Munich is not a carnival stronghold - and yet with the market women on the Viktualienmarkt it has something unique to offer. In 2022, the carnival at the Viktualienmarkt and most other carnival events were unfortunately cancelled due to Corona. Those who already dream of summer holidays and outdoor sports in February will get the best inspiration at the travel and leisure fair "f.re.e".
Shortly after Christmas, the colorfully filled doughnuts are already piling up in Munich bakeries, a clear sign that the Faching is approaching. Because the carnival season officially begins on Epiphany (January 6) and ends on Shrove Tuesday. From 27 February to 1 March 2022, a carnival celebration mile was planned in Munich, from the Old Town via the Viktualienmarkt to the Stachus. Now it has been cancelled because of the high incidences, just like all events on Shrove Tuesday. This day is normally the highlight of the Munich carnival season: At the Viktualienmarkt the Lord Mayor speaks, the prince and princess couple and carnival guard say goodbye with their last performance - and thousands of people look forward to the dance of the market women. During the year these women sell fruit and vegetables, fish, flowers, spices or fresh juices at their stalls. Now they whirl across the stage in brightly coloured costumes, so that the petticoat skirts and high hats just fly. Every year the start is made by the cult song "Linie 8", followed by newly rehearsed dances. A unique experience!
Shrove Tuesday, 1 March 2022, Viktualienmarkt
At the trade fair "f.re.e" from 16 to 22 February 2022, people will be mentally on holiday, in the mountains, on the water and on their bicycles. The largest travel and leisure fair in Bavaria inspires in camping, cruising, health and wellness, water sports and everything to do with outdoor activities. On site at the Messe München, visitors can climb steep rock faces, try their hand at stand-up paddling and even take a taster diving course.
Trade Fair "f.re.e", 16 to 22 February 2022, Messe München (unfortunately canceled)
Ausstellung Duckomania Ägyptisches Museum
The Alte Pinakothek and the Schack Collection present selected works of painting and sculpture from the late 18th to the early 20th century. The selection of around 80 paintings and sculptures spans the spectrum from Classicism and Romanticism to the beginning of Modernism.
Alte Pinakothek, February 8 to December 31, 2022
Sweat - as an expression of life and transformation - is the focus of the exhibition "Sweat" at Haus der Kunst. The liquid substance is produced by the body in different states such as excitement and exertion, attraction and stress, and as a physical trace it tells of movement, placement and formation of bodies in space. The exhibition features works by 30 international artists created in different places, at different times, and in the face of different conditions of social pressure. The aim of the exhibition "Sweat" is to draw attention to the complexity of different realities and to create sensual access to current social discourses.
Haus der Kunst, until February 27, 2022
Not enough yet? Here you will find even more interesting exhibitions, such as the photo exhibition "Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021" in the Museum of Man and Nature with the 100 best nature photographs (until March 6, 2022) or the art exhibition Duckomenta in the State Museum of Egyptian Art (until February 20, 2022) in which the history of the world is told exclusively from a duck's perspective: Not only the "Mona Lisa" or the picnic group from Èdourd Manet's "Breakfast in the Green" wear duck beaks here.
Winter in Munich without any skiing or snowboarding? Unimaginable! After all, the city has the mountains right on its doorstep. Brauneck mountain, for example, is around an hour away in the car or on the train. Lenggries ski resort offers a variety of pistes and a long valley run. However, its best snow conditions come during high winter. Sudelfeld Bayrischzell is Germany's largest continuous ski resort and is known for being particularly family-friendly. The lifts have been undergoing expansion and renovation measures for a number of years. Garmisch-Partenkirchen has not one but two resorts in its direct vicinity. One the one hand, you have the Garmisch resort with its local mountain, Alpspitze, Kreuzeck and the legendary Kandahar run. And on the other hand, you have Zugspitze, Germany’s highest ski resort. Up there, the peak is still covered in snow when the beer gardens back down in the valley are opening for the season. However, the terraces on Zugspitzplatt plateau are also an ideal spot to enjoy the first warm sun of the new year. Please note that the Bavarian ski areas currently apply the 2G rule, according to which only vaccinated and recovered persons are allowed access to the slopes.
If the sledging slopes in Munich’s parks are too small for you, why not try heading to a proper mountain. The best place is Wallberg mountain in Rottach-Egern, a 1722-metre-high peak in Bavaria’s Alpine foothills. Starting at the mountain station for the Wallbergbahn cable car, a 6.5-kilometre-long natural sledge track winds its way down the valley. The route is one of the longest and sportiest in Germany. Sledgers need around 30 minutes to cover the 825-metre drop in altitude from the top to the bottom. Sledges are available to rent from the Wallbergbahn cable car. The sledge route is open daily if there is enough snow; the track is then prepared overnight ready for the next day. After your descent, relax with a beer or snack at Herzogliche Braustüberl Tegernsee or a trip to the lakeside sauna Seesauna Tegernsee. The highlight of any trip to the sauna is a round in the Irmingard sauna ship, a 15-tonne steam boat from 1925 that was once used to train captains. Please note the currently valid Corona rules for gastronomy and for saunas and baths.
Schmalznudeln – also known as Auszogne or Kiachl in Bavaria – literally means “shortening noodles”, though these deep-fried pastry treats have little to do with pasta. Auszogne are a traditional part of Alpine cuisine. They are made from a yeast-based dough, cooked in fat and then dusted with icing sugar. These little discs are thick around the edges and exceptionally thin in the middle. The Bavarian name Auszogne comes from the traditional technique used to make the pastries. The dough used to be pulled out (“ausgezogen” in German) by hand and stretched over the knee to make rings. Auszogne are sold in plenty of bakeries, though the undisputed number one choice when it comes to Schmalznudeln is Café Frischhut on Viktualienmarkt. In the 1970s and 80s, no sooner had the discos closed for the night than the city’s night owls arrived at the café for a Schmalznudel and cup of coffee. Nowadays, the café’s most loyal customers are the stall owners at the Viktualienmarkt.
A detailed calendar of events can be found here.
More about this: New arrivals talk about where to find a taste of home in Munich. Hélène Badault from Paris (aufildelene.com) talks about popular pastries, chatty restaurant owners, and lamb that tastes of summer. Bonjour Munich.
