Munich Christkindlmarkt at Marienplatz

The 2028 edition at a glance

Munich's Christkindlmarkt at Marienplatz stages the city's best known Christmas market in front of the Neues Rathaus. The 2028 edition is the third year under the newer opening rule, and it is the shortest of the three in our calendar: 31 days, from Friday 24 November to Sunday 24 December 2028.

The market is free to enter and sits in the pedestrian zone, so you can fold it into a general old town day without a fixed schedule.

Dates and status

The status is rule-based, which means nobody has announced these dates yet. They follow from the rule that the market starts on the Friday before Totensonntag, which in 2028 is Sunday 26 November, and ends on 24 December. The first Sunday of Advent is 3 December 2028, so this year the opening weekend comes one week before Advent begins.

Because Christmas Eve is a Sunday in 2028, the last day coincides with the fourth Advent Sunday. Please confirm both the start and the finale on the city's official page, as a final programme could differ from the rule.

Character, sights and food

The square has been a gathering place for the city for a very long time, and the market reflects that: it is a civic event as much as a tourist one. The Christmas tree, the market stalls and the voices from the balcony give it a ceremonial quality that smaller markets lack.

Expect a mixed crowd of locals after work, visitors on day trips from the Munich region and international tourists. On the last Sunday before Christmas, with the day also being Christmas Eve, the mood is unusually reflective.

Browse the stalls for gift ideas, taste Lebkuchen and roasted almonds, and try a hot drink such as Glühwein or a fruit punch. A walk to the Viktualienmarkt or a visit to the Frauenkirche rounds out an afternoon, and the shopping streets around Kaufingerstraße are a short walk away.

If you have children, the carol singing and the lights are the main attractions; there is no need to plan more than an hour or two on the square itself.

Getting there and where to stay

Marienplatz sits on several S-Bahn and U-Bahn lines, which makes it an easy target from the airport as well, by S-Bahn without a change of stations for the central area. For accommodation, the zones near the main station and the old town offer short walks, though prices for Advent weekends are usually higher.

Travellers coming by car should plan to park outside the centre and use public transport for the last stretch.

Public holidays and vacation days in Bavaria, 2028

In 2028 the opening Friday is 24 November and the closing day is Sunday 24 December. Christmas Day falls on Monday 25 December and Boxing Day on Tuesday 26 December, both Bavarian public holidays. Allerheiligen, 1 November, is a Wednesday and well before the market starts. Dreikönig on 6 January 2029 lies outside the market period.

A weekend trip on 24 to 26 November needs no vacation day when you leave after work on Friday. A mid-December city break such as Thursday 14 to Sunday 17 December costs two days if you take Thursday and Friday off. If you want to pair the market with Christmas week, the stretch from Saturday 23 December to Sunday 31 December requires only Wednesday 27 to Friday 29 December, which is three vacation days for nine days off, with the public holidays on 25 and 26 December included.

Tips and who it suits

Go in the early evening for lights, or before noon on a weekday for fewer crowds. The market suits visitors who want an iconic setting and do not mind a busy square. If you rely on public transport, check timetables for the weekend of 24 December, as holiday schedules apply.

Treat our dates as provisional until the city confirms them, and keep refundable bookings until then.