EN 
DE Cultural stroll through the Viktualienmarkt
Impressions
Description:
A tour for all the senses! Whether you just want to relax at the Viktualienmarkt, have a spontaneous beer, or stock up on groceries for your home kitchen like the locals: you can't escape the charm of Germany's largest open-air market, especially because it smells enticing everywhere and the displays are arranged so lovingly that you can't get enough of looking at them.
On our guided tour, we let ourselves drift through the labyrinthine aisles, enjoying the aroma of freshly baked pretzels, fresh fruit, or perhaps the cheese displays, listening to the market women and stall owners haggling and grumbling, and of course, talking about food: Bavarian specialties, meat, sausages, Munich's only horse butcher shop, game and poultry, fish, cheese, honey, fruits and vegetables, exotic fruit juices, or seasonal specialties like asparagus or mushrooms! You'll even find potato specialists, flower and spice vendors, and stalls with typical regional decorations here.
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Munich has always been a market town! However, salt, grain, bread, and everything else needed for life used to be traded on Marienplatz – until 200 years ago, when it became far too crowded, and the market was relocated to the current area between the Church of the Holy Spirit, the Schrannenhalle, and the Metzgerzeile. At that time, secularization played into the city administration's hands, as the demolition of the Holy Spirit Monastery freed up a prime location, so the food market is still located in the heart of the Old Town today. Here, the typical green stalls with their colorful awnings and umbrellas characterize the unique appearance of this Munich landmark.
The city's most central beer garden, with its approximately 1,000 seats, is an essential part of the experience. It's supplied by all six major Munich breweries in a seemingly inscrutable rotation. See how quickly you can name Munich's beer brands – here's a quick tip: There's a cheat sheet hanging on the white and blue maypole! But no matter what beer is on offer, the seats under the shady chestnut trees are sure to invite you to take a break in the unmistakable comfort of a Munich beer garden.
Of course, culture isn't neglected on our market tour either: We'll be happy to explain when and why the vendors let off steam during the Market Women's Dance, how the pretzel rider helped the hungry townspeople in the Middle Ages, or the story behind the many fountains that were set up around the market grounds not just for refreshment but also in honor of famous Munich folk singers. Perhaps we can even stimulate our brains with a Gstanzl from Roider-Jackl or one of Karl Valentin's unmistakable sayings? And if you're hungry or want to not just look but also try something: I'd be happy to take you on my Viktualienmarkt delicacy tour, where you can sample the delicacies at selected stalls.
At a glance:
The most important things in brief:
Meeting point:
As always, we would be happy to come to your hotel or according to your personal wishes;
Both Marienplatz and directly at the maypole in the market square (U3/U6 and S-Bahn lines) are suitable.
Duration:
Bookable as a 2 or 3-hour tour
Distance:
almost nothing!
Group size:
max. 20 people
Tailor-made:
What are you most looking forward to? Let me know and we'll make the tour a truly personal experience for you!
Member of the Munich Tourist Guide Association eV
Member of the TIM Tourism Initiative Munich
„Our team and I have been working in Munich's city center for 20 years. Many of us also live in Munich. So, it was a bit of an experiment to take a guided tour of our own workplace – because, of course, you think you already know most things. Grit Ranft proved us wrong. With a wealth of historical and contemporary, fact-filled, and imaginative stories about buildings, squares, market stalls, and memorials, she presented them in a very entertaining and engaging way, revealing many new things and rediscovering some things we had forgotten. You can tell how much Ms. Ranft enjoys doing this. And how pleased she is when her knowledge is met with interest and appreciation. We thank her for a truly wonderful morning spent with her in Munich's city center.“
Dr. Peter Lüdemann LWK LÜDEMANN WILDFEUER KNECHTSKERN
LAWYERS / TAX ADVISORS, company outing in August 2023
My tips for before and after our tour:
This tour can easily be incorporated into a perfect day in Munich! Afterward, simply continue your stroll through the Old Town. Or relax right next door in the Gärtnerplatz district, which, with its theater and many small boutiques, is one of Munich's favorite neighborhoods.
Furthermore, this is Beer and Oktoberfest Museum just a stone's throw away, and should the weather be too nice for a museum visit, you can set off from here for a walk along the Isar River – ideally not without a stop at the famous Reichenbach kiosk, where you can take liquid or solid provisions with you.
Frequently asked questions:
Is the Viktualienmarkt also open on Sundays?
Can we also sample the delicacies on this tour?
When is the best time to visit the market?
Still questions?
Write to me or just call me:
Grit Ranft
and the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial