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Munich Uncovered 20 Best Things To Do in the City

Munich Uncovered 

20 Best Things To Do in the City

1. Explore the Marienplatz and the Old Town

The Marienplatz is the historic heart of Munich, a grand and beautifully atmospheric central square that has been the focal point of the city's civic life for over 850 years. The neo-Gothic New Town Hall, with its famous Glockenspiel carriage chime that performs daily at 11am and noon, dominates one side of the square, while the older Old Town Hall stands at the eastern end. The surrounding pedestrian streets of the Altstadt are lined with beautifully preserved historic buildings, excellent shops, restaurants, and cafes, and the whole area rewards slow and curious exploration in every direction. Climbing the New Town Hall tower offers a wonderful panoramic view over the old city rooftops.

The Deutsches Museum on the Museumsinsel in the heart of Munich is the largest science and technology museum in the world and one of the most fascinating and absorbing attractions in Germany. The vast collection spans eight centuries of human ingenuity, covering mining, shipbuilding, aviation, space travel, musical instruments, computing, chemistry, and dozens of other fields, all presented with a hands-on approach that makes it as engaging for adults as for children. Allow a full day and focus on the areas that interest you most, as attempting to see everything in a single visit is genuinely impossible. The island setting on the Isar river adds an extra layer of charm to the visit.

The Biergarten is Munich's most beloved and characterful social institution, a uniquely Bavarian tradition of outdoor drinking and eating under the shade of chestnut trees that dates back to the early 19th century. Munich has over 30 beer gardens, from vast and famous to small and intimate, and spending a long afternoon in one with a cold Maß of Bavarian lager, a freshly baked pretzel, and a plate of Obatzda cheese spread is one of the most quintessentially Munich experiences imaginable. The Chinese Tower beer garden in the English Garden, the Hirschgarten with its resident deer, and the beautiful Seehaus at the Kleinhesseloher See are among the finest.

The Englischer Garten is one of the largest urban parks in the world, larger than New York's Central Park, and one of Munich's most treasured and enjoyable public spaces. The park stretches for several kilometers through the heart of the city, encompassing meadows, forests, lakes, rivers, beer gardens, a Japanese tea house, and a Chinese tower. The famous Eisbach wave at the southern entrance, where skilled surfers ride a standing river wave year-round, is one of the most entertaining and uniquely Munich spectacles anywhere in the city. The park is a wonderful destination at any time of year but particularly magical in summer when the meadows fill with sunbathers and the beer gardens buzz with life.

Nymphenburg Palace, the magnificent Baroque summer residence of the Bavarian royal family on the western edge of Munich, is one of the most beautiful and rewarding attractions in the city. The vast palace complex, with its central building and flanking pavilions, houses an extraordinary collection of royal apartments, carriages, and the famous Gallery of Beauties commissioned by King Ludwig I. The extensive formal gardens, with their canals, fountains, formal parterres, and romantic English landscape section, provide a wonderful setting for a leisurely morning or afternoon of exploration. The small palace pavilions dotted through the gardens, including the Amalienburg hunting lodge, are architectural gems in their own right.

Schloß Nymphenburg 1, 80638 Munich, Germany

Munich is home to one of the finest concentrations of art museums in Europe, centered around the three Pinakothek galleries in the Maxvorstadt museum district. The Alte Pinakothek houses one of the world's greatest collections of Old Masters, with masterpieces by Rubens, Dürer, Raphael, and Titian. The Neue Pinakothek covers 18th and 19th-century European art, while the Pinakothek der Moderne is the largest museum of modern art in Germany. The surrounding museum quarter also includes the outstanding Museum Brandhorst, with its extraordinary Cy Twombly collection, and the Lenbachhaus, home to a superb collection of works by the Blaue Reiter movement.

The Viktualienmarkt is Munich's beloved daily food market, a sensory feast of fresh Bavarian produce, seasonal fruit and vegetables, artisan cheeses, meats, flowers, and a wonderful variety of local and international food specialties spread across a large open-air market in the heart of the old city. The central beer garden, one of the finest and most atmospheric in Munich, is an essential stop after browsing the stalls. The market is at its most lively and vibrant in the morning, and combining a visit with a stroll through the surrounding Altstadt streets and a coffee at one of the neighboring cafes makes for a thoroughly enjoyable Munich morning.

