Munich is the capitol city of Germany’s southern Bavaria region and home to the famous Oktoberfest from late September through October. In addition to that, Munich is steeped in history, particularly WWII history. There are over 80 different museums to choose from, dozens of nearby palaces and some of Bavaria’s best dining options. As such there are plenty of things to see on a visit to this historic city.
Where to Stay
Our favorite hotel in Munich is the 25 Hour Hotel in downtown Munich. The hotel has one of the coolest collection of restaurants, cafés and bars of any hotel around as well as some of the coolest design and decor elements that you’ll find in any boutique hotel.
Things to do in Munich
Beer Gardens & Beer Halls
Beer is at the heart of Munich culture so no matter where you go and what you decide to do, you’ll be sure to stop at some of their many fantastic places to drink perfect German Beer. Some of their best beer gardens and beer halls are listen below:
Hischgarten
The world’s largest beer garden, that can hold up to 8,000 beer drinkers at once. Plenty of stands selling beer and traditional food service this outdoor venue where you can expect to enjoy liter pours and soft German pretzels at seat yourself picnic tables.
Augustiner-Bräustuben
This world famous beer hall is worth the small trek off the beaten path as it is as quintessential a Bavarian beer hall as you’ll ever find. Here you’ll enjoy one of Bavaria’s most famous beers, Augustiner and likely a classic Oompa band complete with traditional beer hall singing and dancing.
Löwenbräukeller
Home to another locally brewed favorite, Löwenbräu, this beerhall is beloved by locals and tourists alike. They have a beer half restaurant and outdoor beer garden on the premises. And, they are known for regular Bavarian music and traditional dances and events. If it gets too crowded head to the roof and check out their ample roof terraces that overlook the beer garden below.
Augustiner Keller
This centrally located beer hall is über popular with the locals due to its traditional interior and lively outdoor beer garden. The attached restaurant and pub has an impressive array of Bavarian-style food like pretzels, roasted ribs and desserts.
Hofbräuhaus München
The former royal brewery of Bavaria, Horbräuhaus is the most famous beer hall in Munich, if not the world. They’ve been serving the royal recipe of Bavarian beer since 1598 when Willhelm V, Duke of Bavaria, decided tp build his own brewery. The impressive interior, complete with vaulted ceilings, intricately frescoed, with dark wooden, hand carved furniture and a raised stage for Bavarian Oompa bands to perform provide the perfect atmosphere for a tourist enjoying their first German beer hall.
Tap House
German beer is strictly regulated by the Reinheirsgebot, which states that to be called German beer it can only contain 4 ingredients, water, barley, hops and yeast. As such, there’s not much variation to German beers. They are absolute perfection, but there’s not much that you can do to make your beer stand out while only using 4 ingredients. Tap House is one of the few places you’ll find in Germany that specializes in unique craft brews. It’s a great place to stop once you’re tired of traditional German beer and want something more modern.
Paulaner Brauhaus
Located in Kapuzinerplatz, this famous beer garden and restaurant combines one of the classier beer halls and nicer restaurants in Munich with plenty of wooden picnic tables in their out door beer garden.
Chinesischer Turm
This unique beer garden is located at Munich’s famous English Gardens in the center of the city. At the center of the gardens is a giant Chinese Tower where they make pretty good Chinese food and serve some very refreshing beers to wash it down with in their bustling beer garden.
Biergarten Viktualienmarkt
In the absolute center of downtown Munich is the most popular beer gardens in town. Here you can find a number of Munich’s best beers as well as dozens of market stalls as part of Munich’s daily produce market.
Wirsthaus im Braunauer Hof
For a fully local experience, head to Wirsthaus im Braunauer Hof. This centrally-located Bavarian restaurant has a relaxed outdoor beer garden where you can enjoy a Bavarian meal and some great beer under the shade of chestnut and cherry blossom trees. Kids will enjoy their mini hedge maze as well.
Stehausschank
A secret bar that harkens back to a bygone era of Bavarian drinking culture where ice cold Augustiner is tapped fresh from giant oak barrels. The bar has no seats, it’s a fully standing only bar, where you pack in with local businessmen and pound half-liter Augustiner’s for 3EUR a pop.
Munich’s Best Museums
The State Collection of Egyptian Art: 5,000 years of Egyptian art and cultural relics in a stunningly gorgeous building that’s worth seeing in its own right.
Alte Pinakothek: This Neo-Renaissance art museum dates back to 1836 and is thus one of the world’s oldest art galleries. You’ll find works of art by Durer, van Dyck, da Vinci, Bosche, Rmebrandy and Rubens.
Munich Residenz: A 14th-century Bavarian castle built for the Wittelsbach family of monarchs is an incredible palace to visit with its complex of ten different courtyards and over 130 different rooms decorated in the opulent style of the time.
