What images conjure up in your mind when you think of Munich? Is it the world-famous Oktoberfest, the traditional lederhosen and dirndls, beer steins, sausages, and pretzels? Okay, yes, but there is so much more to this modern cosmopolitan Bavarian city. Museums, art galleries, world-class hotels and dining, and shopping. All within the beautiful backdrop of the Alps and river Isar winding itself through the city.
You wouldn’t expect anything less from the largest and the capital city of Bavaria, and the third-largest city in Germany, following Berlin and Hamburg. Let this be your guide to the must-see places, attractions, and top things to do in Munich Germany. Here are my Munich favourites.
54 Comments
ildiko
I appreciate this list. I hope to go to Germany soon and Munich will definitely be a stop. Would love to see that art museum known for the Old Masters. The Hofbrau Haus would be fabulous too.
The.Holidaymaker
Munich is such a fun, beautiful city! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Natascha
Great list of places to visit in Munich! Actually I was born in Munich and lived there for the first 20 years of my life and I still have family there. And even as a “local” I like a lot of the places from your list. My favorite church is the Assam church too! It was built as a private chapel for the Assam brothers.
The.Holidaymaker
The story of Assam church is a fascinating one isn’t it?
Subhashish Roy
We plan to visit Germany in October after a trip to Greece and hence this is a great insight into what not to miss as Munich will feature in our plans. Love the Hofgarten which looks so refrehing. And when I saw the picture of Alte Pinakothek museum, I first thought it was a castle. Wouldn’t miss it as museums are a great way to understand history of that place.
The.Holidaymaker
Happy to hear you will use this guide in the future. Hopefully you get to Munich as it’s a great city to visit.
Lisa
Asam Church is so beautiful! I’ve never been to Munich but it’s so close to us. The English garden is beautiful and the architecture is charming. I’d have a beer or two here, I know it’d be good!
The.Holidaymaker
Yes, Munich is definitely a city worth going to – it makes a great weekend destination.
Ami Bhat
A couple of years back, my hubby had an opportunity of moving to Munich on work. However, things did not finally work out and we declined the offer. Now I wish I hadn’t . This is such a lovely place with some of my favorite things to do. I can see why Englischer Garten is your favorite – it would have been mine too if I were staying here. As a traveler, I would not like to miss the concentration camp tour. It has always been on my list
The.Holidaymaker
That would have been an exciting move, but hopefully you are able to visit one day.
Tami
Munich has all the things I love about visiting any major city: historic buildings, architecture, gardens, art galleries, museums and more. I love them all! It must have been difficult, though, to visit Dachau. I remember my own visit to Buchenwald was emotionally draining and difficult. It’s a history that needs to be known, but it’s so incredibly sad.
Linda (LD Holland)
Germany is still a whole undiscovered spot for us. We definitely would plan to spend some time in Munich. So your guide of favourites would be very helpful in planning our visit. The Asam Church may be the most ornate we have ever seen. Not sure where I would look first. But hubby will be sampling the many beer halls! Once things settle down in Europe, Germany is definitely on our plans for a long trip.
The.Holidaymaker
There are so many diverse places to go in Germany for first timers, but Munich and spending time in Bavaria is a must.
Anda
I love Münich and I visit it quite often, because I have relatives there. My favorite place to hang out is Marienplatz, which is particularly beautiful at Christmas time. I also found the Englischer Garten very interesting. It’s the only city park where I’ve seen totally nude people sunbathing in the middle of the park.
The.Holidaymaker
Marienplatz is a great starting point to go every time I’m in Munich too.
Sherianne
Munich Germany is easy to fall in love with. I’m happy I made the trip to Dachau Concentration Camp, it was somber but history is so important. I loved watching the surfers on the Eisback river and I was happy to see Asam Church on your list, it is gorgeous!
The.Holidaymaker
So happy you liked some of my favourites on this list.
Pingback:
Umiko
All I could think of when reading about the Hofbrauhaus was when the Griswold went to Germany. Haha.. But I would say I want to experience the Hofbrauhaus when I get a chance to visit Munich. I also like the local favorite, the south cemetery. There’s something about old cemetery that intrigue me. And this one dates back to 16th century! So much history there!
The.Holidaymaker
Visiting Hofbrauhaus is definitely touristy, but loved going! You kinda have to experience it.
Pingback:
Pingback:
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you for your comment. I never saw the Engineering Building, and agree about Hoftgaden, it is beautiful.
Puloma Bhattacharya
Munich is such a happening city with a fusion of old world charm and modern metropolis.From the Glockenspiel with its carousel of dancing figurines really spikes my imagination and temptation to see it. The St. Peter’s wooden church, the Beer garden and the authentic Englischer garten makes Munich a visitor’s delight.
The.Holidaymaker
It is indeed a visitor’s delight!
Yukti Agrawal
I loved Munich for many reasons and one of the main reason was its beautiful architecture and many museums. The Hofgarten which was formerly the court garden of the Residenz, is really a nice place to stroll around. I also loved Engineering museum here.
Nina
This is a great compilation of things to do in and around Munich. Thank you for sharing!
