Sitting right on the edge of the German Alps, Munich is the city that makes all of your Bavarian dreams come true. Walk a couple of blocks in any direction and you’ll find a place with really good bratwurst and weisswurst—served up, if you’re lucky, by a man or woman wearing lederhosen. A polka band might play. And big mugs of frosty beer here in the home of Oktoberfest? Absolutely delicious and totally ubiquitous.
Arrival
Munich International Airport (MUC), also known as Franz Josef Strauss International Airport, is Germany’s second-busiest airport. A major international hub for Lufthansa, flights from a number of North American carriers also land here, meaning if you’re coming from a major city, you can probably arrive on a direct flight. The airport isn’t particularly close to the city, about 25 miles to the northeast, but you’ll have a number of options to get downtown.Morning
Your first stop, especially on a sunny day, must be the English Garden. It’s the perfect place to shake off any jet lag, stretch your legs, and—after hours of recirculated air—breathe in some fresh oxygen. Honestly, you might be tempted to stay all day.
Rolling out from the city core to the northeast, this is one of the world’s great urban parks. Bigger than New York’s Central Park and London’s Hyde Park, it is filled with natural wonders—and human ones, too.
For starters, head to the Eisbachwelle, at the place where Prinzregentenstrasse meets the southern edge of the park. Fed by snowmelt and flowing from high in the Alps, the Isar River eventually connects with Danube. Along the way, a short one-mile, man-made spur splits off in Munich. This is known as the Eisbach, German for “ice brook.”
And if you stand at that given spot on Prinzregentenstrasse, all that cold, clean water comes rushing out of a tunnel, and over an underwater step. This creates a reliable, year-round, landlocked wave called the Eisbachwelle. Clad in their wetsuits, surfers absolutely love it. Watching from the street above or the slopes all around, it’s truly a wonder to watch them. One at a time, they drop in and ride the white crest, back and forth, until they’re eventually rushed downstream.
Continue along the pathways, farther into the park. You’ll soon forget that you’re in a city with almost 6 million people in the metro area. Created in 1789 and covering some 900 acres, the English Garden is filled with forests and covered with playing fields, plus a nice little lake (Kleinhesseloher See), where you can rent a pedal boat and view other attractions. Walk along the edge of the Eisbach river, where locals a little less daring than the surfers love to climb in and just drift downstream.
Eventually, you will arrive at the Chinese tower, a five-level, all-wood pagoda. It’s time for an early lunch, and, fortunately, here you’ll find one of Munich’s biggest and best beer gardens. There’s a complex of food stalls with offerings that go far beyond sausages: rotisserie chickens, salads, spaetzle, and a magical combination of pretzel and pizza called “brizza.” Start with that Oktoberfest staple, a “mass” of beer, a full, frosty liter of the good stuff. Then, fill your plate, find a shady table, and dig in, while you plan the afternoon ahead.
Afternoon
Munich’s city core is flat and easily walkable, with shady little parks everywhere. Stroll or hop on one of the frequent, clean, safe trams to reach Marienplatz. On foot, the trip will take 30 minutes to 40 minutes, depending on your pace and how often you pause to snap photos.
You’ll know when you’ve reached Munich’s main square. All the spires, domes, and stepped roofs will take your breath away. Old Town Hall is a neo-Gothic marvel. You could stare at this grand building for an hour and still not see all its features, little statues, flying buttresses, and so much more.
Snap a photo of the shimmering golden Virgin Mary statue atop the Marian column in the middle of it all, first erected in 1638. Then, the choice is yours. Linger for a post-lunch coffee at one of the patio cafes around the square, an unmatched place for people-watching, or wander. A network of pedestrian streets wind away from Marienplatz—picking any one of them is a good option for browsing the shops here in Old Town. Aim in the general direction of the Residenz, Munich’s city palace (which is back in the direction of the English Garden).
When you arrive, before going inside, take a little time to roam around the geometric, 17th-century Hofgarten, a Renaissance garden. Sometimes, you’ll find nice little surprises along its paths, like a grand piano, with a skilled player at the keys, in the central Dianatempel—a stone, open-sided building.
The Residenz is another attraction where you could spend an entire day. Plan for at least a couple of hours. The ruling Wittelsbach royals started construction on this grand, rambling redoubt in 1385. Now it covers several city blocks, with 10 courtyards and 130-some rooms. The main museum includes antique collections, bronze and porcelain art, ceiling frescoes, throne rooms, and so many gilded halls. Plus, you can tour through the state coin collection, the treasury, and even a museum of Egyptian art.
Evening
If you still have a little room left, start the night with another beer at Hofbräuhaus, which claims to be the world’s most famous tavern. If you close your eyes and picture a Bavarian beer hall—that’s exactly what you’ll find here. Built in 1589, this place originally exclusively supplied beer to the Bavarian royals, only opening to the public in 1828.
Today, thousands come here every day for live oompah-pah music, really good brew, and a menu filled with hearty local fare. Consider an early dinner. Far from simple pub grub, Hofbräuhaus serves up seasonal menus with all-local meat and produce, and regional favorites including suckling pig, beef goulash, and perch fillets (plus, surprisingly, a decent selection of vegetarian and vegan options).
You might want to take a moment to change into your fancy evening clothes. Just a couple of blocks away, Maximilionstrasse is a street that was designed for stepping out. Still super stylish, the street was commissioned and constructed, starting in 1850, by King Maximilian II.
Meant to be a royal avenue where the well-heeled could “see and be seen,” the street is lined with monuments and fountains and high-end boutiques, including Bulgari, Versace, and Louis Vuitton. Pop into the city’s first permanent hotel open for all four seasons, the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski. Maximilian built this luxurious place in 1858 so visiting dignitaries would have an appropriately opulent place to stay. Today, locals love to gather for a drink in the lobby under its glowing dome—the lobby is known as “Munich’s nicest living room.” Again, an excellent spot for people-watching.
After a long and interesting day, finish with an evening performance. Walk two blocks to Max-Josef-Platz and the National Theater. Just exploring the building—a grand, classical structure fronted by a series of soaring Corinthian columns—makes the visit worthwhile.
It is home to both the Bavarian State Ballet and the Bavarian State Opera. Settle in and enjoy whatever’s playing on the night you visit—perhaps some Wagner, who premiered a couple of his best operas here. Then, let the music carry you out the doors, past those columns, and into the rest of the Bavarian night.
