New Year in Germany 2021: which is better - Berlin or Munich?

Celebrate the New Year in Germany in 2021: where to go for a festive mood, colorful fairs and parties? Battle Article: Traditional Munich vs. Modern Berlin.

How is Christmas and New Year celebrated in Germany?

The main winter holiday for Germans is Catholic Christmas. He is met on December 25 in the family circle. And in Sylvester (December 31) - New Year's Eve in the German way - dignified burghers break stereotypes and hang out loudly until the morning.

In all the city squares of the country - pandemonium. Basically, however, these are tourists who came to rest in Germany for the New Year. In 2020, without changing traditions, people from different parts of the world, starting from 8-9 pm, will drink strong drinks, dance and wait for fireworks. Then they will disperse to popular beer restaurants and clubs. Celebrations are not surprising, but they give you a chance to have some fun!

Weather in Germany in December-January

The weather in Germany on New Year's is rarely delightful to anyone. Windproof, moisture-repellent uniforms and a lot of hot mulled wine will help you to overcome a long walk in the fresh air 🙂

In Berlin in winter, it happens that sleet falls. Add to this the wind, daytime temperature of -2 ° C ... + 4 ° C, and an extra layer of clothing ceases to be superfluous. New Year Munich chilly: in December-January it rains for a third of the month, maximum + 4 ° С warm, but it feels a little more pleasant than in Berlin.

New Year in Munich 2021

A swaggering crowd, hundreds of local fireworks, songs and dances to the accompaniment of Bavarian sausages and beer: it's New Year's in Munich, baby! The Germans celebrate family Christmas at home, but on December 31, the streets are crowded: hunters for the New Year's mood, which enters the blood with hot wine and the smell of fried meat, are not afraid of the chilly weather in December and the hustle and bustle.

Surprisingly, with such a dense concentration of people, there are no queues anywhere! German precision in action, to be sure.

Christmas markets in Munich

The German Christmas market is a must-visit for the holidays. In Munich, these events are very soulful, but, unfortunately, almost all of them are closed before the 25th. Opening hours: from about 10 am to 8 pm.

• On Marienplatz - the main Christmas market unfolds. Here is the central Christmas tree, most of all stalls with food and souvenirs and, of course, tourists
  When? November 27-December 24, 2019
• Tollwood at Olympiapark - an annual festival with its own Christmas market, where you can hang out for a long time: theater and circus performances, concerts, exhibitions
  When? Market - November 26 to December 23, 2019. NG 2020 Celebration - December 31.

• Schwabinger Weihnachtsmarkt - a fair in a bohemian and densely populated area of ​​Munich
  When? November 29-December 24, 2019
• Munich airport - yes, you haven't cleared up, the city follows traditions so much that it organizes a fair at the airport, on the square between the terminals 🙂 Christmas programs, lanterns, food and ... a skating rink!
  When? November 15-December 29, 2019
• Skating rink at Karlsplatz - also festive and fun, in the New Year it is open until 16:00. Skate rental - € 6
  When? November 22-January 12, 2020

... and ≈20 others. You can cover the coolest ones on ... excursions! See ↓

Where is the best place to celebrate the New Year?

Scheme of the classic New Year in Munich: evening gatherings in a brasserie → midnight on the Marienplaz → nightclub / house.

Prices in Munich for the New Year

At the current ruble exchange rate, Europe is an expensive destination. But in euro terms, there have been no changes in the cost of recreation for a long time. Prices in Munich for the New Year are stable: for an evening in one of the establishments you need to pay the same amount as 5 years ago.

It is better to book accommodation and places in food in advance: Bavaria is a popular destination.

Housing prices - where to stay?

You have to pay for everything that is good and in popular demand. This is a direct installation to prepare yourself for the fact that 3 * hotels in Munich for the New Year are from 80 euros per room for the night. For comparison, at the end of January exactly the same living conditions are 40 euros cheaper.

Here are some very well-rated 3-star, well-rated options:
* the cost is indicated for two per night at the end of December

• 3 * Arthotel Munich - € 140
• 3 * COCOON Hauptbahnhof - € 105
• 3 * Cocoon Stachus - € 110
• 3 * Hotel Am Markt - € 140

✓ Night from December 31, 2020 to January 1, 2021 in 4-star New Year hotels - from € 95 per room
✓ For 5 stars you will have to pay from € 175

Early booking will save money, and most importantly, it will give you a choice. Rooms in the most top-class places in the category "price-quality" are scattered long before the holidays.

It is more logical to stop in areas close to the center of events: Ludwigsvorstaft-Isavorstadt and Altstadt-Lehel. On a holiday, you will hardly want to run from station to station. You can check the prices for hotels on Booking or RoomGuru.

