Munich

Munich Travel Wiki

[tp_search_shortcodes slug=”4f02989d” origin=”” destination=”MUC” hotel_city=”Munich, Germany, 1274, 10572, city, Germany” type=”avia_hotel” subid=””]

Travel to Munich

Read about and get inspiration for a trip to the city, check for the cheapest flights and hotels in Munich

Travel and vacation in Munich, Germany

Here you can find information about travel and holiday trips to Germany. You will find travel deals as well as general travel information, guides, “good to know” and facts about Germany. We try to find the best travel video about the city and its surroundings and we write about the best sights, shopping and things to do. You will also find updated current weather and forecasts. The current exchange rates are also updated many times a day.

Best of Munich

What to see and do in Munich ?

Alte Pinakothek

This is one of the largest museums in Europe. It houses a large collection of paintings. This collection contains 800 paintings by European painters from the 14th century till the 18th century. Famous paintings in the museum are: Dürer’s “Four Apostles”; Rogier van der Weyden’s ” columba-altar “; Altdorfer’s “Battle of Alexander at Issus”; Botticelli’s “Pieta” and Rubens’ “Self-Portrait with his Wife”. The Neue Pinakothek is Munich’s museum of 19th century painting and sculptures. The collection consists mainly of German Romantics and French Impressionists. Goya, Manet, Renoir and Cezanne are some of the painters which works are on display.

Barer Strasse 27
S: Karlsplatz. U: Königsplatz/Theresienstrasse
Website

Neue Pinakothek

The Neue Pinakothek, housed in a sober sandstone building which towards the end of the 1970s replaced its 1853 predecessor, destroyed during World War II, offers one of the most wide-ranging collections of 19th-century art in Germany. It originates from King Ludwig I’s private collection, and contains more than 4,500 paintings and 300 sculptures, including works by Francisco José de Goya, Caspar David Friedrich and Edouard Manet. However, a mere ten percent of the collection can be seen at any one time.

Barer Strasse 29
S: Karlsplatz. U: Königsplatz/Theresienstrasse
Website

Alte Münze (Münzhof)

This building dates from 1563-67 and was originally conceived as an extension to the castle. Around the middle of the 16th century already it housed one of the first, albeit private, museums north of the Alps. From 1803 to 1983 it was used as an official mint, last by the German Bundesbank. Today’s main attraction for visitors is the trapezoid interior courtyard from Renaissance times with its three-storey-high arcade corridors.

Hofgraben 4
S – U: Marienplatz

Asamkirche

The foundation stone of this noteworthy Church of St.John Nepomuk was laid in 1733 by the brothers Ägid Quirin (1686-1739) and Cosmas Damian Asam (1692-1750), builders with the highest reputation of their day. This church, a mere 8.8 metres wide and 28.8 metres long, was erected on their private property next to their richly decorated living-quarters (Asam House). The initial building application was refused, since neither the town council nor Elector Karl Albrecht saw any need for an additional church. But when the brothers promised to dedicate the place to St.John Nepomuk, a Prague martyr who four years earlier had been beatified, the town council changed its mind. The edifice was completed in 1746 and is a foremost example of rococo splendour.

Sendlinger Strasse 32
U: Sendlinger Tor

Bayerisches Nationalmuseum

More than 18,000 exhibits (amongst them Jacob Sander’s town model from 1570) form part of the basic equipment of this museum, which in 1988 was awarded the Council of Europe’s museum prize. It is grouped together with the collection of art-history (from the Middle Ages to the middle of the 19th century), the Arts and Crafts Museum (arts and crafts since the Middle Ages) and the Museum of Cultural History (folklore and primitive art).

