Eating
Munich has southern Germany’s most exciting restaurant scene. In Munich’s kitchens the best dishes make use of fresh regional, seasonal and organic ingredients. The Bavarian capital is also the best place between Vienna and Paris for internationally flavoured dining, especially for Italian, Afghan, Vietnamese and Turkish food, and even vegetarians can look forward to something other than noodles and salads.
Traditional Bavarian
Bavarian cuisine is hearty and filling. Menus are packed with pork, sausages, veal and river fish, and many dishes are accompanied by dumplings, thick sauces and sauerkraut. One dish you won’t find anywhere else is Weisswurst, white veal sausages eaten for breakfast with a pretzel and a jug of wheat beer.
International Cuisine & Vegetarian Options
You don’t have to be in the Bavaria metropolis for long to realise that the Bavarians are bonkers about Italian food, while Thai, Vietnamese, Korean and Indian food is becoming increasingly popular. Several Afghan restaurants serve the local Afghani population. Vegetarians are well catered for in a few specialist restaurants.
Fine Dining
Munich is an affluent city that can easily support tens of fine dining establishments, gourmet bistros and Michelin-starred eateries. It goes perhaps without saying that prices are astronomical, standards high and portions minuscule. There’s also no chance of getting a seat in any of Munich’s top-notch nosheries without booking months ahead.
Best Bavarian
Fraunhofer Character-packed, olde-worlde dining room and filling fare.
Wirtshaus in der Au The speciality here is the dumpling – they’ll even to teach you how to make them.
Weinhaus Neuner Pair your Alpine food with great wines.
Bratwurstherzl Franconian sausages in the heart of the Bavarian capital.
Best International
Chopan Arguably Munich’s best Afghan restaurant.
Bamyan City-centre Afghan eatery with traditional decor.
Cochinchina Asian-fusion cuisine set in deepest Schwabing.
Il Mulino One of Munich’s first Italian restaurants and still one of the best.
Best Fine Dining
Esszimmer The city’s best restaurant with two Michelin twinklers.
Galleria Top-notch Italian job in the city centre.
Tantris Groovy gourmet eating in northern Schwabing.
Showroom Gourmet neighbourhood eatery near the Deutsches Museum.
Best Vegetarian
Prinz Myshkin Widely regarded as Bavaria’s best veggie restaurant.
Vegelangelo Small, intimate vegetarian restaurant with set weekend menus.
Drinking & Nightlife
Munich is a great place for boozers. Raucous beer halls, snazzy hotel lounges, chestnut-canopied beer gardens, DJ bars, designer cocktail temples – the variety is huge. And no matter where you are, you won’t be far from an enticing cafe to get a caffeine-infused pick-me-up. Munich has some of Europe’s best nightclubs with exciting venues for almost every musical taste.
Beer Halls & Gardens
No visit to Munich would be complete without an evening in a traditional beer hall or, in summer, a beer garden. The Bavarian capital has some of the best beer in the world and some of the best pubs in which to enjoy it. The Hofbräuhaus is the mothership of all beer halls, but there are plenty of other less touristy spots across the city.
Clubbing
Munich boasts the best clubbing in southern Germany with cutting-edge nightspots attracting internationally renown DJs. There’s something for absolutely every taste and hairstyle in this town but things don’t usually get going until midnight and finish at breakfast time.
Bars & Cafes
The city centre teems with characterful bars and cafes, especially in Schwabing and south of the Altstadt. You’ll find everything from grungy student dives with secondhand furniture to twee coffee-and-cake spots for well-healed grandmas and everything in between.
Best Beer Halls
Hofbräuhaus Not a beer hall, the beer hall, though too touristy for some.
Augustiner-Grossgaststätte Large historical tavern on the main shopping street.
Alter Simpl Once the local of Thomas Mann and Herman Hesse.
Hofbräukeller Wood-panelled beer hall serving Hofbräu beers.
Best Beer Gardens
Hirschgarten With 8000 seats, there’s no risk of queueing for a pew.
Chinesischer Turm Pea-green benches and tables swirl around a faux Chinese pagoda.
Hirschau Superb outdoor quaffing spot in the north of the English Garden.
Biergarten Muffatwerk Alternative beer garden with cool music and vegetarian food.
Park-Cafe Small, almost-tourist-free spot in the old Botanical Gardens.
Best Clubbing
Pacha Dance till sunrise at one of Munich’s hottest clubs.
