NOV 24 - Insider tip: Christmas Market at the German Museum Transport Centre

Munich - "Christmas Market at Schneckenplatz" - Schwanthalerhöhe BAVARIA Park - Family Christmas Market

Insider tip: The family-friendly Christmas market at Schneckenplatz in Schwanthalerhöhe

November 24 to December 21, 2025 - Old fairgrounds in front of the German Museum's Transport Centre  (Deutsch, Italiano, English, Français)

Munich. Today we're on the trail of a secret: a small, cozy Christmas market that has been overlooked in Munich until now: the CHRISTMAS MARKET AT SCHNECKENPLATZ. This market was first held in 2019 under the name "Christmas Magic" in Schwanthalerhöhe. All the parents who play with their children here and in Bavariapark (playground) every day, as well as those who visit the restaurant at Bavariapark, are already looking forward to it. Because: a small, charming family Christmas market is currently being set up in Bavariapark in Schwanthalerhöhe – behind the Bavaria statue. The location of the Christmas market at Schneckenplatz is familiar to Munich residents, because in front of the transport center is the large “Sweet Brown Snail” by the two artists Jason Rhoades and Paul McCarthy.

Christmas market poster "Christmas Market at Schneckenplatz" in front of the German Museum's Transport Centre, photo: Helga Waess, November 16, 2025

Behind the Christmas market is the German Museum's Transport Centre, which displays famous trains and cars

Christmas market setup in front of the German Museum's Transport Centre, photo: Helga Waess, November 16, 2025

So head on over to Schneckenplatz in Bavariapark and the Christmas market with its carousel, mulled wine, and handcrafted goods.

A snail sculpture at Schneckenplatz (Snail Square) in front of the entrance to the German Museum's Transport Centre (where you can see vintage cars, old locomotives, trams, carriages, and more) on the Old Fairgrounds in Munich, photo: Helga Waess on November 16, 2025 - setting up the Christmas market at Schneckenplatz.

Oh yes, the Old Fairgrounds with the exhibition hall dating from 1908 are also located here.

And most of the Christmas market stalls are already up. Christmas market in front of the locomotive hall of the beautiful Transport Museum at the Deutsches Museum in Bavariapark, photo: Helga Waess, November 16, 2025

Christmas Market at Schneckenplatz

Forecourt of the Deutsches Verkehrsmuseum

Opening hours:

• Mon. to Fri. 12 pm - 9 pm
• Sat. and Sun. 11 am - 9 pm

#christmasmarket_schneckenplatz

The Christmas market at Schneckenplatz in Munich offers family-friendly prices and a delightful, cozy culinary experience.

Und die Weihnachtsmarktbuden stehen größtenteils auch schon, Weihnachtsmarkt vor der Lockhalle des schönen Verkehrsmuseums des Deutschen Museums am Bavariapark, Foto: Helga Waess  vom 16. November 2025

The children have plenty of space to run and play, and the adults have the Bavarian Inn at Bavariapark and the German Museum's Transportation Center within sight. The nearby Bavaria statue and the Feldherrnhalle are also worth a visit, as they offer a fantastic view across the Theresienwiese to the city, including the Frauenkirche spires.

Snail sculpture by Rhoades and McCarthy in Munich at Bavariapark, photo: Helga Waess

The snail sculpture by Jason Rhoades and Paul McCarthy at Bavariapark

At 4.50 meters tall, the snail sculpture "Sweet Brown Snail" blends seamlessly into its generously proportioned surroundings on the 23,000 square meter site between the Congress Hall and the Transportation Center.

As a public art project, the renowned American artists Jason Rhoades and Paul McCarthy created this object, which ironically reflects the mobility illustrated in the Transportation Center through the portable snail shell.

And the human yearning for speed, which resonates in the exhibits, is also reversed by the animal's inherent slowness. The snail's body, with its brick-red shell, stands out in a neutral gray against the light limestone from the Altmühl Valley that covers the entire plaza between the Congress Hall and the Transportation Center.

Snail Square

Am Bavariapark 5
80339 Munich

The best way to get there is by subway:

• U4/U5 Theresienwiese station
• or the next station, Schwanthaler Höhe.

View from Theresienhöhe – with the large Bavaria statue, St. Paul's Church, and in front of it, the first tents of the Tollwood Winter Festival – here's the link to our article about Winter Tollwood in Munich, photo: Helga Waess – November 16, 2025 Link zu unserem Beitrag zum Wintertollwood in München,