Prinzeregentenstrasse 3
U: Lehel

Deutsches Museum

Technology and Natural Science actively explored: this is the Deutsche Museum’s leitmotif. It has the largest collection of its kind in the world. Inspired by London’s Science Museum, it was founded in 1925 by Oskar von Miller and today boasts 1.3 million visitors annually. An astonishing 80,000 exhibits are in stock, though limited space on the former Kohlinsel (Coal Island) in the River Isar means that only 16,000 pieces, distributed over 40 sections, can be viewed at any one time. Total walking distance through the halls is 15 km. Especially popular is the high-voltage section, where an impressive idea is given of the physical principle of the Faraday Cage. An extension is being laid out at Schleissheim’s aeronautical facility, which together with the main building on the museum-isle will form the ‘Centre for Aeronautical and Astronautical History’. Further extensions are planned, such as a traffic exhibition in one of the halls of the former trade-fair building. A road along the River Isar from the Deutsche Museum towards Hellabrunn has been turned into a learning zone dealing with the planets. Here you can gather useful knowledge about our neighbours in the Milky Way.

Museuminsel 1 (Ludwigsbrücke)
S: Isartor
Website

Englischer Garten

In 1789 the Military Gardens were made accessible to the public in the hope that the French Revolution would thereby be kept from inflaming Bavaria also. Thus originated Europe’s first public park, which meanwhile has grown into an area covering 3.7 square kilometres, the largest uninterrupted parkland of any major German city. The name ‘Englischer Garten’ points to a 19th-century idea that conceives a garden as a landscape, accessible on foot and designed like a painting after nature. Garden architect Ludwig von Sckell, who designed the Englische Garten, apparently subscribed to these principles too. Japanese Tea House, a pavilion donated to the city on the occasion of the 1972 Olympic Games. Ever since, a tea ceremony is held every other weekend, hourly on the hour. Past the Japanese waterfall along the Eisbach one reaches the Monopterus, a small Greek temple. It provides the best-known view across the city’s spires, and from here it’s only a short walk to the Chinese Tower, Munich’s most celebrated monument in song and poetry. The pagoda was built in 1789 after the one at London’s Kew Gardens. A visit to the beer garden or the Kleinhesseloer Lake.

U: Universität, Münchener Freiheit

Frauenkirche

The ‘Dom zu unserer lieben Frau’ (Cathedral of Our Lady), as the Frauenkirche’s full appellation runs, was built during the second half of the 15th century and consecrated in 1494. The green belfries of its soberly decorated towers are in the form of the so-called ‘Welsh Hood’. These towers are frequently seen in southern Germany, and soon became the city’s hallmark. They demonstrate the transition from Gothic to Renaissance. Many of the works of art donated to the church attest to the religiosity of the people of Munich through the centuries.

Frauenplatz 1
S and U-Bahn: Marienplatz

Friedensengel

On the banks of the River Isar and visible all around, Pallas Athene, painted a shiny gilt and grasping an olive branch, is poised above the tree tops at a height of 23 metres. Looking at the statue from somewhere along lower Prinzeregentenstrasse, the figure, erected for the 25th anniversary of the 1896 victory over France, seems a perfect finishing point to this majestic thoroughfare.

Luitpoldbrücke
U: Prinzregentenplatz

Glyptothek

Guided tours at 6pm on Yuesday and Thursday. From July until September, when the weather is nice, classic theatre plays will take place at the inner courtyard. This excellent collection of antique sculptures is housed in an edifice imitating in perfect fashion the classical temple forms. Not only the Barberini faun enjoys world fame.

Königsplatz 3
U: Königsplatz
Website

Haus der Kunst

On Hitler’s orders, architect Paul Ludwig Troost began building the Haus der Kunst in 1933 in neo-classical style. Inaugurated in 1937 as ‘House of German Art’, it was intended as a replacement of the Glaspalast, destroyed by fire in 1931.

