Munich Krampuslauf and The Krampus Tradition around Munich
If you never heard about Krampus before, we are here to introduce you to this tradition in a natural way. Krampus is the scary assistant from Saint Nicholas. If Santa Claus often ignores the naughty acts of children, Krampus doesn’t and comes before Christmas to punish those who didn’t behave well throughout the year. Krampus went through the streets of Munich to terrify these children and didn’t act well, and they do this in such an exciting way that a crowd of people gather around them to see it happening.
Krampuslauf is the name of the run that Krampus does before Christmas, and it’s a tradition that dates more than 500 years. It started in the Alpine Region between Austria, Germany, and Switzerland and it still exists today. In Munich, Krampus was first found in the 16th century when school teachers of the Frauenkirche and St Peter’s church went to the streets and caused so much terror that the police had to be brought to contain them. Since then, it is a tradition on the streets to have the Munich Krampuslauf every year.
The Munich Krampuslauf happens on two different dates. Our last time, near Hall in Tirol, the Krampusnacht happened on the 5th of December, one day before the day of Saint Nicholas. Still, it is better to check beforehand before booking your tickets since the year we went (2017) didn’t happen on the 6th of December and instead was on the 10th. On the 17th of December, we believe that the event follows the weekend more than the actual Krampus day like Hall in Tirol, Austria.
For us, one of the most exciting parts of this tradition is the beautiful and elaborate costumes that everyone at the Krampuslauf in Munich uses. If you pay attention to the masks used, there is a difference in the number of horns used. When there are two horns on the mask, it’s a Krampus. When there are between 4 and ten horns, it’s a Perchten, a beast supposed to drive the winter away.
If you want to see Munich Krampuslauf, you need to go there during the second weekend of December and look around the Christmas Markets. The event is free and very kids friendly. In fact, we saw loads of them there.
The cutest hotel to fight the evilness that is the Munich Krampuslauf
And for you interested in going to Munich, either for the Munich Krampuslauf and the Christmas Markets or during the summer, at the beginning of our video, we recommended the cutest hotel in Munich. Its name is Laimer Hof Hotel.
This hotel is just a few meters away from the Nymphenburg Palace, and its looks are to die for. It is a very Bavarian vintage house in a splendid and cute part of Munich with easy access to every attraction. Besides winter or summer, nothing better than a walk in a royal garden, right?
Follow this link and book your stay if you’re heading to Munich. Laimer Hof is perfect for families and for couples. It is very romantic, unique and completely the opposite of those chain hotels with no soul. You won’t regret it.
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