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Kayla Smith

December 14, 2023

Medieval Market, Fairytale Bazaar, and Making the Most of One Day in Munich

 

The travel mishap on the way to Munich wasn’t our fault. Or I suppose it WAS our fault for not knowing German, but sadly my German knowledge is limited to the word for “dog.” On our early train from Prague to Munich, the train stopped in a small town in Germany, and an announcement came over the train speakers. Most people stood and got off the train, but not everyone did, and we weren’t sure what was happening. When we asked those around us who had remained on the train if they knew what was going on, we realized that only the people who didn’t understand German had stayed. The rest of us slowly trickled out of the train, and I found a train attendant several cars down who explained that there was railway work between that stop and the next one and that a bus would be taking everyone between the two stations. But when the non-German-speaking group of us made it to the bus, the angry driver gestured that the bus was full and drove away leaving us standing there. It started to snow.

The station was tiny—just one room with a little convenience store/café and a small restaurant attached. There was no ticket booth and there were no railway workers. No one working in the café or restaurant knew any information about the train. No one knew if another bus was coming or if the bus that left us would come back. There were probably 20 or so of us, and we huddled together under an awning, hoping a bus would show up. After half an hour, some people started looking up the option to Uber to the next station. The group of us moved inside and sat in the small hallway. An hour and a half later, another bus finally showed up for us, entirely unannounced. If we hadn’t been sending a lookout outside every few minutes, we would have missed it. At the next station, no one directed us which train to get on, and there weren’t signs letting us know. Our group scattered with people getting on trains going in opposite directions. We took a guess and hoped we were right, and luckily, we were. It was a very odd first impression of what I envisioned would be a country of efficiency and order.

 

It was nearly dark by the time we arrived in Munich. We walked to our Airbnb—perhaps the strangest Airbnb of my trip. It was inside a hotel but independently owned by an individual. When I say it was inside a hotel, I mean that we entered into the hotel lobby and passed by the check-in desk and took the elevator to our floor of hotel rooms. We punched our key code into the lock, and we were in our hotel room that…wasn’t a hotel room? The décor was confusing. The oddly placed art was confusing. It was a perplexing situation, but it was comfortable enough for our brief stay.

We had one full day in Munich the next day to explore the Christmas markets, so we packed in as many as we could. Munich is a big city, and it felt like there was a different Christmas market for every interest. In the Main Square, the gothic Town Hall towered over the traditional market below, full of ornaments, stuffed animals, crafts, and nativity scenes. The market dates all the way back to the 14th century, and it’s one of the most popular in Europe. It was nearly freezing, and we stumbled around the market with stiff legs and numb fingers in spite of our gloves. Just outside the square was the Food Market featuring booth after booth of foods from around the world and a beer garden, and if the weather had been warmer, we would have sampled some snacks. Instead, we went to seek shelter and found a cozy café for lunch. My mom got potato soup and I got a salad with “pretzel dumpling croutons,” which sound like 3 different foods to me but was incredibly good.

 

A ten-minute-walk away, we found the Medieval Market. Merchants wore their cloaks and historical costumes in their wooden huts. There were events planned throughout the week—knights, Renaissance dance circles, a falconer, jesters—and drink specials with names like “dragon’s blood.” It was part-Renaissance Fair and part Christmas Market. I don’t know if it was entirely accurate to what was happening in Munich in medieval times, but it was very cute.

The market I was most excited to see was the Fairytale Bazaar. The name is a little misleading—it’s less of a fairy tale vibe and more what I’d describe as a Bohemian, steampunk, circus vibe. We took a bus to get there, and the market was set up in a series of big tents (circus style). Walking into each of the tents was like wandering into different parties. There were live musical performances and food booths and crafts interspersed throughout. It felt less Christmas-y than the other markets and also like something that would exist back home in New Orleans amid my arts and circus pals. (In fact, why doesn’t this exist in New Orleans?)

