An insider’s guide to Munich

After over 5 years living and discovering the corners of Munich, it was about time I created a real guide for the city I chose to be my home.I have been sharing a lot about living in Germany and Munich, I’ve touched upon different aspects, including cultural, entertainment, gastronomic, romantic, practical and more. Now I’ve put together a bit of everything into one place, just to make life easier for everyone, an insider’s guide to Munich.

All information you will find here are based on my experience of both living in Munich and of showing the city to family, and friends throughout the years. From things to do, where to eat, drink and shop, public transportation, to events, I hope they will help you plan and have a wonderful time in the capital of Bavaria.

Top things to see and do in Munich

Marienplatz & the Old Town

A visit to Munich must include the Marienplatz and a stroll around the old town. At Marienplatz you will find the new and old City Halls (Rathaus), the glockenspiel, the dancing clock of the new city hall’s tower, cafes and stores. A few steps away you will find the Viktualienmarkt, the city’s open air market, with local and international products. Take the time to discover the pretty streets and squares of this part of the city.

Tip: The glockenspiel normally plays everyday at 11am and 12am., and between March and October it is additionally played at 5pm.

Englischer Garten

The largest park in town, and probably the most beautiful, the Englischer Garten is also a must when in Munich. There you find biergartens and restaurants for a traditional Bavarian dish and a beer, kids playground, beautiful paths among the trees, lakes, plenty of space for playing with dogs and having a picnic, and even the famous Eisbach, where it’s possible to surf all year round!

Tips

♦ The park is huge, I recommend you to have a map/GPS that can help you get around the place, even I still get lost there sometimes.
♦ The quickest and easiest way to get to the Eisbach to check the surfers is by taking the bus 100 and getting off at Nationalmuseum/Haus der Kunst at the Prinzregentenstr., which is right in front of the action.

Hofgarten

Pretty close to the Englischer Garten (in the south part) you find this incredibly romantic and charming garden, that used to be the private garden of the Bavarian Kings’ residency, the Residenz. There you find benches to sit, a biergarten, cafes, and often someone playing music.

BMW Welt & Museum

For car lovers, these attractions are impossible to miss, both are connected by a bridge. At the BMW Welt you can see a car show room, and you may enter the cars and check them out, shop at the merchandise stores, take a test drive, take a break at their café or eat at the Michelin starred restaurant EssZimmer by Käfer. The best of all? The entrance here is free.

Just across a bridge, you can visit the BMW Museum, where with a ticket you can spend hours checking out the timeline of the company, from where it all began until their prototype cars. Occasionally you may also find an extra special exhibition taking place.

Olympic Park & Tower

Full of attractions all year round, the Olympiapark has lots to offer and it can be easily combined with the BMW Welt and Museum, which are just across a bridge. At the park you can go up the Olympic Tower for a great view of the city and even have a fine meal at its rotating restaurant, you can also watch the sunset at the Olympiaberg (a hill right in the middle of the park) go to concerts and festivals at different times of the year, go ice skating, watch hockey games, play tennis and football and much more.

Deutsches Museum

For those into technology and museums, the Deutsches Museum is a must. It is a very interesting museum filled with great collections and exhibitions for everyone, varying from natural sciences to transportation.

Nymphenburg Palace & Park

One of my favorite places in Munich, and often overlooked by tourists and locals alike. The Nymphenburg Palace was the home of the famous royal couple whose wedding originated the Oktoberfest (Ludwig von Bayern and Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen), as well as the birth place of king Ludwig II who built the famous Neuschwanstein Castle.

It is possible to visit a few rooms of the Palace for a fee, as well as some other parts of the property, such as the Porcelain Museum. As for the park, there is no entrance fee, and it’s open to the public, including dogs, which should be kept on the leash. It is a stunning place, completely worth the visit, and if you’ve got time, it’s possible to take a gondola ride and have a snack at the Café am Palmenhaus.

Isar River

The Isar is the river that crosses the city, and a stroll alongside it will give you a different impression of Munich. During the summer is a beloved place for a barbecue, a picnic, or for simply relaxing and having a beer by the water. A great place also for sunsets and photography.

Watch a game or visit the Allianz Arena

For the football fans in town, if you don’t manage to get tickets for a game, you can take a tour of the Allianz Arena and have an idea of what’s like when it’s full with people. Everyone I ever took to see the stadium loved it, even the not so football fans.

Tip: in most games you can head to the Allianz Arena and try to get a ticket, normally there are many people selling them after you get off the subway. For Champions League games tickets are harder to get.

Go to a Biergarten

Warm days in Munich call for a Biergarten, and the city has plenty of them to keep you entertained. There, I recommend you to order the beer you like (yes, you can have beer in the same one liter Oktoberfest glasses) and a local dish accompanied by a Brezen. You’ll feel like a local!

Enjoy a beautiful view over the city

Munich offers a few places where you can appreciate it from above. If like me, you also love seeing a city from over the rooftops, here are a few ideas to do just that in Munich: the new City Hall has an elevator that take you up to Marienplatz, you may also like to climb the narrow steps of the St. Peter’s Church right across it, go up the Olympic Tower, or maybe enjoy a drink or two in one of the famous rooftop bars in the city, like the one at the hotel Bayerischer Hof.

Have a traditional Bavarian breakfast

If there is something you should experience while in Munich, that is to have a traditional Bavarian breakfast, a pair of weißwurst, brezen, sweet mustard, and a weißbier. Yup, beer for breakfast!

Getting around with the public transportation

It is incredibly easy to get around Munich, options vary from bus, Tram, U-Bahn (subway), S-Bahn (suburban trains) and bicycles. Tickets can be bought at machines located in all U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations, most Tram and bus stations, inside the Trams and buses, as well as online, on the official MVG website or app (also in English).

My tip is to download the MVG app, register (yes, even if you don’t live in Munich you can buy tickets using the app) and use it to plan your journeys, buy your tickets, check the timetables, keep updated on the traffic, and even get several tips for Munich, including the list of free Wi-Fi spots around the city.

» Always remember to validate your ticket (only once on the first use) «

Apart from these tickets, there are also the CityTourCard, which gives you access to transportation and discounts on over 70 attractions in and around Munich, and the QueerCityPass, which is a special ticket for the LGBT-community that gives access to transportation and discounts in over 60 queer-friendly partners in and around Munich.

Some of the best places to eat and drink in Munich

I’ve combined my favorite places in town, the best rated and Michelin starred restaurants in one place:

Nightlife

I’m not much into nightlife these days, but I have many friends in town who are, so club recommendation comes from them. On the other side, I do enjoy having a good cocktail in a nice bar.

Top places for shopping in Munich

If shopping in Munich is something you don’t want to miss, then you have to check out these places while here.