Viktualienmarkt 3, 80331 München, Germany

8. Take a Day Trip to Neuschwanstein Castle

No visit to Bavaria is complete without a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle, the extraordinary fairy-tale palace perched high above the Alpsee lake near Füssen that inspired Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle and remains one of the most recognizable and visited buildings in the world. The journey from Munich takes approximately two hours by train and bus, passing through beautiful Bavarian countryside, and the castle itself, viewed from the famous Marienbrücke bridge above it, offers one of the most breathtaking architectural views in all of Europe. Book entry tickets online well in advance and arrive early to make the most of the experience.

Neuschwansteinstraße 20, 87645 Schwangau, Germany

For lovers of automotive design and engineering, the BMW Museum and BMW Welt complex near the Olympic Park is one of the most impressive and enjoyable attractions in Munich. The BMW Museum traces the extraordinary history of one of the world's most celebrated car brands through a stunning collection of vehicles, motorcycles, and design objects presented in a beautifully designed architectural setting. The adjacent BMW Welt is a spectacular contemporary building that functions as a delivery center, exhibition space, and event venue, and is free to enter. Together the two buildings offer a fascinating and visually stunning tribute to Bavarian engineering excellence.

Am Olympiapark 2, 80809 München, Germany

The Munich Residenz, the former royal palace of the Wittelsbach monarchs in the heart of the Altstadt, is one of the largest and most impressive palace complexes in Europe and an essential Munich attraction. The vast collection of rooms, including the extraordinary Antiquarium, the largest Renaissance hall north of the Alps, the Cuvilliés Theatre, one of the finest Rococo interiors in the world, and the Treasury with its incomparable collection of jewels and regalia, tells the story of Bavarian royal power and cultural ambition across five centuries. Allow at least three hours for a thorough visit and consider a guided tour to fully appreciate the complexity and richness of the collection.

Residenzstraße 1, 80333 München, Germany

11. Take a Day Trip to the Bavarian Lakes

One of Munich's greatest privileges is its extraordinary proximity to some of the most beautiful lakes in Europe. The Starnberger See, just 30 minutes south by S-Bahn, is the closest and most popular, offering excellent swimming, sailing, and lakeside beer gardens with Alpine views. The Tegernsee, surrounded by dramatic Alpine foothills and charming lakeside villages, is one of the most beautiful destinations in the region. The vast Chiemsee, known as the Bavarian Sea, is home to King Ludwig II's magnificent Herrenchiemsee Palace. Any one of these lakes makes for a perfect day trip from the city.

The Olympic Park, built for the 1972 Munich Olympics, is one of the most beautiful and enjoyable outdoor spaces in the city. The park's distinctive tent-roof architecture, its large lake, rolling green hills, and extensive cycling and walking paths create a wonderfully open and relaxed atmosphere. The Olympic Tower offers panoramic views over the city and the Alps, and the park hosts a regular programme of concerts, outdoor cinema screenings, and sports events throughout the year. Climbing the Olympiaberg, the grassy hill at the center of the park, offers one of the finest free panoramic views in Munich.

Spiridon-Louis-Ring 21, 80809 Munich, Germany

The Hofbräuhaus am Platzl is one of the most famous beer halls in the world, a Munich institution that has been serving Bavarian beer and traditional food in its magnificent vaulted rooms and outdoor beer garden since 1589. A visit to the Hofbräuhaus is an essential Munich experience, and while it is undeniably touristy, the sheer scale and atmosphere of the place, the long wooden benches packed with a convivial international crowd, the oompah band playing on the stage, and the impossibly large Maß glasses of frothy Bavarian lager, is genuinely enjoyable and unlike anything else. Arriving early for lunch or mid-afternoon gives you the best chance of finding a table.