Prinzregentenstrasse 1
U: Lehel
Website

Kulturzentrum Gasteig

‘Gasteig’ is a concentration of two Bavarian words: ‘Gach’ and ‘Steig’. ‘Gach’ means steep, ‘Steig’ means road. In the Middle Ages, panting oxen and donkeys would pull heavily-laden carts up this steep slope, while today it’s culture-minded cyclists and pedestrians who visit one of the many events in this large brickwork edifice, long besieged by controversy until it was finally completed in 1985. Its ‘Philharmonie’ (Concert Hall) with room for a 2,400-strong audience, has made a name for itself with first-class musical events. The ‘Carl-Orff-Saal’ with around 600 seats, the small ‘Black Box’, as well as theatres and exhibition rooms complete the cultural provisions. Munich’s Public Library, comprising 30 separate lending-libraries with a total of more than 600,000 books in stock, also has its main outlet here.

Rosenheimer Strasse 5
S and U: Rosenheimer Platz
Website

Ludwigskirche

Like the Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität, this church bears the signature of architect Friedrich von Gärtner. Behind its sober façade with twin spires hides one of Christianity’s most beautiful frescoes: the altar painting ‘The Last Judgment’, created by Peter von Cornelius (1783-1867), the leading proponent of the Nazarene school of painting, at the behest of Ludwig I.

Ludwigstrasse
U: Universität

Maximilianeum

It was the wish of Maximilian II, King of Bavaria from 1848 to 1874, that his name be given to a street. To this end he developed a ‘Municipal Enhancement Plan’ already during the early Thirties of the 19th century, which foresaw a spectacular edifice, surrounded by a park, on the elevated bank of the River Isar. The invitation for tenders turned into one of the hottest contests between architects the 19th century had ever seen. Moreover, the actual building process was intended as a learning-exercise. The Maximilianeum was constructed between 1857 and 1874. Since 1949 it has been the seat of the Bavarian Parliament.

Maximilianstrasse
U: Max-Weber-Platz

Nymphenburg

In 1662, Elector Ferdinand Maria presented a plot of land just outside the town to his spouse Henriette Adelaide of Savoy in gratitude for the birth of a successor to the throne. First a country seat in Italian ‘villa suburbana’ style was built here. The middle section, constructed between 1664 and 1675, orients itself after the model of Italian garden-mansions. Over 100 years passed between the laying of Schloss Nymphenburg’s foundation stone and its completion. Henriette didn’t live to see the castle in its full glory.

Under Ferdinand’s son Maximilian Emanuel II, the second great construction phase began, involving the builder Enrico Zucalli and then Joseph Effner. Side wings were added to the main tract, so that the summer residence of the Bavarian Electors and Kings measures 685 metres from north to south. Later, the Pagodenburg, the Badenburg, and the Mariaklause were built in the extensive park which first follows the Italian ideal and then dissolves into English garden landscaping. Even today, promenaders, catching a glimpse of these jewels in between the trees, express amazed delight. Beginning in 1734, François de Cuvilliés the Elder (1695-1768) built a hunting-lodge, the so-called Amalienburg. When it was completed in 1739 he proved to have succeeded in creating a uniquely splendid example of rococo. Visitors are advised to reserve an entire day for these sights. The most beautiful approaches to the palace are the northern and southern boulevards running alongside the Nymphenburg Canal. The gondola service of the good old days unfortunately no longer exists. During cold winters the canal’s waters are covered with a layer of ice and are used by skaters and curlers. Only guided tours of the palace are available. After the Wagenburg (Coaches and Carriages Lodge) at Vienna’s Schloss Schönbrunn, the Marstallmuseum (Museum of Royal Carriages) here has the world’s largest coach- and carriage collection.

U: Rotkreuzplatz

Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus

Close to Königsplatz with its antique Greek outlook, and somewhat hidden in an Italian-style garden behind a high fence, stand Lenbachhaus, the atelier-cum-villa of the princely portraitist and painter Franz vond Lenbach (1836-1904).

The municipal collection on view here is consecrated to classic modernism and won universal fame with the group of artists called ‘Blauer Reiter’ (Blue Horseman). Shown here are works by Franz Marc, Alfred Kubin, August Macke and others, a large part of which was donated by Gabriele Münter, whose name was once linked to Wassily Kandinsky.

