Munich is famous for its beer, but that wasn’t always the case. Even today, the wine street on the edge of Marienplatz reveals that the city on the Isar was once a wine town. This required appropriate cellars, such as the Ratskeller. For over 150 years, it was an integral part of the new town hall, just like the glockenspiel in the tower. Now it had to close at the beginning of January because the costs for the necessary renovation of the vault were too high. But you don’t have to give up the Ratskeller entirely in the future if you pick up a souvenir at the flea market there in the next few days.
There from the beginning
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Munich grew rapidly in the 19th century and soon exceeded 130,000 inhabitants. The old town hall became too small and it was time to expand. This led to the construction of the new town hall, parts of which were completed in 1874. Not only did the city administration move into this first section, but also the Ratskeller, which was run jointly by the innkeeper couple Franziska and Ernst Steidl.
Over time, the Ratskeller was transformed into a beer cellar, which was also impressively depicted in the paintings in the cloisters. Heinrich Schlitt painted them under the motto “When wine and beer go to war – who will win, who will lose?” depicting the battle between beer and wine and telling the story of beer drinking in Munich. Unfortunately, none of this can be seen today, as the world wars took their toll.
The Ratskeller occupied the entire basement of Munich City Hall and offered space for 1,000 people in ten rooms. Here, tradition met modernity, and guests could enjoy Bavarian cuisine as well as vegetarian and vegan dishes. Both wine and beer were available to drink. However, the Ratskeller has been permanently closed since January 1, 2026. The cost of renovating the vaulted cellar would amount to approximately 1.5 to 1.8 million euros —too expensive for the tenants.
Flea market in the Ratskeller
Photo: Shutterstock
If you are fond of the Ratskeller and would like to have a few souvenirs, or perhaps you are just looking for some new treasures in general, then you will have the opportunity to do so from January 20 to 23. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, the Ratskeller will open its flea market for you, where you can purchase furniture, crockery, cutlery, and other decorative items.
Bring your own packaging, bags, and transport boxes to take your new purchases home with you, as you won’t be able to get any of these items on site. Only card payments are accepted. What will happen to the Ratskeller premises in the future is still uncertain. There was talk of opening a techno club, but whether this will actually happen remains to be seen.
📍 Location: Marienplatz, New City Hall
📅 Dates: January 20 to 23, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.