New Year's Eve at a hotel in Munich is often a dull event. There are no cool organized programs, there are dinners with live music, which start early and quickly close after 12. And for which, of course, they pay extra to the total amount for accommodation.For example, this is held at the 4 * Hilton Munich Park hotel, where the New Year can be celebrated for € 139-169 per person (buffet from 18:30 in the Tivoli restaurant) or + € 209 (buffet from 19:00 in the Salon Marco Polo and terrace overlooking the fireworks).

Airfare prices

On average, the road from Moscow to Munich is 3 hours in the sky. Issue price: from 15,000 rubles. It is cheaper to get to Memmingen (118 km from Munich). Pobeda flies to this hub, you can catch round-trip tickets for 7,500 rubles + transfer € 15 per person (when buying via the Internet). But from December 20 until the end of the New Year holidays, there are no such proposals this year.

It is most convenient to monitor price changes on:

• Aviasales
• Skyscanner

By the way, you can subscribe, and the aggregators will send "letters of happiness" about the price drop in the chosen direction (and about the increase too).

Restaurants and cafes

Beer in Bavaria is not just alcohol, but a whole cultural layer. Places that cannot be ignored in this regard:

• Hofbräuhaus
• Löwenbräukeller
• Augustiner Keller

The last two are beer brands. There are several places specializing in the sale of these varieties in Munich. You can choose any, depending on the convenience of the location.

Prices for holidays in Germany in winter are democratic, although they grow a little towards the holidays. The peak is during the holidays. Dine in a restaurant on December 31 - about € 30 per meal, which costs € 10 on weekdays. A classic set of sausages and a liter of beer costs around € 15-20.

A restaurant Goerreshof offers a good menu of Bavarian traditional dishes in an appropriate setting. The average bill is about € 30 per person. You can eat cheaply at Andy's Krablergarten and Steinheil 16: main course plus a glass of beer - € 15.

The portions are very large almost everywhere in Germany. Girls can safely order one dish for two.

When you want to eat, but you can't waste a minute: from 7 pm in Munich runs yellow DinnerHopping restaurant bus... Delicious food under the cityscapes floating outside the window. Combining pleasant with even more pleasant :) Only the price tag is ambiguous - from € 129 for 3 meals and drinks.

What to see in Munich?

BMW Museum Munich and Town Hall

Sights of Munich, which you need to reach in any case:

• Marienplatz
• English Garden (unexpectedly with surfers on the river!)
• Nymphenburg

Well, since the city you are interested in on certain dates, then we will omit the banal activities.

✓ From November 30 to December 23, the premium Christmas tram (ChristkindlTram) runs in the old part of Munich: travel - € 3

✓ On December 25 and 29 you can go to the Bavarian State Opera for the Nutcracker: ticket - from € 12

✓ And on December 31 at 18:00, the opera will stage "The Bat" (Die Fledermaus) in German with English subtitles, ticket from € 21

✓ Hop-on hop-off bus - red two-story buses running with a sightseeing program at 13 points where you can go / enter / go further: on December 31 they ride from 10:00 to 16:00 and for € 20 (tickets >>)

If you have no idea what to do in the capital of Bavaria (is it real?), You should take a ride around the surroundings:

➢ to the Neuschwanstein castle - an excursion 130 km from the city will allow you to plunge into a fairy tale (and make fabulously beautiful photos even for a very curved photographer!)

➢ to Nuremberg, with its half-timbered houses - 170 km, and a completely different Germany

➢ to Cologne - more kilometers of travel, about 600 km. In addition to the legendary cathedral, there is not much entertainment in the city

In general, Munich is a pleasant place and homely, or something. Interesting architecture. Very clean (Germany after all). Developed nightlife - bars, restaurants, cafes - cool beer, sausages with sauerkraut, schnitzel. Although tasty and atmospheric, but not Berlin, not Berlin ... And that's why ↓

New Year in Berlin 2021

It is believed that Berlin is not entirely true Germany, and looking for the German spirit here is an empty idea. Be that as it may, the city is worth seeing in order to form your impression: ultramodern, open, you can feel the cult of freedom here.

On New Year's Eve, Berlin is hosting the biggest holiday party in Germany!

Christmas markets in Berlin

How many are there in Munich? 20-25? There are more than a hundred of them in Berlin. What is joyful, as many as three live until the New Year 🙂 Open for visits approximately from 12 noon to 8 pm.