The underground station Königsplatz includes the so-called Kunstbau, located in an entresol and organising exhibitions about the current artistic scene.

Luisenstrasse 33
U: Königsbach
Website

Stadtmuseum

This museum on the northern flank of the unfinished St.Jakobsplatz consists of six different historical areas, amongst them the arsenal and the royal stables, both constructed after models from the 15th century. Themes of the collections are workday life and Munich’s cultural history. Allied to the Stadtmuseum, apart from the Kunstbau , are further exhibitions with subjects such as photography, cinema and musical instruments, as well as a Punch and Judy-Show museum and one dedicated to fair ground themes.

St.Jakobsplatz 1
U: Marienplatz, Sendlinger Tor. Bus: 52, 56
Website

Museum Mensch und Natur

Exemplary Natural Science museum with 2,500 square metres of exhibition space. The true-to-nature copies and plastic models are presented in an eminently instructive audio-visual manner to visitors of all ages.

Schloss Nymphenburg
Tram 17, Bus 41
Website

Siegestor

At the northern end of Ludwigstrasse stand the Victory Arch from the mid-19th century. Built after the concept of Rome’s Arch of Constantine, it has a bronze figure of Bavaria. The formerly martial monument, honouring the famed Bavarian army, has been provided with a new inscription intended to convert it to a peace memorial. It says: ‘Dem Siege geweiht. Vom Krieg zerstört. Zum Frieden mahnend’ (Dedicated to victory. Destroyed by war. Calling for peace).

U: Universität station

Olympic Park

Until Munich’s Riem airport was inaugurated in 1939, this site, called Oberwiesenfeld, was the city’s aerodrome. After 1945, the rubble from bombed buildings was dumped here. Between 1966 and 1972, the buildings and installations of the XXth Olympic Summer Games rose on this almost 3 square kilometre-large plot. Built for the Olympic Games in 1972 with its tent-roof covering 75,000 square meters,the Olympic Park had become a well known landmark in Munich. This landscaped park contains sport facilities, lakes, bicycle paths, concert venues, restaurants and a football stadium. Don’t miss the fascinating BMW Museum across the street, right next to the companies headquarters – which was constructed in the shape of a four-cylinder engine.

The 288 metres high TV tower with its revolving restaurant, standing next to the Olympic Hill, affords some wonderful views.

U: Olympiazentrum
Bus: 36,41,43,81,136,184
Website

Schatzkammer der Residenz and Residenzmuseum

On the grounds of Munich’s medieval castle, called Neuveste, and surrounded by wide moats, the Wittelsbachs built their residence in the 16th century. Dukes and Kings reigned here until their abdication in 1918. The manifold alterations made during various construction periods can be clearly seen when you look at the entirety of the edifice. Both its mandators and architects, of differing fashions and tastes, from Renaissance over Rococo to Classicism, have immortalised themselves here.

In 1920 already, the castle was made accessible to the public as a museum. Severely damaged during World War II, its reconstruction wasn’t completed to any great extent until 1980. It’s advisable to join a guided tour. These visit some areas in the mornings, others in the afternoon.

Max-Joseph-Platz 3
U: Odeons and Marienplatz
Website

Schleissheim

Schloss Schleissheim has been called Elector Maximilian Emanuel I’s Versailles. Maximilian lived from 1662 to 1726. Although his policies were riddled with wrong decisions, Munich owes the existence of two magnificent palaces to him: Nymphenburg, which he converted into his summer residence, and the ‘new’ Schloss Schleissheim, constructed at the start of the 18th century in the French style and matching proportions. The Neue Schloss tract boasts a length of 335 metres and encompasses the French gardens along their entire width.

At the far end of the baroque park and separated from it by hedges, herbaceous- and flowery borders, a cascade and the canal, stands Schloss Lustheim as a vanishing-point. It was built towards the end of the 17th century in the style of an Italian garden-casino. Today it contains one of the largest collections of Meissen porcelain.

