Viktualienmarkt, Munich

The Viktualienmarkt is Munich’s premier place to shop for fresh produce, dairy, bread, and Bavarian specialties.
In the heart of the Viktualienmarkt, you find a beer garden; shaded by hundred-year old chestnut trees, this is a wonderful place to take a break from shopping and to watch the bustling market scene around you.
The beer garden, which sits 1000 people, offers hearty Bavarian specialties; try a pork roast with sauerkraut and dumplings, warm potatoes salad, or a “Brotzeit” platter with cold cuts and homemade artisan cheese. You can also bring your own food.

The Viktualienmarkt is a big market where you can buy everything your stomach could wish for: Fruits and veggies, bread, meat and dairy... There are also flowers on offer, as well as arts and crafts of local people.
The word "Viktualie" is an old word for food. The markets were named like this in the 19th century when educated people found it fashionable to apply Latin or French names to nearly everything!
The atmosphere at the market is great, it's so noisy and lively. There is also a beer garden and, quite funny, a maypole which is standing there all year round. It gives the market an even more traditional atmosphere.

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Some History:

The original food market had been located in Marienplatz. However when it had grown too large for that square, the King, Maximilian I issued a decree in 1807 which resulted in it being moved to the south-east, in an area between the Heiliggeist-Kirche and Frauenstraße.

The Alms Houses and buildings located there were demolished to make way for the market square, this was later to become known as "Viktualienmarkt" or victuals market.

It is open all year, and operates from Monday to Saturday; each stall and cafe has differing opening hours.

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A remind of the peasant and agricultural economic origins of the region is this charming and very well assorted open air market next to Marienplatz, between Heiliggheistkirche and Peterskirche. Here is raised Munich's big maypole (maypole is that kind of high multi-coloured mast raised in every village at Bavaria, an old tradition which shows the crafts and works held at the place for those who were illiterate in order to inform them).

Here you have a big amount of very well assorted places selling every kind of food imaginable. A pleasure for senses. You can even take your own food and eat it sitting in a biergarten while drinking a good beer. Bavarian quality of living!.

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Viktualienmarkt is Munich's famous food market. With its maypole and its stalls covered with gaily coloured awnings, this has been Munich's central market since 1807. The booths and shops sell local vegetables, flowers, fish, fruit, herbs, cheese and drinks as well as some goods from other countries and some crafts. A very interesting place to walk around and partake in the eating and drinking.

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One block away from the Rathaus and the huge mechanical clock is a very fine market called Viktuelienmmark. It is at the end of the pedestrian zone off the Marienplatz.
Since 1807 the city has made this a gem, so clean and tidy and the produce is simply awesome. They have so many types of vegetables that most markets never have, for example, we saw a vendor that had at least 8 different types of chili peppers. We saw some vegetables that I have never seen before. All of this produce is presented neatly and looks so clean and nice.
There are also cheese, and sausage (meats) vendors, some wine shops, and places to drink beer or have a coffee and food.
This market is large enough to wander around it for about an hour, and has a traditional maypole surrounded by a beer garden.
and..... if you look across the street and are in need of Starbucks... ha ha.. yes, there is one.
Hofbrau Haus is 3 blocks away from this market. However, the tiny coffee restaurant at the market is so much better and the specialties they serve with coffee are outstanding.

Behind the Marienplatz

Opening Times
Monday to Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 3pm

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Early morning, I am going for a walk on the Viktualienmarkt on my way to work. It's very cold but surprisingly no snow, which is exceptional this time of the year. The viktualienmarkt is a market place where they sell food products like: fruit, cheese, meat, fish, vegetables, wild products... The name Vitualien comes from "lebensmitteln" or food products. This is a very nice place to visit during spring and summer where you can enjoy a beer on a terrace or a freshly squeezed juice. In the background you see the church of the Holy Spirit. I can't wait to go there again to enjoy a beer in the summer.

Link:
http://filipdemuinck-kristelpardon.blogspot.com/2010/01/viktualienmarkt-munchen.html

This is a food and fresh produce market. Plenty of stalls selling ham, sausages, cheese, wine, fruits, pickles, flowers and bread. Ready to eat buns and burgers (both meat and fish) are available at modest prices. The place also makes a good photographer's temporary heaven. The colourful fruits and vegetables make it so, and the multitude of locals and tourists provide plenty of photo opportunities.

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This market is alive with activity selling flowers, produce and fast food, but not on Sunday which is when these pictures were made. As you can see, it is closed. This was where we first encountered folk fare to eat. It was 30 years ago and was our introduction to Weisswurst (and later that night in a beer hall our first taste of Leberkase, which is even better) and where we became aware of the varieties of mustard. No pictures from those days; we could not even afford a camera or the ancillary viewing gadgets.

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The Viktualienmarkt is a fun and unique way to spend a few hours. Yes it's very touristy...But isn't that what most of us are?

Buy a beer...I like the Hacker Pschorr from Der Pschorr located in the southwest corner of the Viktualienmarkt...And walk around looking (and sampling in certain instances) at the various items for sale by some very colorful vendors.

After checking out the Monkfish...you'll definitely get hungry...I stopped by the Bratwurstherzl on the east side of the markt. They serve wood-grilled barbeque sausages that are very tasty.

A beer...A Brat...And some fresh fruit...A great way to spend an afternoon.