• WeihnachtsZauber at Gendarmenmarkt - according to reviews, the best fair! You have to pay 1 euro to enter, very crowded. Huge Christmas tree and daily entertainment like song-dance-performance
  When? November 25-December 31, 2019

On the 31st, from 21:00 to 1 am, the New Year will be celebrated (fireworks, midnight waltz and disco), ticket - 6 euros

• Fair at Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church - spruce, Santa Claus, food booths and 70 merry-go-rounds!
  When? November 25-January 5, 2020
• Spandau Christmas Market - far from the central location, but very beautiful, it is loved by local families with children
  When? November 25-December 22, 2019
• Berliner Weihnachtszeit at Red Town Hall Is one of the oldest fairs, typical and small. What makes it different is the skating rink around the Neptune Fountain (skate rental - 5 euros)
  When? November 25-January 6, 2020
• Bazaar at Charlottenburg Castle - they say that the most romantic 🙂
  When? November 25-December 26, 2019
• Winter World at Potsdamer Platz - the earliest and smallest, with an open skating rink
  When? November 1-January 5, 2020

Excursions and photo sessions are held at the fairs. Book on Tripster - our proven service for excursions with locals ↓

Where is the best place to celebrate the New Year?

What is presented in our material is probably only one tenth (but the most popular and interesting) part of everything that happens in Berlin on the New Year. We have never seen so many options in Europe.

Prices in Berlin for the New Year

Half of Europe comes to Berlin for the New Year. It is better to book accommodation in advance: there is more choice, and the chances of catching a discount are higher. On holidays, prices go up. With restaurants and cafes, early reservation also solves, although not everyone has this option.

Housing prices - where to stay?

There are many 4-star hotels in Berlin at a good price. New Year's Eve for two in hotels of this level with positive guest reviews will be released in:

• Aparthotel Adagio Berlin Kurfürstendamm - € 435
• Abba Berlin Hotel - € 220
• Boutique Hotel i31 Berlin Mitte - € 245
• Novotel Berlin Mitte - € 265

The price tag for 3 stars for New Year's Eve starts at € 90. But it must be said that there is a certain variation: three-stars with high ratings are not inferior to a number of fours, either in quality or in price. For example, to spend the night at 3 * Hampton by Hilton Berlin City West on holidays and eat breakfast in the morning, you will have to pay € 280. Five-star Hotel nhow Berlin at the same time - from € 320.

Where to stay? By districts, Alexanderplatz and Friedrichstraße are preferred. Hotels can be searched on Booking and RoomGuru, and apartments on Airbnb

Airfare prices

On New Year's Eve, Utair and Pobeda will take you to Berlin from Moscow - the price of the issue is from 13,000 rubles per person round trip. Travel time is 2 hours 40 minutes. Both flights fly to Tegel Airport, 13 km from the city center.

Compare prices for:

• Aviasales
• Skyscanner

Restaurants and cafes

Famous breweries with a solid history cannot be found in Berlin. But you can also taste Bavarian sausages and delicious beer here (at prices: beer about € 3.5 per half liter, sausages - € 8):

✓ Lemke

✓ Rollberg Brauerei

✓ Brauhaus Südstern

There are many tasty places in Berlin where you can eat inexpensively - less than € 10 per person (including on New Year's Eve):

• Burgermeister (burgers at € 5)
• Häppies (main courses from € 4 to € 6)
• Trattoria Portofino (pizza for € 7-10)
• Lia's Kitchen (cool vegan food, salads and burgers for € 8)

Already more expensive - about € 50 per person, but stylish and interesting here:

➢ Panama Restaurant & Bar

➢ Coda Dessert Bar

➢ House of Small Wonder

What to see in Berlin?

Berlin sights related to the history of the city and the country as a whole:

• Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag
• Charlottenburg Palace
• Alexanderplatz

A very strong place is the Memorial to the Victims of the Holocaust. The Berlin Wall is also without question in the list of the city's top locations.

What about the New Year and Christmas period?

✓ On December 30 at Deutsche Oper Berlin they put on the Nutcracker - a ticket of € 26, and on December 31 - the Bat, a ticket from € 32

✓ On December 31st, the Friedrichstadt Palast hosts the Vivid show revue - ticket from € 50 to € 230, at 15:30 and 19:30

✓ From November 15 to January 5, 2020, it is very beautiful in the Botanical Garden, where they organize a festive exhibition route with illumination, illuminated trees, deer figurines, spruce trees and a skating rink - from 16:30 to 22:00, closed on 31 December; price - € 17-19

✓ Fun for € 24 on a hop-on hop-off bus - runs in 20 stops from 10:00 to 17:00 (tickets >>)

For fans of museums there is a whole Museum Island in Berlin (complex day ticket - € 18). The Pergamon Museum is the most visited (a kind of German Hermitage).
In the East Side Gallery, 1,316 meters of graffiti will tell about the political events of the late 20th century, the kiss of Brezhnev and Honecker, and hipster Berlin. Located in the open air, admission is free.