The Alte Schloss was built in 1598 and enlarged between 1616 and 1623. Badly damaged during World War II, it was reconstructed in 1972 after ancient records. The Bayerische Volksmuseum’s Weinhold collection, consecrated to superstition, is on view here.

Oberschleissheim
S: Oberschleissheim, Bus: 292
Website

Beer Gardens

When in Munich – off course you have to visit a beer garden.

A regulation passed anno 1539 forbade the brewing of beer between 23 April and 29 September due to the high risk involved. But it’s precisely then that Bavarians are thirstier than ever. In order to circumvent the regulation, brewers created the stronger and therefore less perishable ‘March Beer’. But even this demanded a cool storage place. There was no artificial refrigeration at that time, so the barrels had to be buried in the ground. This succeeded only partially, since Munich’s groundwater level is very high. Therefore chestnut trees were planted to provide more shade. These grow quickly, and their large leaves keep a lot of sunshine out. Thus began the beer garden. Not until 1725 were cellars for stocking beer barrels dug to the north-west of today’s Hauptbahnhof area, also near Gasteig.

Some of the best known beer gardens:

Altmeister
Sondermeierstrasse 1 (in the English Garden)
Has wonderfully shady trees.

Chinesischer Turm
Englischer Garten 3
Often cited in poetry and song. Brass bands play on Sundays.

Hirschgarten
Hirschgartenallee 1
Bavaria’s largest beer garden, with 8,000 seats. Situated in Neuhausen, right next to a deer-enclosure.

Taxisgarten
Taxisstrasse 12
Another Neuhausen beer garden. Small, but renowned for succulent spare ribs.

Shopping in Munich

The shopping scene in Munich has revamped recently. Modern Munich is a place where you’ll find celebrated brand names and designer goods alongside traditional Bavarian crafts such as beer steins and Tyrolean hats. Hyper modern shopping malls such as the Fünf Höfe have given the city an edgy modern glitter. However the old die hards such as Beck and delicatessen Dallmayr and Kafer still attract legions of faithful customers.

Munich downtown’s pedestrian zones are the best places for a shopping adventure. The major one is the Kaufingerstrasse, a two-kilometer pedestrian zone running from the railway station to Marienplatz and north to Odeonsplatz. All the chain stores are located here. For a more interesting shopping experience, the streets around the Marienplatz offer some small stores, while the pedestrian zone between Marienplatz and Karlsplatz offer the famous brand name clothing and shoe outlets. For international luxury items, head for Maximilianstrasse. Celebrated local fashion designer Rudolph Moshammer also showcases his creations here.

Theatinerstrasse, Maximilianstrasse and Residenzstrasse together form the ‘Bermuda Triangle’ for the most well-heeled of tourists. Here, as well as in adjoining Brienner Strasse and Salvatorplatz, you find the exclusive boutiques of the purveyors of international designer ware. Elegant cafés and bistros tempt visitors inside for a leasurely break. While strolling around the quarter you can, with a little bit of luck, get hold of a ticket for an evening performance in one of the local theatres.

In the pedestrian mall between Stachus and Marienplatz, department stores and chain outlets, boutiques and fast-food restaurants serve the average customer.

Schwabing, north of the university is the place to peruse Bavarian antiques. The small shops around the Viktualienmarkt and at Türkenstrasse, Theresienstrasse, and Barerstrasse are very interesting and you may get lucky.

The Sunday flea market at Kunstpark Ost is a great place for second hand bargains.