Munich is a great place for people who aren’t as enchanted by traditional markets as, say, I am. There are several more popular alternative markets that we didn’t get to visit like the Pink Market (organized by the LGBTQ community and featuring all pink lights), the Winter Festival (like Oktoberfest but in winter), and even a Christmas market at the airport.

Before heading back to our room, we got dinner at a place the Airbnb host suggested to us and that we didn’t realize was fancy until we got there. We were too tired and cold to go anywhere else, so we ended the night with fish over prosecco-risotto and a sinful apple dessert, and yet again Bavaria proved to have delicious food.

It’s criminal to only spend two nights in Germany on a Christmas-market tour, but we had to head to Salzburg the next day to prepare for the most exciting event of our European Christmas Market Journey—Krampus Night.

Posted In: Christmas Markets, Munich · Tagged: Central Europe Christmas Market, European Christmas Market, Fairytale Bazaar, German Christmas Market, Medieval Christmas Market, Munich, Munich Christmas Market

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Writer, educator, book lover, explorer, map collector, and elderly dog lover. Sharing thoughts, stories, and wonder as I go.

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kaylamichellesmith

During the 24 hours I was in Sarajevo, it stormed, During the 24 hours I was in Sarajevo, it stormed, I twisted my ankle, a tour I wanted to do was canceled, and I lost my debit card. But despite all this, I knew nearly immediately that I was obsessed with this city. 

Sarajevo isn’t the most beautiful place I’ve ever been, but it’s one of the most fascinating. The little I knew about Sarajevo, and the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina, before visiting was outdated by 30 years. The war here happened so recently that my school textbooks were published before it but so long ago that I barely remember. The first time I ever heard of a place called Bosnia, long before I could find it on a map, was in a kid’s chapter book about the war, and what I took away from the story was that this was a terrifying and dangerous place that a person should never visit. 

What a gift it is to be able to correct your own past assumptions.

When I think about which places I’ve visited that I want to return to, Sarajevo is near the top of that list.
Leaving Budapest and the Schengen zone for Serbia Leaving Budapest and the Schengen zone for Serbia felt like heading into the Wild West—this was a very different Europe than I’d visited before. And to be honest, my first impression of Belgrade was not a good one. We arrived late at night after bus delays, and the bus station was closed. Late night transportation  options were questionable, and taxi drivers kept approaching way too eagerly and offering rides for ridiculous prices. This could have happened in any city, but in the moment it felt sketchy and tense.

The next morning, the city felt considerably less sketchy but still cold and unwelcoming. It took half a day, but finally we found a couple modern and popular areas of town full of bookstores and music and better vibes. And while I still wouldn’t say I liked Belgrade much, I’m glad I visited and glad that I was able to change my mind after my initial impression. And of course, I ended up loving the rest of the Balkans. 

I know so many people who LOVE Serbia. I’d love to go back and explore more of the country to find why they love it.
My monthly reminder that most of my photos are act My monthly reminder that most of my photos are actually dog photos and that I’m at my kitchen table far more often than I’m traveling. August had some lovely moments. @1samanthaaldana  @lindaa.xoxoxo
If you’ve ever wondered what I’m doing when I’m away traveling, it’s usually this. 

(Is there a single one of you who’s gonna watch 50 entires seconds of bookstores? @thebookeasy friends, I’m counting on you! 😂) 

Everyone, drop your favorite bookstore in the world in the comments! I’ll add them all to my travel list! 

I think my favorite of all these is @carturesticarusel in Bucharest. It’s indescribably magical.
For over a decade, countless people have told me I For over a decade, countless people have told me I should pursue a job as a travel advisor. I’m so glad I finally decided they were right. @hellofora 

Nothing brings me as much joy as helping others travel. But Instagram and its mysterious algorithm can only go so far in helping me reach people who want to hear more about what I can offer. So…I’ve decided to start a newsletter! 

In my newsletter, I’ll share special deals, perks, tips, and news for all types of travelers. I am planning to send a newsletter just once or twice per month, and you can trust that I won’t spam you! 

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