14. Discover the Glyptothek and Antikensammlungen

The Königsplatz, Munich's magnificent neo-classical square in the Maxvorstadt district, is flanked by two of the city's oldest and most important museums. The Glyptothek houses one of the finest collections of Greek and Roman sculpture in the world, including the extraordinary Aegina marbles, displayed in a series of beautifully austere neoclassical rooms that perfectly complement the ancient works. Directly opposite, the Antikensammlungen houses an outstanding collection of Greek and Etruscan ceramics, bronze sculptures, and jewelry. Together they offer an extraordinary afternoon of ancient art in one of Munich's most architecturally impressive public spaces.

Oktoberfest, held on the Theresienwiese fairground in the western part of Munich every year from late September to the first weekend in October, is the largest folk festival in the world and one of the most famous and extraordinary events on the European calendar. The combination of enormous decorated beer tents serving the finest Bavarian lager, traditional Bavarian food, fairground rides, folk music, and a wonderfully convivial international crowd creates an atmosphere of joyful celebration that is completely unique. The opening parade on the first Saturday of the festival is a spectacular display of traditional Bavarian costume, horse-drawn brewery floats, and civic pride well worth watching. 

The Asamkirche, or Asam Church, tucked into a narrow street in the heart of the Munich Altstadt, is one of the most extraordinary examples of Bavarian Rococo architecture in the world and one of Munich's most surprising and rewarding hidden treasures. Built in the early 18th century by the brothers Cosmas Damian and Egid Quirin Asam as their private chapel, the interior is a masterpiece of theatrical religious art, with every surface covered in gilded stucco, frescoes, and sculptural decoration of breathtaking richness and beauty. The church is small and easily missed but represents one of the most concentrated and overwhelming artistic experiences in Bavaria.

Sendlinger Str. 32, 80331 München, Germany

17. Explore the Maxvorstadt Museum Quarter

The Maxvorstadt neighborhood, stretching north of the Altstadt towards the university district, is one of the most culturally rich and enjoyable areas in Munich, home to the three Pinakothek galleries, the Glyptothek, the Antikensammlungen, the Museum Brandhorst, the Lenbachhaus, and the Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung, all within comfortable walking distance of each other. The neighborhood's beautiful neoclassical and Art Nouveau streets, excellent cafes and bookshops, and wonderfully intellectual and creative atmosphere make it a pleasure to explore even without entering a single museum. The area around the Theresienstraße and the Türkenstraße is particularly good for independent shops, cafes, and restaurants.

The beautiful city of Salzburg, birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and one of the most perfectly preserved Baroque cities in the world, is just 90 minutes from Munich by train and makes for one of the most rewarding and effortless day trips from the Bavarian capital. The old city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Mozart Geburtshaus, the Mirabell Gardens, and the beautiful Sound of Music filming locations in the surrounding Salzburg Lake District all combine to make Salzburg one of the most concentrated and enjoyable day trip destinations in Central Europe.

19. Discover the Glockenbachviertel and Gärtnerplatz

The Glockenbachviertel and the neighboring Gärtnerplatz district in the south of central Munich are two of the city's most vibrant, diverse, and enjoyable neighborhoods, home to an outstanding concentration of independent restaurants, wine bars, boutique shops, galleries, and some of the best nightlife in the city. The Gärtnerplatz, a beautiful circular square with a historic theatre at its center, is surrounded by excellent bars and cafes whose outdoor terraces fill with a lively and mixed crowd on warm evenings. The whole area rewards slow exploration and is the best place in Munich to experience the city's contemporary, cosmopolitan, and creative side.

80469 Munich-Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt, Germany

The Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, located approximately 16 kilometers northwest of Munich and easily reached by S-Bahn and bus in around 45 minutes, is one of the most important and sobering historical sites in Germany. Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp, established in 1933, and the carefully maintained memorial, museum, and preserved camp buildings provide a deeply moving and essential education in one of the darkest chapters of modern European history. A visit here is not an easy experience, but it is a profoundly important one, and many visitors consider it one of the most significant things they did during their time in Munich.

Pater-Roth-Straße 2A, 85221 Dachau, Germany

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