MilchundBar Long-standing favourite among Munich’s serious clubbers.
Rote Sonne Weekend dance spot for fans of electric sounds.
Harry Klein Possibly the best Elektro-club in Europe.
Best Bars & Cafes
Schumann’s Bar Long-established and busy meeting point day and night.
Trachtenvogl Eclectic cafe attracting a mixed crowd.
Baader Café Hip drinking spot south of the Altstadt.
Schlosscafé im Palmenhaus Light refreshments in the old glasshouse at Schloss Nymphenburg.
Shopping
Munich is a fun and sophisticated place to shop that goes far beyond chains and department stores. If you want those, head to Neuhauser Strasse and Kaufingerstrasse. Southeast of there, Sendlinger Strasse has smaller and somewhat more individual stores. The Glockenbachviertel and Schwabing have many intriguing stores specialising in vintage clothing, books and antiques.
Souvenirs
From fridge magnets to felt hats, and Bayern Munich memorabilia to sturdy German design items, mementos from your trip to the Bavarian capital will be easy to find, especially in the city centre. The most common souvenirs are beer mugs and other beer paraphernalia – more refined items include Nymphenburg porcelain and German glassware.
Clothing
As across Europe, vintage clothing is all the rage and Munich has several upcycling stores selling used attire. Prices may be slightly steeper than you are used to back home but the quality is very high. A common souvenir from Munich is a folk costume either of the cheap variety for beer-hall frolics or the expensive real deal.
Flea Markets & Second-Hand
Germany has no charity shops so people get rid of their junk at huge flea markets that normally take place on weekends at large open venues. There’s something particularly exciting about rummaging through pre-loved items in a foreign country and Munich offers plenty of opportunities to do so. Munich also has one of the best second-hand English bookshops in central Europe.
Souvenirs
Manufactum Solid, last-forever German design for house and garden.
Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg Factory shop of Munich’s well-known porcelain factory.
Clothing
Loden-Frey Traditional clothing at high prices.
Holareidulijö Used Lederhosen and Dirndl.
Pick & Weight High-quality vintage clothing sold by the kilo.
Flea Markets & Second-Hand
Flohmarkt im Olympiapark Second-hand frenzy at the Olypmpic Park.
Munich Readery Germany’s largest range of second-hand books in English.
Words’ Worth Books Stock up on English reading material.
Entertainment
As you might expect from a major metropolis, Munich’s entertainment scene is lively and multifaceted, though not particularly edgy. You can hobnob with high society at the opera or a classical music concert, catch a flick alfresco, foot tap to the rhythm in a jazz club or watch one of Germany’s best football (soccer) teams triumph in a futuristic stadium.
Opera & Classical Music
There’s plenty of high-brow action in the Bavarian capital, especially for fans of opera and classical music. Check out the listings at the Gasteig, Nationaltheater, the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz and the Prinzregententheater to find out what’s on. Booking well ahead is advised.
Live Music
Munich has its fair share of jazz clubs, live-music venues and concert halls. Big acts have up until now performed at the Gasteig, but the ageing building is about to be replaced with a completely new venue near the Ostbahnhof, under construction at the time of research.
Cinema & Theatre
Central Munich has everything from modern multiplexes to golden-age cinema theatres showing obscure local movies. For show information check any of the listings publications. Theatre is an impenetrable world for the non-German speaker and there are few performances in English.
Football
As well as being Germany’s top football (soccer) team, FC Bayern München can usually be found come spring playing in the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League. They play at the Allianz Arena but you normally have to book tickets well in advance to see these sports stars in action.
Best Opera & Classical Music
Bayerische Staatsoper Arguably Germany’s top opera company.
BR-Symphonieorchester One of Bavaria’s best orchestras.
Münchner Philharmoniker Munich’s top orchestra performs at the Gasteig.
Best Live Music
Jazzbar Vogler Top Altstadt night out.
Jazzclub Unterfahrt im Einstein The city’s best place to listen to jazz.
Best Cinema & Theatre
Museum-Lichtspiele Oddball independent cinema showing films in English.
Bayerisches Staatsschauspiel Performing theatre classics at a number of Munich venues.
Münchner Kammerspiele Provocative interpretations of the classics plus works by contemporary playwrights.
Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz Revamped in 2015 and once again putting on light opera, musicals and dance.
Cinema One of the few picture houses in Bavaria showing films in English.