Where to go with children? Natural History Museum (€ 8 - adults, € 5 - children from 6 years old) or Legoland (from € 14 entry fee, no attractions). In fine weather, it will be pleasant to walk with your child in the Tiergarten park or in the Sony Center on Postadm square.

Where to celebrate New Years 2021 in Germany: Berlin or Munich?

So where, where, to celebrate the New Year 2021: Berlin or Munich? In both cities, they actively celebrate and have fun, hold concerts and parties. BUT:

Total:

➢ party-goers, vegans, fans of the holidays, not afraid of the crowd, but rather feeding on its energy → to Berlin!

➢ beer lovers, connoisseurs of the measured Bavarian way of life, cheerful national dances and cozy fairs → to Munich!

What about December 31st:

Shopping - New Years Sale

Take your time shopping in Germany for Catholic Christmas and New Years. Firstly, it is inconvenient to go shopping on December 31 - they close at about 15:00, and on January 1 they do not work at all. Secondly, the prices are high. Sales start after January 14, by the end of the month, discounts reach 70-90%.

In any case, it is better to shop not in the city center (like Alexa or the Mall of Berlin in Berlin), but in remote outlets. For Munich, this is Ingolstadt Village, for Berlin - Designer Outlet Berlin in Spandau (at Kudamm, the same things, but twice as expensive). Tax Free in the amount of 19% is returned both by cash and by bank transfer.

The first method is better, with the second there were problems - the money never came to the card 🙁

Tours for the New Year to Germany 2021

Tours to Germany for the New Year 2020 are of a very different nature:

✓ Standard tour - includes flight and accommodation

✓ New Year's tour - road, hotel, cultural program, festive banquet

✓ Bus tour - usually the trip involves visiting additional countries. Once such a trip is interesting, and then decide for yourself. It is unlikely that you will be able to take a good look at the city, too little time has been allocated

We advise you to look for tours to Munich and Berlin for the New Year on the Travelata online aggregator: it compares offers from all tour operators and gives out the most profitable ones.

Tours to Berlin, with a departure on December 27-30, cost from 60,000 rubles for 7 days for two, and a ticket for 10 days - from 70,000. In Munich - from 70,000 rubles and 90,000 rubles, respectively. It seems that the cost of a "package" holiday for two is cheaper than self-booking. But it's worth checking out the hotel reviews. As a rule, these are hostels, or 1-2 * hotels in the suburbs.

Tourist reviews - our tips for saving

New Year in Germany is an event that requires preliminary preparation. Especially if you want to save money. This is confirmed not only by the reviews of tourists, but also by simple logic (which is at a premium in Germany) - the earlier you book, the less you pay (for tours, tickets, accommodation, restaurants, etc.). How else can you reduce travel expenses?

Where is the best place to live?

In both Berlin and Munich, it is better to choose accommodation closer to the center, so that everything is within walking distance. If the budget is limited, you can consider more distant options, transport links around the cities are good, even on New Year's Eve.

On Airbnb (remember our discount of up to 4000 rubles for the first booking :)), you can rent spacious lofts (Berlin) - from 8000 rubles per night or luxury apartments with terraces (Munich) - from 6000 rubles. Housing rent is simpler - rooms, for example, from 1000 rubles per day.

Feedback from our friend: in Berlin and in Europe in general, I am glad that since the end of November, the New Year's mood, the city is decorated both outside and inside buildings. Christmas markets are held in almost all free areas. The largest, with scenes and songs, is near the French Cathedral.A lot of food, decorations and various beautiful nonsense are on sale 🙂 Of the food, I liked Currywurst the most (sausage sprinkled with spices and drenched in sauce).

There are many quality hotels in the country, suitable for any wish. The most successful options "price-quality" end long before the New Year in Germany. Travelers' reviews suggest that in this case one should not be afraid to be the first and prepare a sled in the summer!

Where to eat cheaply?

In Munich and Berlin, there are quite tasty and relatively budgetary establishments.

You will find a super combo of beer and sausages everywhere, but the quality will be better in Munich. You can always eat at Christmas markets as well.

Visa and insurance - how to make it cheaper?

Making a visa yourself is definitely cheaper. It is not difficult and not scary at all. True true! We have done this many times. All their experience was collected here >>

And to buy insurance via the Internet - it’s just a matter of 5 minutes. Once we forgot to issue a policy at home ... We did it while standing in line for passport control. So, of course, you don't need to do it, it's better in advance. Favorable prices can be found here:

• Compare.ru
• Cherehapa
• Strahovkaru.ru