15 Magic Things To Do In Munich

Discover art, music, Rococo churches, nude sunbathing and river surfing in the German capital of beer. There are fantastic things to do in Munich, which is one of those cities in Germany you can visit again and again and still have fun.

As the capital of Bavaria, Munich is also home to some of the best German landmarks, which are amazing to see. 

And if you’ve never visited Germany, here are 25 fun facts about Germany you need to know before you go. 

Munich

15 Magic Things To Do In Munich

1- Drink beer at Oktoberfest

Starting from late September, the area at the foot of the statue of Bavaria turns into a raucous toasting ground with sideshows, a Ferris wheel, stalls selling candy floss, gingerbread hearts and roast almonds, balloons, stuffed animals as well as 14 Munich brewery beer halls.

Six and a half million visitors descend upon the Bavarian capital over 16 days.

Munich’s crafty Wittelsbach rulers used the 1810 marriage celebration of Ludwig I of Bavaria to Therese von Saxe-Hildburghausen to generate substantial taxes from the consumption of beer.

According to Munich’s beer regulations – which are the oldest in the world – beer should be brewed using barley, hops and water. Surprisingly, yeast isn’t mentioned.

Book your Oktoberfest seat early, or you might miss out and here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Oktoberfest. 

Oktoberfest is a fantastic festival to go to if you’re travelling with friends. 

2- Wander around Marienplatz

If you can only spend one day in Munich, exploring Marienplatz should be at the top of your list.

Marienplatz is the charming town square with clockwork figures and a Glockenspiel with 43 bells.

The 19th-century Glockenspiel is the main feature of the Neo-Gothic Town Hall building.

You’ll find a fabulous view of the city from the top of Town Hall tower.

The centre of the square was once a vibrant farmer’s market and has a statue of the Virgin Mary.

There’s also a toy museum and the Frauenkirche (Munich’s 15th-century cathedral). Visit Marienplatz on a warm sunny day and join Munich’s residents relaxing in one of the many open-air cafés.

Bicycle tours of Munich usually start from Marienplatz and are an ideal way to explore the rest of the city.

Looking for inspiration? You’ll find these 100 travel quotes fun to read. 

3- Have fun at the Hofbrauhaus

If you can’t visit Munich during Oktoberfest, the Hofbrauhaus is the place to go for thigh-slapping fun.

Buxom dirndl-clad Fräuleins glide through the vast festive hall, from table to table, handing out enormous one-litre beer steins while the thigh-slapping, foot-tapping music from the Bavarian brass band raises the fever pitch in the hall.

It’s a cult experience where a hall full of people sway and sing German songs to the band’s happy beat.

It’s so much fun and there’s no shortage of volunteers to conduct the band either.

If you’re not convinced, here are more fun reasons to visit the Hofbrauhaus.

You’ll find the Hofbrauhaus at the Platz in the heart of the Old Town.

4- Visit Asamkirche

This masterpiece of Bavarian Rococo architecture is unassumingly tucked away amid Sendlingerstrasse’s shopping buildings.

Outside the church, you’ll see the statue of St. Nepomuk, a 14th-century monk who performed many noble deeds by helping the poor; unfortunately, he drowned in the Danube.

However, the interior of this small 18th-century church is an elaborate Baroque fantasy adorned with high ceilings, marble columns, frescoes surrounded by red stucco and ornately gilded woodwork.

Commonly referred to as the Asamkirche after its builders, it was constructed by the Asam brothers, Cosmas Damian and Egid Quirin.

5- Visit the Pinakothek Museums

Like many cities throughout Europe, Munich is a rich art city with over 40 galleries and museums.

Munich’s main artistic gems are organised in three Pinakothek Museums.

There’s the Old Pinakothek (with its 14th – 18th-century paintings by masters Duer, Rembrandt, Rubens and Leonardo Da Vinci) and the New Pinakothek (which displays paintings and sculptures from the 18th and 19th centuries), however, the New Pinakothek is closed for renovations until 2025.

Then there’s the Pinakothek Moderne, which exhibits contemporary art, paintings and architecture.

You can also gaze at the works from the Blue Rider Expressionist movement represented by Kandinsky, Klee, Marc, Macke and Munter at the Tuscan villa-style Municipal Gallery in the Lenbachhaus building.

The Glyptothek has Ancient Greek & Roman art, while more experimental contemporary art by unknown artists are at Aktionsforum Praterinsel.

6- See Nymphenburg Palace

While most of the more famous palaces are in the Bavarian countryside and can be visited on one of these day trips from Munich, the city itself is home to beautiful palaces.

Nymphenburg was the summer residence of the Bavarian monarchs. The Wittelsbachs built the Gothic-style palace in 1467.

There are several palaces at Schleissheim, such as Neues Schloss Schleissheim, which is a mirror of Versailles with vaulted frescoed ceilings and lovely grounds.

Schloss Lustheim has a Baroque interior and a precious collection of Meissen porcelain.

In the Residenz Treasury, you will also find crystal, ivory, jade and gold.

Legend has it that a tourist while admiring the shimmering crown of Queen Therese von Bayern in the Residenz Treasury, came up with the well-known phrase ‘diamonds are a girl’s best friend’.

7- Listen to the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra

Munich’s concert halls are filled with well-dressed lovers of classical music, who provide the city’s cafes and hotels a sophisticated after-concert atmosphere.

Classical music is a serious affair in Munich with many concert performances, outdoor events, operas and symphonies.

The city has three significant orchestras led by star conductors.

While in Munich, catch a performance of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra at the Philharmonic Hall in the Gasteig Cultural Centre.

8- Learn something new at the Deutsch Museum

You could lose yourself for days wandering around the six floors of the world’s largest technical museum.

Deutsch Museum’s permanent exhibits read like an A-Z of an encyclopedia, featuring everything humankind has ever invented to make life easier.

From steam engines to Helios space probes, music instruments to rockets, you will surely find something that fascinates you there.

One of the highlights is the archaeological reconstruction of the famous Altamira cave in northern Spain, which comes complete with replica 15,000-year-old cave paintings.

Two separate exhibition spaces were added for the growing collection; the Deutsches Museum Verkehrszentrum serves as a transport museum and the Flugwerft Schleissheim, once a palace, is an aeroplane museum.

9- Taste the food in Munich

Munich has a rich food culture of hearty Bavarian cuisine all year round. 

Summer is a great time to hit the beer gardens for a tasty meal or wander around Munich’s markets buying bratwurst and trying delicious street food. 

Munich’s largest market is the Viktualienmarkt, which is in the centre of Munich and is open during weekdays or on Saturday mornings but the market is closed on Sunday.

Munich also has a fabulous restaurant scene, with plenty of top-notch restaurants. If you’re looking for somewhere to eat, here are some places that dish up good food in Munich. 

10- Surf the Isar River

Although Munich is not a seaside city, keen surfers queue up to surf a the Isar River.

If you head over to the Eisbach arm of the Isar River at the English Gardens – where the river flows out of a tunnel – you will find wetsuit-clad surfers challenging each other’s skills on this fast-flowing professional spot.

It’s one of the coolest things to do in Munich and only highly experienced surfers should attempt it.

The Isar River flows northwards from its source in the Bavarian Alps.

11- Relax in the English Garden

The 373-hectare English Garden is one of the largest city parks in the world.

It stretches over 5km along the Isar River.

It was built in 1789 by Karl Theodor, who was possibly one of the least favourite rulers.

Nude sunbathing is another favoured activity and when it snows, the cross-country trails are great for skiing.

In summer, the beer garden tucked away under the Chinese Tower is never empty.

Parallel to the English Garden, the once-Bohemian suburb of Schwabing now has elegant Jugendstil art nouveau architecture and hip restaurant and bar scene.

12- Explore Odeonsplatz 

From the Bazargebäude (Bazaar Building) to the Palais Leuchtenberg, which was designed to resemble Palazzo Farnese in Rome, Odeonsplatz is the place to admire neoclassical buildings that were inspired by Italian architecture.

There’s the 1844 Feldherrnhalle (Field Marshalls’ Hall), which was inspired by the architecture of Florence and the Theatinerkirche (Theatine Church) which is fashioned after the late Baroque style that was popular in Italy. 

13- Take a day tour to Neuschwanstein Castle

There are several castles near Munich you can visit as a day trip, including one of the most famous castles in the world. 

Neuschwanstein Castle was built by King Ludwig II and is a Bavarian castle that looks like it’s straight out of a Grimm’s Brothers fairytale. 

Most day tours also visit Linderhof castle, which is much smaller and less grand than Neuschwanstein but has some fascinating features that were technologically advanced for the time it was built.

Linderhof has a table that disappears through the floor down to the kitchen, where the chefs can lay out the food and an impressive grotto. 

14- Take a Third Reich walking tour

The meteoric rise of a dictator who held the power to change the world, Hitler, and the birth of the Nazi movement continues to fascinate people today. 

Going on a tour through Munich to see the places where events happened has a lot more impact than watching a documentary or reading a book.

The Nazi movement held their first rally in Munich at the Hofbräuhaus.

A walk through the city to see the Feldherrenhalle, where they failed to seize power, the rally site at Königsplatz is an interesting thing to do in Munich. 

15- Live like a celebrity at Hotel Bayerischer Hof

Soak up the atmosphere of Bavarian royal opulence at Hotel Bayerischer Hof. From the smart attire of the guests, it is easy to believe that this is Munich’s best hotel.

The guest list has an impressive array of celebrities from politicians to movie stars; Henry Kissinger, the Dalai Lama, The Agha Khan, John Paul Gautier and Britney Spears have all laid their head to rest in the luxurious rooms of this historic hotel.

Opened in 1841, for King Ludwig I to provide luxurious accommodation for his guests, the hotel has five different styles of décor.

The 1839 bar in the mirrored hall has been redesigned with steel and glass to provide a stunning contrast to its original heritage interior.

Book your room in Munich here

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