Deutsches Museum: Munich’s most famous museum, the Deutsches Museum, is also the world’s largest science and technology museum.
Glyptothek: Located along Königsplatz this museum is dedicated solely to ancient sculptures and features displays that you can walk right up to in a rather relaxed atmosphere.
Museum Brandhorst: A modern art installation with vast open galleries featuring some of Andy Warhol’s most famous pieces of art work.
The Museum of Five Continents: This museum was Germany’s first museum dedicated to the study of ethnology. It boasts a collection of over 200,000 objects spread over almost 50,000 square feet. The museum is divided into 5 sections based on the geography of the region being showcased.
Neue Pinakothek: King Ludwig I’s collection of 19th century contemporary art like Degas, Cézanne, Monet, Gauguin, Renoir, Courbet, Delacroix, Schinkel and Friedrich.
BMW Museum: If you’re a car enthusiast make sure you stop at the BMW museum and check out their showrooms full of new technology, new cars, classic cars, vintage aircrafts, motorcycles, turbines, engines and concept vehicles.
Munich’s Free Walking Tour
For a great overview of the city and its hundreds of years of history make sure to book Munich’s famous free walking tour by clicking HERE. Just show up at the beginning of the tour and enjoy the experience and pay the tour guide in tips whatever you think the tour was worth.
Neues Rathaus
The star of Munich’s central town square, Marienplatz, is this Gothic monument and state house, the Neues Rathous, which has been gracing the square since 1874. Famous for it’s giant automatronic glockenspiel, essentially a large cuckoo clock, that chimes each day at 11:00, 12:00 and 17:00 complete with a series of 32 life sized figures acting out episodes from the 1600s, the shadow of this building is also where you’ll start your free walking tour. Take bets with your friends on which knight will win the duel during each show. Make sure to head to the top of the tower to enjoy a fantastic view over Marienplatz.
Asam Church
One of the most stunning Baroque church altars anywhere on earth. Interestingly, this chapel was originally built and designed as a private chapel, unaffiliated with any particular religion
Go to a Fútbol Game at Allianz Arena
Germany’s top soccer team, FC Bayern, plays in a gorgeous, state of the art stadium on the outskirts of Munich. If you’re not lucky enough to go when the stadium is rocking with 66,000 screaming fans, Allianz Arena offers an hour-long tour that takes you through the dressing rooms, player’s tunnel as well as through the entire stadium and field.
Nymphenburg Palace
Built to celebrate the ascension of Max Emanuel to the throne, this palace is known for its beautiful gardens and grand rooms. The entire palace is not open to visitors, but there are plenty of areas to explore inside as well as the extensive formal gardens that surround the palace. In addition to this, there’s a augmented reality app that you can download and use to learn more about what you’re exploring.
The BMW Driving Academy Maisach
At the BMW and MINI Driving Academy Maisach, located at a former airport 40 minutes outside of Munich are a series of tracks and driving courses where you can hire a private driving instructor to teach you how to complete challenging maneuvers at super high speeds.
Cuvilliés-Theater
Also known as the Risdenz Theater is arguably the most beautiful Rococo theatre in Germany and the famous opera house where Mozart premiered his opera “Idomeneo.” Entry to visit the theater is included with your ticket to visit the Residenz Palace. Check their hours before your visit as they have some odd hours, especially outside of the summer months when the theatre is only open from 2pm on during weekdays. If you can, try to get tickets to an actual performance here if you can.
Surf on the Eisbach
Surfing probably wasn’t on your list of things to do in landlocked central Europe, but if you are an avid surfer, you really can’t miss out on surfing the waves of Munich’s Eisbach (Ice Stream) River. The waves are created artificially on a concrete break, which means you have to be ready to surf the moment you hit the water. This is not for the uninitiated, ample experience surfing is required before you jump in these waters as it can be quite dangerous. If you go just to check out the scene and watch people surf, beware, it’s not unusual to see locals surf butt naked on hot summer days.
Viktualienmarkt
Munich’s best outdoor market and the center of commerce in the heart of the city’s Old Town (Altstadt), is this 200 year old open air market where you’ll find 140 privately owned stalls selling everything you can possibly imagine.
Juristische Bibliothek (The Law Library)
Visit one of the worlds most beautiful libraries inside Munich’s stunning town hall. The library looks like it’s right out of a fairytale and makes for excellent photos.
Learn How to Make Authentic German Pretzels (Bretzen)
Tom the baker, will spend the day with you teaching you how to make this famous German delicacy. This is a can’t miss experience if you love soft pretzels.
