On Wednesday 11 November, children with lanterns will walk through Munich’s old town, and a little over a week later the Christkindlmarkt opens. Families who want to take part should note two dates now: the procession itself, and booking for the free craft workshop in the town hall.
Martinsumzug: Wednesday 11 November, 4.30 pm
The St Martin’s procession of Munich’s inner-city parishes starts at 4.30 pm on Frauenplatz, right in front of the main portal of the Frauenkirche, with a short St Martin play. Walkers then follow Löwengrube and Ettstraße to the Jesuit church of St Michael (Neuhauser Straße 6), where a brief festive service takes place around 5 pm. The event is scheduled to end at about 5.30 pm. According to the organisers, the Frauenkirche parish and the inner-city parishes, it is open to “families, children and everyone who wants to walk along”. The city’s event page gives no admission price and mentions no registration. Bring a lantern and warm clothes – it is an evening walk in mid-November. Many nurseries, schools and parishes also hold their own processions; dates are usually posted there.
Christkindlmarkt: 20 November to 24 December
Munich’s Christkindlmarkt runs around Marienplatz from 20 November to 24 December 2026. It is open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 9 pm, Sunday from 10 am to 8 pm and on Christmas Eve from 10 am to 2 pm. It is closed on Totensonntag, 22 November. The Christmas tree is lit for the first time on 20 November at 5 pm. On 27 November and 12 December stalls may stay open until 10 pm, though they are not obliged to.
Two free offers are aimed at children. “Singen unterm Christbaum”, a singalong in front of the Michaelskirche, takes place on 25 November and 2, 9 and 16 December at 4.30 pm. The Himmelswerkstatt, a craft workshop for schoolchildren aged 6 to 12, runs from 26 November to 13 December in the Ratstrinkstube of the Neues Rathaus, daily from 2.30 to 4 pm and from 4.30 to 6 pm. Children meet 15 minutes before the start at the Rathauspforte by the Fischbrunnen. Parents cannot stay: the children craft for about 90 minutes without them and are collected afterwards.
Places are limited and booking is online via the Kindermuseum München. Booking opens ten days before the date you want – 16 November for the first day, 26 November, and 3 December for the last, 13 December. Each child can book at most two sessions, and anyone who cannot come should cancel in good time. Questions are answered Monday to Thursday, 10 am to 2 pm, on 089 5404644-0.
Our own assessment, not the organisers’: the most popular days will probably fill quickly, so open the booking page on the very day your preferred date becomes available.
Sources: muenchen.de – Martinsumzug, muenchen.de – Christkindlmarkt, muenchen.de – Himmelswerkstatt, Kindermuseum München