Best Sport
FC Bayern München Germany’s top football club.
Art
Munich is a world-class powerhouse when it comes to art. The city offers everything from gilt-edge contemporary to old masters. The Kunstareal is southern Germany’s top arts hotspot with four internationally renowned art museums vying for visitors’ attention. Other smaller galleries examine local art movements and styles.
Pre-19th-Century Art
Munich has some suberb collections of ancient, medieval, and Renaissance art, spread across several institutions. Everything from Greek statuary and Gothic church sculpture, to old Dutch masters and baroque frescoes can be found in the City of Art and Beer.
19th- & 20th-Century Art
As an arts destination, the Bavarian capital really excels when it comes to the art of the last two centuries. Not only do Munich’s art museums display internationally famous works, the city also produced its own art movements and styles, most notably a local version of art nouveau. Some of the most respected artists of the early 20th century resided in Munich.
Contemporary Art
The contemporary scene is well represented in Munich with a couple of galleries dedicated just to today’s art and installations.
Best Pre-19th-Century Art
Alte Pinakothek Old European Masters in the Kunstareal.
Antikensammlungen Greek and Roman art on the Königsplatz.
Glyptothek Ludwig I’s collection of Greek and Roman art.
Bayerisches Nationalmuseum Art galore from many different ages.
Best 19th- & 20th-Century Art
Sammlung Schack 19th-century Romantic art in a former embassy building.
Lenbachhaus Gallery devoted to the Blue Rider movement of the early 20th century.
Neue Pinakothek Van Gogh et al at Munich’s best art museum.
Pinakothek der Moderne Picasso and other modern greats in a world-class art institution.
Schloss Nymphenburg The Schönheitengalerie is one of Munich’s most intriguing art spectacles.
Best Contemporary Art
Haus der Kunst Travelling contemporary shows in a gallery built by the Nazis.
Museum Brandhorst Southern Germany’s top contemporary arts space.
Museums
There are over 80 museums in Munich, from obscure institutions dedicated to subjects such as the humble potato and hunting to world-famous repositories of the past such as the Deutsches Museum and the Alte Pinakothek. With so much on offer, it pays to be selective.
History Museums
Munich’s history museums tell the city’s story in 3D, from its beginnings as a monkish settlement on the Isar to its postwar rejuvenation.
Art Museums
The capital of Bavaria has long since been regarded a city to be reckoned with when it comes to art history. The Kunstareal and its four globally renowned art museums is unrivalled in the region and there are several other smaller but equally worthwhile museums examining particular areas of art interest.
Transport Museums
You don’t have to be in Bavaria long to realise that Germans are slightly obsessed with anything with wheels. This fact is represented in excellent museums crammed with trains, planes and automobiles, the latter usually sporting the badge of the Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW).
Specialist Museums
Munich has several engaging museums that look at single themes, sometimes of local interest, other times with a wider remit.
Best History Museums
Jüdisches Museum Learn about the experiences of Munich’s Jewish community.
NS Dokuzentrum Examines the Nazi era in Munich.
Bayerisches Nationalmuseum Delightfully old-fashioned, rambling 19th-century museum.
Residenz Home to the Wittelsbach ruling family for 500 years.
Münchner Stadtmuseum The A–Z of Munich’s long history.
Best Art Museums
Kunstareal One parkland, four museums (including the Museum Brandhorst), and tens of thousands of exhibits.
Lenbachhaus Art museum displaying works of Munich’s modernist Blue Rider group.
Glyptothek Sculpture from the ancient world.
Museum Villa Stuck One of the finest Jugenstil villas in Europe.
Best Transport Museums
Deutsches Museum Vehicles as well as all things technical on an island in the River Isar.
BMW Museum Showcases the company’s cars through the ages.
Best Specialist Museums
Bier & Oktoberfestmuseum If you can’t make it to the fest, this museum will fill you in.
Museum Reich der Kristalle Museum specialising in precious stones.
Museum Fünf Kontinente Munich’s ethnological museum.
Museum Mensch und Natur Humankind and nature museum at Schloss Nymphenburg.
Architecture
It may not have the Gothic splendour of Prague or the high-rise skyline of Manhattan, but what Munich does have is a fascinating architectural story all of its own. With 15th-century churches, ultra-modern stadiums, medieval gates and Jugendstil villas, the city is a mixed bag of stone, brick and glass. Some of the grandest buildings have been commissioned by Munich’s rulers, including medieval dukes and Adolf Hitler.