Festival and Events in Munich

Fasching (Carnival)

Gerhart Polt’s film ‘Kehraus’ merely shows the final phase of Munich’s carnival, which Bavarians call ‘Fasching’. The appellation probably goes back to the ancient Germanic term ‘vastchanc’, which meant the serving before Ash Wednesday of a beverage to mark the start to the Christian calendar’s Lent period. A couple of days of celebration have meanwhile grown – and not only in Bavaria – into several weeks of paying tribute to that frivolous time through the organising of numerous balls and ‘Weisse Feste’ (White Parties). Because with few exceptions, like the unique dancing of the female market vendors on Viktualienmarkt (Fasching Tuesday), carnival primarily takes place indoors. On the morning of Ash Wednesday the inhabitants of Munich rinse their purse in the fountain called Fischbrunnen to ensure it will soon be full again. Heading the queue at this ceremony, Munich’s Lord Mayor uses not his own purse, but a symbolic municipal one. Many restaurants serve a traditional fish meal at noon and in the evening, while leading politicians of all parties let fly at one another with sharp-tongued yet dignified Ash-Wednesday speeches.

Website

Starkbierzeit

The Salvatorkeller on Nockenberg Hill traditionally sees the tapping of the first barrel of this heady brew, and with it the opening of the Starkbierzeit, which immediately follows Fasching. It begins in March and lasts for three weeks. Prominent people from the political and cultural scene gather once again to witness the ceremony. Well-known politicians are thoroughly made fun of on this occasion. The alcohol content of Starkbier, which in morally stricter times helped monks get through Lent, is higher than that of normal beer. It is produced not only at the Paulaner, but also at the Augustiner, Hacker and Löwenbräu breweries.

Website

Frühlingsfest

This smaller, slimmer version of the Octoberfest takes place at the end of April on the Theresienwiese and lasts slightly longer than a fortnight.

Website

Stadtgründingsfest

In mid-June, Munich’s citizens spend a weekend celebrating the founding of their city. To this end, the pedestrian mall between Marienplatz and Odeonsplatz metamorphoses into a street filled with stalls. Handcrafted art objects are on offer, and free-of-charge concerts are performed.

Website

Auer Dult

This popular fair is held three times annually on Mariahilfplatz. In mid-May it’s called ‘May Dult’, at the end of July the name is ‘Jakobidult’, and in mid-October it’s called ‘Kirchweih Dult’ (Church Consecration). True to form, market vendors loudly sing the praises of their wares, and secondhand books, antiques, kitchen utensils and all kinds of junk can be bought at low cost. A popular fairground dish is grilled fish accompanied by a draught beer. Moreover, merry-go-rounds and shooting-galleries make for an exuberant holiday atmosphere.

Website

Tollwood

For three weeks, from late June unto July, the Olympia-Park terrain becomes a township of tents and stages, to which the buildings of the Olympic Games, even after 30 years, form a futuristic background. Culinary delicacies from all over the world are on offer, and international cabaret artists perform here. Numerous tents devoted to musical performances, circus shows, music hall and stage plays delight audiences.

Website

Filmfest

Munich’s film festival, held annually on the ground of the Gasteig Cultural Centre towards the end of June, may not compare in size to Cannes, Venice, Berlin or Hollywood, but the industry, its actors and producers enthusiastically celebrate their proper selves here for a full week. Even a few Hollywood stars jet across the Atlantic now and then to promote a première.

Website

Summer Festival in the Olympic Park

On the banks of the artificial lake in the grounds of the Olympic Park, a summer festival is held annually in August. Toy-boat competitions are organised and culinary titbits sold. Cabaret and shows complete the programme, together with a huge firework display. Free-of-charge rock concerts are held at the Theatron, a small open-air amphitheatre, against the dreamland backdrop of the Olympic tent roof.

Website

Oktoberfest (‘Wies’n’)

This, the world’s greatest folk festival, kicks off on the third Saturday in September. After the ‘Wies’n’ publicans, setting off at 11am on their colourfully decorated drays pulled by powerful horses, have made their way along Schwanthaler Strasse, the first barrel of beer is personally tapped by the Lord Mayor at 12 noon. On Sunday, starting at 10am, groups in traditional garb from all over Europe march to the Theresienwiese. The blissful, beer-laden tumult lasts for a total of 16 days. Millions of people attend each year.

