around different areas of town. We had such little time in each city we really were only able to do the Christmas Markets! Definitely something to note if you are planning a trip there – tack on more time in each city if you want to explore outside of the markets.
The interiors of this palace were stunning – I was lucky to get some shots without people in them (we got there right as it opened!), so scroll down to take a peek inside and see more of my outfit that day!
PS: While we took an Uber over to the palace, because it is quite a drive we weren’t able to secure an Uber back (there aren’t as many drivers in Germany). We ended up taking a bus and then a train back to the area we were staying! No big deal, but just a head’s up that you may need to familiarize yourself with public transport if you visit Schloss Nymphenburg!