Check out the Infinite Staircase
A 9m tall piece of public art and fantastic architectural balance graces the courtyard of a complex of business buildings at Ganghoferstraße 29.
Tegernsee
Visit this lakeside brewery and enjoy their astoundingly good Bavarian-style beers.
Other Fun Things to Do in Munich
Evening of Bavarian Beer and Food
Best Places to Eat in Munich
Breakfast at Schneider Brauhaus
If you’re looking for a truly authentic German experience for breakfast, head to Schneider Brauhaus before noon and drink a hefty, yet light and refreshing Weissbier (wheat beer) with a serving of homemade Brez’n (soft pretzels) and Weisswurst, Bavaria’s famous white sausage. Traditionally, these white sausages were extremely fast to spoil and thus had to be made fresh every day. This is why in places that still make them fresh, you won’t find it on menus after 12-noon.
Pork Knuckles at Augustiner am Dom
Pork knuckles, dumplings, sauerkraut, potatoes and beer…these are a few of German’s favorite things and they can all be found at Auginstiner am Dom. Their pork knuckles are astoundingly tender. Marinated for days and then slowly roasted at low temperatures for hours upon hours, the pork just falls off the bone. Order the Schweinshaxe (pork knuckle) with Knoedeln (balls of mashed potatoes) and a delicious Augustiner Beer.
Preysinggarten
Book ahead of time on a nice day to sit in their stunning garden and enjoy deliciously prepared Mediterranean dishes or sit inside in their candlelit farm house. They also have an extensive vegan and vegetarian menu.
Wirsthaus Maximillian
Interesting, fresh takes on German classic cuisine like schnitzel and sausages.
Brenner Grill
Gorgeous interior with vaulted ceiling and giant pillars in a refined brasserie setting, this restaurant is known for their Mediterranean cuisine, pastas and grilled meats. You won’t find any German staples like sauerkraut and sausages on this menu.
Bratwurst-Glöckl am Dom
For the most classic Wirsthaus experience, look no further than Bratwurst-Glöckl am Dom. It’s a bit touristy, located right in the heart of Marienplatz, so it might not feel authentic and genuine, but the food is phenomenal. Make sure to order Bavarian staples like sausage roasted on an open beechwood fire, their schnitzel, pork knuckle or knoedeln. But, the real star is the Kaiserschmarrn, a filling, fluffy mountain of shredded pancake, raisins, icing and sugar topped with apple compote. Make sure to order it early as it takes 20 min to prepare from scratch.
Spatenhaus an der Oper
For Munich’s best schnitzel, head to Spatenhaus an der Oper. Located just across from Munich’s famous Opera House and National Theatre, this stately dining room offers a strictly top notch Bavarian menu.
Neo Brasserie Hoiz
A lively brasserie with creative, daily changing specials with international influences and a lot more variation than you typically find in Bavaria. This is a great place for lunch after you’re already tired of schnitzel and pork.
Heinrich Matters
Instagram worthy dishes of internationally inspired cuisine at this industrial chic cafe/restauramt.
Tantris
Munich’s most famous Michelin star restaurant. Boasting 2 Michelin stars this fine dining establishment is a can’t miss for the foodie traveling to Munich.
Konditorei Kaffee Schneller
Historic cafe where you won’t find a full menu, but it’s the perfect place to enjoy the German tradition of Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and cake). Try a slice of Bavarian pastry, Prinzregententorte – a sponge cake with chocolate buttercream and apricot jam.
Der Verrückte Eismacher
A zany ice cream shop that specializes in out of the box, crazy ice cream flavors like beer and sauerkraut.
Dallmayr Delicatessen
Germany’s most famous delicatessen provides a dizzying array of chocolate truffles, cakes, and a tremendous deli full of gourmet food. They even have an attached champagne bar.
Best Cocktail Bars in Munich
Bar Gabányi
Located in the basement of a villa on Beethovenplatz, is one of the best bars in Munich for cultured cocktails. The owner, Stefan Gabányi, can be recognized by his unmissable mutton chops, but he’s renowned as one of the country’s leading whisky experts. You won’t find a better old fashioned anywhere in Munich.
Best Day Trips from Munich
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
The quintessential medieval German town.
Neuschwanstein Castle
Germany’s most famous castle and the inspiration for the castle in Disney’s Cinderella, which you can learn more about by clicking HERE.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
An Alpine ski resort town which you can learn more about by clicking HERE.
Dachau
Germany’s first concentration camp.
Berchtesgaden
Alpine retreat that houses the famous Eagle’s Nest of Adolf Hitler on its highest peak.
Schloss Herrenchiemsee
King Ludwig’s lakeside vacation home situated on one of Chiemsee’s Islands. A boat ride is required to get there, but this palace is well worth the visit.
