The most famous market in Munich is undoubtedly the Viktualienmarkt. You can shop here every day except Sundays and public holidays, which makes it a so-called permanent market. There are a total of four of these in Munich, the smallest of which is located in Haidhausen in a particularly beautiful square. Read on to find out what makes this square so special and what you can find here.
Colorful market hustle and bustle
The market has just nine stalls, which are arranged in a kind of triangle. Nevertheless, nothing is left to be desired here: From flowers to fruit, vegetables and dried fruit to fish and vegan baked goods, you can get everything here. At the snack bars, you can treat yourself to South Tyrolean specialties or get a freshly squeezed juice at the juice stand. You can also buy small decorative items and chocolates here if you are still looking for a souvenir. In addition to the stalls, the market also has two pavilions. You can buy the latest printed products at one of them and cash at the other.
The city actually intended to demolish all of the market huts and replace them with pavilions, but the people of Haidhausen successfully fought back. Until 1889, the market in Haidhausen was still held in Preysingerstraße before it was finally moved to Wiener Platz. The square was only given its name two years later, after Innere Wiener Straße, which runs along it. At the time, it was the start of the connecting road to Vienna.
Wiener Platz was badly damaged during the Second World War and had to be rebuilt. At the beginning of the 2000s, renovation work was carried out again and the square was finally made traffic-calmed in 2003. In place of the road that used to cross the square, there is now a maypole donated by the “Friends of Haidhausen”.
Fischerbuberl fountain on Wiener Platz
There is a drinking water fountain on Wiener Platz, which originally belonged to the Viktualienmarkt. It had to make way for the reconstruction of the Schrannenhalle and found its new home on Wiener Platz. It shows a small naked boy with a hat holding two fish in his arms. It was created in 1910 by Ignatius Taschner, although the fountain figure you see today is a cast of the original.
The boy had actually once been looking towards the Isar slope, but was sticking his bare bottom out at the market traders, which displeased them. So the boy was turned around, but now he was holding his buttocks in the faces of passers-by. Eventually, a position was found that would make everyone happy and the fountain has been a permanent feature of the square ever since. A copy of the fountain called “Fischpüddelchen” from 1911 can be found in Aachen at the Fischmarkt.
Hofbräukeller with beer garden
Probably the best-known institution on Wiener Platz is the Hofbräukeller with its spacious beer garden. The Hofbräukeller was originally built as a brewery after the Hofbräuhaus on Platzl was no longer big enough. Beer was still brewed here until 1988. Most of the other breweries located around the Gasteig had to make way for residential buildings, whereas the Hofbräukeller and the Unionsbräu.
Today, the Hofbräukeller is primarily a pub and event venue. In addition to the beer bar, you will find several event rooms and ballrooms in the building. In the basement, you can shake a leg in the “Maratonga” dance café. The real highlight, however, is the spacious beer garden where you can sit under tall chestnut trees and spend balmy summer evenings. Many even consider it to be one of the most beautiful beer gardens in Munich. Directly adjacent to the garden is the “Ciao Amalfi” bar, which has sun loungers, sand and an Aperol tower for that vacation feeling. In winter, you can enjoy curling here instead.
Other gems around the Wiener Platz
Wiener Platz also invites you to linger away from the market and the Hofbräukeller. Surrounded by small houses and former hostel buildings, it has a village atmosphere. Browse through the display in the Livingroom or treat yourself to coffee and cake in the Little Café. Sit on the terrace and watch the hustle and bustle on the square or enjoy the view of St. John’s Church. Once you’ve had enough of the hustle and bustle on Wiener Platz, take a stroll through the adjacent Maximiliansanlagen, which make the square even more beautiful than it already is.