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting.
Lara Dunning
I have yet to make it to Munich. What a beautiful city! Hofbräuhaus is definitely a must! as well as the Alter Südfriedhof, as I’m a sucker for old cemeteries. The English Garden looks lovely too.
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you Lara for commenting. I do hope you are able to see this capital city of Bavaria one day, it is a mix of modern city with a traditional past. Definitely worth visiting.
Kevin | Caffeinated Excursions
Wow. I am in awe at all of the beautiful architectural patterns that can be found around the city. St. Peter’s Church looks incredibly beautiful, but the Frauenkirche which you’ve taken some great shots of also piques my interest. I would have to see both for sure. The English Garden also looks like the perfect place to spend a sunny day, and that’s incredible that it’s larger than Central Park.
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you for commenting Kevin. Glad this blog piqued your interest. Hope you get there one day.
Mei and Kerstin
We’ve never been to Munich, but will definitely visit someday. The Chinese Tower looks quite interesting, and when the weather’s nice it’s certainly cool to have a beer there. We’d also love to visit the cemetery, as we both love exploring old cemeteries for the funerary sculptures. The Hofgarten looks quite nice too, it reminds us a bit of Echternach, a town here in Luxembourg. 🙂
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you for your comment. It would be such a short trip from Luxembourg, hope you get a chance to go one day soon.
Jing
Living in the Philippines, surrounded by the ocean, I find it unusual to see surfing on a river! I love photographing moody scenes so I would want to check out the old cemetery. Of course, I’d love to experience the beer garden in Munich. 🙂
The.Holidaymaker
Hi Jing, the ability to surf is based on how they set up their water flow through, it creates a reverse wave and current which creates the opportunity to surf. It is actually more difficult than doing it in the ocean. It was quite fun to watch.
Jenn and Ed Coleman
Going to a beer garden in Germany sounds fantastic. The day trips sound good too. I visited the Holocaust Museum in DC and it really piqued my interest.
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you for commenting Jenn and Ed. I would love to visit the Holocaust museum in DC, as I am fascinated by this history. There is something eerie about visiting not just a museum but the actual site where these tragic events took place.
Wendy
I have never been to Germany, but Munich looks like a great place to visit. I know my husband and I would love the beer hall, Hofbräuhaus. I would love to see the Hofgarten. I love visiting gardens when I travel.
The.Holidaymaker
I agree Wendy, visiting gardens and parks is one of my favourites when travelling. I hope you get to see it one day soon. Thank you for commenting.
Alison
I would just love to visit Munich and will keep your suggestions for when I get there! I love sitting back and soaking up a city’s vibe so I think I would start with Marienplatz, the market (very long German name!) and Alter Südfriedhof. Can’t wait to go!
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you Alison for stopping by and commenting. I hope you get to see the city one day and get to check out some of the sites. It is a very walk-able city, despite its size, and makes for a great home base to explore some of the smaller Bavarian towns within a short distance.
Dani
Yep, you pretty much guessed my exact image of Munich! Lol. I admit to not knowing much about it beyond that. But this all looks so wonderful! I would love to visit the biergartens and that church is STUNNING.
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you Dani for your comment and so happy to hear that you learned a bit more about the city. The church is pretty spectacular and size is deceiving in this photo, it is not until you are standing beside and and walk its exterior when you realize its sheer size.
Tiffany Pence
This post brought back memories of when I lived in Germany. Munich and the surrounding small towns are still my favorite areas. I’d go back again and again.
The.Holidaymaker
How wonderful that you used to live there, would love to know what some of your favourites are – please share if you can. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Maggie
The only part of Munich that I’ve seen is the airport, and while it is a super nice airport, I’d really like to see more of the city! Lol. Even though it’s touristy, I’d love to check out the beer hall. It sounds really overwhelming but such a quintessentailly German experience! And it’s hard to imagine a city park larger than Central Park!
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you Maggie foe your comment. Agreed, it is a bit too touristy, and normally we avoid such experiences, we actually are so glad we did. The Englischner park is quite something, be sure to leave lots of time to walk around.
Faith
This is top of my list to visit! My husband has always wanted to go here. Thanks for sharing your favorite places!
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I hope you both get there one day soon.
Sage Scott
The last time I was in Munich, I was a teenager. It was nice to jog some old memories (as well as “visit” some new places) through this amazing article!
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you. I too revisited after not being in Munich since a teenager. It is amazing how some places instantly bring a flood of memories back. Hope you get a chance to revisit like I did and discover it with new eyes. Thank you for commenting.
Esther
I absolutely agree on most of your favourites, except I enjoyed Palauner Brauhaus better than the Hofbrauhaus (too many busloads of tourists there). I also highly recommend a daytrip to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich, what a fairytale!!
#WeekendWanderlust
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you for your comment Esther. Agreed. The high volume of tourists instantly made this place something I would t normally do, but in the end I loved the fun atmosphere and we happen to sit right beside the 70-year regulars, who welcomed us. Yes, love the idea of the day trip to Neuschwanstein too.