Gothic & Renaissance
There are plenty of broken Gothic arches in Munich, though there’s also a fair amount of neo-Gothic faking it. Munich also has some of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture in Germany, since the style spread from Italy to southern Germany before its influence was carried further north.
Baroque & Rococo
As in most of central Europe, the dominating architectural styles of the 17th and 18th centuries were the baroque and its short-lived little brother rococo. The superstar duo of the counter-Reformation in Bavaria were the Asam brothers, Cosmas Damian and Egid Quirin.
19th Century
No period in Munich’s architectural timeline had as profound an effect on the city’s appearance as the 19th century. Down came the stifling city walls, allowing Munich to burst out in a confident march of neo-styles unrivalled in central Europe.
Modern Era
Munich sports a wonderful array of edifices, including examples of Jugendstil and buildings from the Fascist era and the 1972 Olympics. Interestingly, there are no high-rise buildings in the old centre as no structure may outdo the 99m of the Frauenkirche’s spires.
Best Gothic & Renaissance
Hofgarten Munich’s sole Renaissance garden.
Michaelskirche Largest Renaissance church north of the Alps.
Frauenkirche This church’s onion domes are a symbol of the city.
Best Baroque & Rococo
Cuvilliés Theatre Rococo stage adjoining the Residenz.
Asamkirche Munich’s finest baroque interior.
Schloss Nymphenburg Exquisite baroque palace in the suburbs.
Best 19th Century
Königsplatz Leo von Klenze’s Greek-revivalist square.
Maximilianeum The Bavarian parliament building.
Neues Rathaus The dominant edifice on the central Marienplatz.
Best Modern Era
Haus der Kunst Built by Hitler to display Nazi-approved art.
Villa Stuck A fine piece of art nouveau styling.
Olympiastadion Space age architecture created for the 1972 Olympics.
BMW Welt Dramatic statement architecture by the car manufacturer.
Allianz Arena Munich’s chameleon-like football stadium – its walls change colour according to which teams are playing.
For Kids
(Tiny) hands down, Munich is a great city for children, with plenty of activities to please tots with even the shortest attention span. Away from the classic sights there are plenty of parks for romping around, swimming pools and lakes for cooling off, and family-friendly beer gardens with children’s playgrounds for making new friends.
Places to Eat
Munich’s restaurants are pretty cool about children, though menus specifically for kids are rare. Children are allowed into pubs and beer gardens, the latter are particularly tot-friendly as many have playgrounds.
Green Spaces
There’s nothing easier when on holiday than allowing the children to let off steam on a bit of local grass. Munich city centre is well-endowed with green spaces with not a car in sight.
Museums for Kids
Several museums will be of huge interest to inquisitive minds and almost all cater for young ones in some way. Many museums in Munich offer free admission for those aged under 18 years.
Entertainment for Kids
There are lots of ways to keep those minds off screens, with theatre, sea creatures, Bundesliga (the German football league) and cars to check out.
Best Places to Eat with Kids
Schmalznudel Treat the kids to some traditional Munich doughnuts.
Pommes Boutique All kids like chips and something to dip them in.
Eiscafé Sarcletti Eyes will light up at the sight of the gelato at Sarcletti’s.
Best Green Spaces
Englischer Garten Hectares of grass for ball and frisbee fun.
Olympiapark Verdant lawns for picnics and rolling about.
Best Museums for Kids
Paläontologisches Museum For kids going through their dinosaur phase.
Deutsches Museum The Kinderreich is arguable the city’s top kiddie attraction.
Museum Mensch und Natur Intriguing displays to stimulate young minds.
Best Entertainment for Kids
Münchner Theater für Kinder Good, even if they don’t speak German.
Allianz Arena Tours for football-mad offspring.
SeaLife Budding marine biologists will enjoy this one.
BMW Hopefully the only time a six-year-old will be allowed behind the wheel of an X6.
Parks & Gardens
With the huge Englischer Garten, one of Europe’s biggest city parks, and the Olympiapark both hemming the city centre, there’s certainly no shortage of grassy spaces in Munich. Add to that a number of formal and botanical gardens as well as palace grounds, and escaping to green surroundings is as easy as unrolling the picnic blanket.
Best Parks
Englischer Garten The ‘green lungs’ of the city extend for miles along the River Isar.
Nymphenburg Grounds Dotted with follies the grounds of Munich’s grandest palace are a joy to wander.
