Can’t miss festivals in Munich

If you’re traveling in Munich, be sure to check out one of their great festivals that happen yearly.

• Munich Carnival – February

One of the oldest festivals in Munich is Carnival and dates back to 1823 on the Rhein. If you are in town in February, you will not want to miss it! It is a three day festival or what is known as “three crazy days” where the local women raid the area and people from all ages come out to watch the parades commence. During the festival, candy and flowers are thrown out to the crowd. The festival always ends on Ash Wednesday.

•  Auer Dult Festival – April/July/October

For a real tastes of the Bavarian culture, check out the Auer Dult or “Dult” festival. It is held three times yearly at the Mariahilfplatz, in an area known as “Au” or meadow or pasture. It is a great place to take a stroll and have a bite to eat. When the festival or “Dult” is being held, it opens up with rides, food, and fun for everyone. The Auer Dult also offers an open market for all kinds of kitchen gadgets for those foodies out there who love to pick up the latest kitchen gadget.

•  Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommer – June to September

If you love classical music, a must-do for you is the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It is held from June to Sept. and spotlights some of the best local classical musicians the area has to offer. The festival has been running since 1990 and offers up to 112 concerts over a season. You can get tickets at Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern gGmbH, LindenstraBe1, 19055 Schwerin, Fax +49 (0)385/591 85 86. You can also contact them at kartenservice@festspiele-mv.de.

• Oktoberfest – October

Oktoberfest features a festival called, “Die Wiesn.” The festival is named after Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. It is beloved by locals and the highlight of the event is the Oktoberfest Costume and Rifleman’s Parade. There are other important events as well such as the Parade of Oktoberfest Landlords and Breweries, as well as the Official Tapping of the Keg, and the Oktoberfest Mass. BollerschieBen is another exciting event. It is known as a handheld salute by cannons.

The Oktoberfest website says that it is best to leave your car at the hotel you’re staying and use public transportation to get to the festival. There are several ways to do this. The P&R-area at the “Garching-Sued” exit is a great way to get there from the A-9 on Nurenberg. The U-Bahn line or subway line runs from the PoccistraBe stop every 10 minutes. There are various other park and sites such as the Studentenstadt on U6 and the Michaelibad on U5.

• Winterfestival Christmas Market – November to December

If you are going to be in Munich during the holidays, you have to visit one of the many holiday festivals held in Munich. You can visit Tollwood, The Winterfestival Christmas Market which has their annual Christmas festival running form Nov. 26-Dec. 23 this year. You can see shows, shop for gifts, and try delectable goodies while there. You can also see street performers and if you like, check out their Tief-im-Wald-Bar-Café , a tenet where you see live music and sample great drinks. If you have children, they will love the Weltsalon where they can do crafts, read stories, and have lots of great fun, all at no cost! The festival is held at Theresienwiese, U-Bahn Mon.-Fri. 2 p.m.-midnight and Sat. and Sun. 11 a.m. to midnight. The Tief-im-Meer-Bar is open everyday from 1 a.m.

You can find many Christmas markets all over Munich. There are many festivals that offer everything from holiday goodies to gifts to music. Try some traditional goodies like potato pancakes, lebkuchen (honey bars) and strussel. Many of these markets have a post office you can mail gifts or letters off to loved ones. The letters or gifts will be marked with the word “Christkindl.” If you want to really wow your friends and family, ask for your packages to be stamped to be stamped with “Muenchner Christkindlmarkt.” (Munich Christmas Market) The post office is open from Nov. 29-Dec. 7. The hours are Mon.-Fri. 12 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sat. and Sun. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon – Fri. 12:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Sat. & Sun. 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. You can get to the Munich Christmas Market by the Tourist bus, the Thomas-Wimmer-Ring, the Park&Ride facilities at www.parkundride.de or by the train on the Marienplatz station, bus line 52, 131, and tram 19. For more information, contact ++49 (0)89 – 41 42 43 44

Photo of ferris wheel in Munich, Germany, originally posted by KalleKarl  

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About the author

Anna is a writer/researcher who specializes in travel writing. She earned her B.A. in Mass Communications from The University of Tulsa, making her the first person in her family to do so. She has been writing professionally since 2005 and is happily married to her best friend.