The ‘Wies’n’ festival originates from the wedding feast for Crown Prince Ludwig and his bride Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen in 1810. On 25 occasions it couldn’t take place: during both world wars, also due to a cholera epidemic, and once even because of the prices needing to be charged. This occurred in the inflation year 1923. The previous year already a measure of beer had cost a horrendous 50 DM, and a grilled chicken 500 DM.

Website

Wintertollwood

On a terrain by Hackerbrücke bridge, a sort of town comes into being each year around Christmas, consisting of large circus tents and diverse stalls selling costume jewelry, clothing and arts and crafts objects. The aroma of tasty dishes from the most diverse regions wafts through the alleyways. The tents show prestigious circus- and cabaret acts.

Website

A language guide to Bavaria

Certain language terms are very important :-).

Hello and Goodbye

Griass di (Grüss Gott) – on coming across a friend or acquaintance.
Griass Gott (Grüss Gott) – same thing to a stranger.
Hab die Ehre (honoured, I’m sure) – on meeting someone.
Servus – good-bye.
Pfiadi – be seeing you!

When you are hungry

Auszogne – resembles Schmalznudeln (deep-fried yeast-dough).
A Mass (short and sharp pronunciation) – a litre of beer.
Erdäpfi – potatoes.
Hendl (pronounced ‘Haindel’) – fried chicken.
Kren – horseradish.
Obatzda – a mixture of Camembert, fromage frais, spices and onion.
Obstla (Obstbrand) – a fruit preparation.
Radi – radishes.
Radler – 50% wheat beer, 50% lemonade.
Schweinshaxn – leg of pork.
Schwammerl – mushrooms.
Semmi – a bread roll.
Wammerl – pork belly.
Zwetschgendatschi – plum cake.

Sightseeing in Munich

Munich is the third largest city in Germany, situated on the river Isar, and a popular destination for both business and leisure travellers. As well as being the capital and largest city of the German state of Bavaria, Munich is also the gateway to the Alps.

Munich is home to major universities, outstanding museums and theaters, numerous architectural attractions, international sports events, exhibitions, conferences and not to forget the world famous Oktoberfest.

The city offers a vast amount of attractions for the whole family, such as castles, palaces, gardens, parks and churches. For car and motorbike enthusiast, an absolute must is the BMW Welt, not just your ordinary museum but an Aladdin’s cave with thrilling exhibitions about the past, present and future of the brand. The choice is yours from straddling a powerful motorbike, marvel at technology-packed saloons, browse the ‘lifestyle’ shop or simply take the 80-minute guided tour.

Recommended sights in Munich

The majority of sights are located in the heart of the city in Munich’s Old Town and you can easily walk from one landmark to the other. Start in the Marienplatz , where you can explore many old and wonderful buildings, churches and landmarks. Marienplatz houses the Mariensäule, the Marian Column topped with the golden statue of Virgin Mary, and it is also home to the Old and the New Town Hall of Munich. The tower of the New Town Hall (Rathaus) houses the Glockenspiel, a beautiful carillon that is over 100 years old.Watch the 32 life-sized figures reenact historical Bavarian events. The architecture of the Rathaus is simply fascinating with gargoyles, statues and a dragon scaling the turrets. Insiders tip – climb to the top of the tower to get a stunning view of the city!

The Cathedral of Our Blessed Lady is probably the most famous landmark of Munich and the city’s largest church; it holds up to 20,000 people. Build in the 15th century, this Gothic style cathedral, were modeled on the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. You can climb to the top and admire the city and Alps from a bird’s eye view.

Munich’s largest park, The English Garden (Englischer Garten), is a stunning green oasis for you to explore. The park, bigger than New York’s Central Park, is the perfect place to go for a jog, bicycle ride or simply chill out on the grass listening to one of the many street musicians. In the heart of the English Garden, you’ll find the Lake, where you can rent a paddle boat and afterwards relax with a nice cold drink in the Seehaus beer garden. The park is also host to a few more unusual attractions such as the Chinese Tower and a Japanese Teahouse and the Eisbach, an artificial stream popular for wild water surfing.