Olympiapark The rolling lawns of the Olympiapark are a venue for many open-air festivals in the warmer months.
Kunstareal The parkland surrounding the art museums is a good place to lounge between visits.
Best Gardens
Hofgarten Renaissance gardens with the Dianatempel in the centre.
Alter Botanischer Garten Former botanical gardens just outside the Altstadt.
Neuer Botanischer Garten Lush gardens near Schloss Nymphenburg.
Best Open Spaces
Theresienwiese One of the largest open spaces in Munich is the huge Theresienwiese, better known as Wies’n, southwest of the Altstadt and the site of the Oktoberfest.
Tours
Myriad tours now leave Munich Marienplatz on foot, bike and segway to explore every aspect of the city’s past and present. There are free walking tours of the Altstadt, trips out to Dachau, beer-themed crawls and specialist tours focusing on subjects such as street art and birdwatching. Booking ahead is always advised, especially in summer.
SightRunning Munich This company operates running tours in the company of an experienced guide-runner.
Street Art Tour (
%089-4613 9401; www.streetarttour.org) Operated by an agency called Positive Propaganda, these fascinating street-art tours will show you a completely different side to Munich.
Radius Tours & Bike Rental Top bike rental and tour company based at the Hauptbahnhof.
Mike’s Bike Tours (%089-2554 3987; www.mikesbiketours.com; Bräuhausstrasse 10; classic tour €29; 
bMarienplatz, 
XMarienplatz) This outfit runs various guided bike tours of the city as well as a couple of other themed excursions.
Segway Tour Munich (STM; www.seg-tour-munich.com; €75; 
htours 8 departures daily; bMarienplatz, XMarienplatz) Three-hour, 12km segway tours led by English-speaking guides.
New Europe Munich (www.neweuropetours.eu; htours 10am, 10.45am & 2pm; bMarienplatz, XMarienplatz) Departing from Marienplatz, these English-language walking tours tick off all Munich’s central landmarks in three hours.
Activities
It’s easy to get active in Munich, a city that prides itself on its cycling credentials and first-rate sports facilities. If you only fancy raising your pulse slightly, there’s plenty of places for an enjoyable stroll, or for something less strenuous, why not take a cookery course? Swimming is also a popular pastime here with several pools dotted around the city.
Best Swimming
Müller’sches Volksbad Munich’s wonderfully-preserved art nouveau swimming pool.
Olympia Schwimmhalle This well-maintained pool is a legacy of the 1972 Olympics.
Best Walking
Englischer Garten You can stroll for hours in this huge city park.
Olympic Park Great for an amble and an urban picnic.
Best for Something Different
Olympia-Eissportzentrum Don skates for a spin round this Olympic rink
Eisbach Surfing Squeeze yourself into a wetsuit to surf on this wave – or perhaps just watch.
Wirtshaus in der Au Cookery Course Learn just how those Bavarian dumplings are made.
For Free
Munich can be an expensive city but there’s plenty to do that won’t cost you a euro. None of Munich’s churches charge admission and most parks can be roamed for free. A lot of the city’s architecture can be admired from street level and even a couple of attractions let you in for nothing, most notably BMW World.
Best Free Churches
Asamkirche No admission is charged to see the city’s best baroque interior.
Michaelskirche You can enter the church for nothing but you’ll have to pay to see the crypt.
Best Free Gardens & Outdoor Spaces
Hofgarten This wonderful Renaissance garden has no ticket office.
Englischer Garten One of the city’s biggest attractions won’t cost you anything.
Königsplatz Admire the Greek revivalist architecture on this grand square.
Marienplatz Soak up the atmosphere here.
Olympiapark Many of the outdoor attractions can be seen without opening your wallet.
Surfing in the Eisbach It’s free to surf, and it’s free to watch.
Best Free Beer Culture
Hofbräuhaus You can wander this huge beer hall at will.
Oktoberfest There’s actually no admission fee to enter the Theresienwiese during Oktoberfest and many attractions and events cost nothing.
Best Free Museums
Kunstareal OK, it costs a euro on Sundays but that’s almost free.
Paläontologisches Museum One of very few free museums.
DenkStätte Weisse Rose It’s free to view this small exhibition at the university.
BMW World A top Munich attraction and completely free to get in.
Best Window Shopping
Viktualienmarkt The market is free to wander, as long as you don’t buy anything.