Munich: Bavaria’s Capital Done Right

Munich is clean, well-connected, expensive by German standards, and full of genuinely excellent things to eat, drink, and see. The city is often reduced to Oktoberfest and Neuschwanstein Castle in the popular imagination, which is both reductive and fair: those things are legitimately good. But the city itself justifies several days without either of them.

What to See

Marienplatz is the city’s central square, with the Neues Rathaus (new town hall, from 1905) occupying most of the north side. The Glockenspiel on the tower performs at 11am and noon daily, and at 5pm in summer. It takes about 10 minutes and the square fills completely. It’s worth seeing once; there’s no need to arrange your whole morning around it.

Viktualienmarkt behind the Rathaus has been operating as a food market since 1807. Stalls sell Bavarian sausages, bread, cheese, beer, and produce. The beer garden at the centre is genuinely good for a mid-morning Maß of something cold, and the tradition of bringing your own food from the market stalls (not drinks) to the beer garden tables is authentic Bavarian practice rather than tourist accommodation.

Englischer Garten is one of the largest urban parks in the world at 3.7 square kilometres, larger than New York’s Central Park. The Chinese pagoda beer garden (Chinesischer Turm, capacity 7,000, cash only, one of several in the park) is the most iconic of Munich’s outdoor drinking venues. The Eisbach surf wave, a standing wave in a channel fed from the park, has surfers riding it year-round and is worth a 15-minute stop. The Seehaus beer garden on the edge of the Kleinhesseloher See lake is a better option than the more famous Chinesischer Turm if you want to actually sit down without queuing.

The Deutsches Museum on a Isar island is the largest science and technology museum in the world. The aviation, mining, and marine technology sections are the strongest; the collection is too large to see properly in one day. Entry is around 15 euros.

The Alte Pinakothek holds one of the finest collections of Old Masters in Europe, including major works by Dürer, Rubens, Titian, and Raphael. Entry is only 1 euro on Sundays. This is the most underpriced major museum deal in Germany and possibly in Europe, and the quality of the collection justifies treating a Sunday visit as a priority.

Beer Gardens

Munich’s beer gardens are a genuine cultural institution and arguably the most enjoyable thing the city does. You can bring your own food (not drinks), purchase beer at the garden, and sit at communal tables without a reservation. This is not a policy, it’s the system.

Augustinerkeller on Arnulfstrasse is the most authentic, with an old garden and excellent beer from the Augustiner brewery, which has been brewing in Munich since 1328. Hofbräuhaus is the famous one and overrun with tourists who outnumber locals significantly; it’s worth seeing once, but eating there is a different proposition. Hirschau at the quieter north end of the Englischer Garten has a mixed crowd and live jazz on weekends.

Where to Eat

Beyond the beer gardens: Tantris in Schwabing has been a serious fine dining address since 1971, with a landmark modernist interior and kitchen that has maintained its reputation across several chef transitions. Geisels Werneckhof is the more contemporary option at that level. For affordable quality, Donisl on Marienplatz serves a good Obazda (Bavarian cheese spread) and classic dishes; the location makes it tourist-adjacent, but the food is honest.

Where to Stay

Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten on Maximilianstrasse is the grand historic option. The Charles Hotel near the Lenbach art gallery is the more contemporary choice at that tier. Good mid-range: Hotel Theresia in the Maxvorstadt neighbourhood is small, well-run, and within walking distance of the three Pinakothek museums.

Getting There and Around

Munich Airport (MUC) is connected to the city centre by the S-Bahn (S1 and S8 lines, about 40 minutes, around 13 euros). High-speed trains from Frankfurt take about 3 hours; from Berlin, about 4 hours. The U-Bahn and S-Bahn system is excellent and the city is walkable in the centre. A bicycle is genuinely useful for the Englischer Garten and the canal system.

Neuschwanstein Castle is two hours south by train and bus, and worth the trip if you haven’t seen it. The castle is overcrowded in summer (timed entry is now required) but the setting in the Bavarian Alps earns its reputation regardless.