If you fly to Munich in September or October, make sure you get a beer at the annual Oktoberfest. Simply sign along to “oom pah pah” music, dress up in lederhosen, “fraulein” oufits and dance on the tables! The festival is a great way to enjoy Munich’s cuisine and culture and Bavarian hospitality. During the rest of the year, go beer guzzling and pretzel snapping at the Hofbräuhaus, the world’s most celebrated beer hall. All food and drinks are served by waitresses in traditional costumes and the beers come in the typical halters (which can be pretty heavy).

Explore the Olympiapark north of the city, build for the 1972 Olympic Games and now a complex holding concerts, festivals and off course sporting events. Book yourself on a 90 minutes guided tour and find out more about the Olympiastadion (former home to Bayern Munich FC) and the eye catching 291 meter high Olympiaturm, which has a brilliant observation platform and a “Rock Museum”.

Visit BMW Welt, located next to the Olympiapark, the ultimate car museum in the world! Explore all to do with cars, motorbikes and technology. On the Junior Campus, kids learn about mobility, become a car engineer and even get to design their own vehicle in workshops. In addition, there’s always some daredevil stunts involving cars or motorbikes going on around the museum.

Admire the masterpieces of Rubens, Rembrandt , Poussin, Botticelli and other great Dutch Masters in the Pinakothek. Open daily from 10AM until 6PM, it is one of the oldest galleries in the world and has a fantastic collection of Old Master paintings.

Skiing near Munich

Why not use Munich as your stepping stone to go skiing in the Alps? When you’re on top of the Rathaus in the city centre, you can almost touch the Alps. There are several really good, less crowded resorts within an hour’s drive of the city, like Wallberg or Alpspitze, but the highest (2,100m) and most snow-sure mountain in Bavaria is Zugspitze, 90km from Munich. In combination with Alpspitze, the home of the famed Kandahar Olympic downhill run, it boasts over 62km of pistes and some of the region’s best avalanche-safe backcountry.

Recommended hotels in Munich

You can choose from a wide variety of accommodation from five-star luxury to funky budget hotels. Even if you’re hotel is located just outside the city, Munich’s excellent public transport system will get you to destination on time and relatively cheap. Like in every city, if you want to be in the heart, in this case The Altstadt, you’ll have to pay a premium for this privilege. If you’re a bit of a party animal, a perfect location to touch base is either the Schwabing, Maxvorstadt or the Gärtnerplatzviertel-Glockenbachviertel area. Just a bit of advise, if you’re planning to visit the Oktoberfest, we recommend you book well in advance as hotel prices do go sky high when the festival is on and you’ll find limited availability!

Just a short walk from Munich Station which offers a direct train service from the airport, the first class deluxe Maritim Hotel Munich is ideally located for both the city centre and business districts. With panoramic roof top indoor swimming pool, sauna and steam rooms the Maritim hotel and its welcoming staff offer guests a haven in which to relax and unwind. Take advantage of the full hot and cold buffet breakfast, relax in the hotels own bier garden, dine in the bistro or end your night with a cocktail in the piano bar the newly restyled Maritim Hotel welcomes you to Munich.

The Laimer Hof is situated in the heart of the Nymphenburg district, just by the Nymphenburg Castle with its beautiful park, historic sites, the botanical garden and many museums.

Ideally situated in the heart of Munich, the elegant Charles Hotel is part of the Rocco Forte Hotel chain. Suited for business and leisure travellers alike, expect nothing but five-star accommodation and amenities in this outstanding hotel.

The Mandarin Oriental Munich is located in one of the quieter parts of the city and is surrounded by one of the most beautiful landmarks in Munich. This hotel is perfectly situated within walking distance of the main attractions, including a great range of bars and restaurants.