A guide to Munich! Munich is one of my favorite European cities I have explored! It is the capitol of Bavaria, the largest German state, and is rich in history. The locals are so friendly, and the atmosphere is so fun and inviting. And, bonus, it is a city full of lots of beer! This guide covers:
- Highlights to see
- The best time to visit
- Weather
- Currency
- Where to stay
- Expected food
- How to get around
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Climb the St. Peter’s Church tower for views of the Marienplatz and the Bavarian Alps in the distance.
Things you need to do in Munich
Munich is such a beautiful city! I’ve been twice and still feel like I’ve barely skimmed the surface of what it has to offer. Here are just a few of the things you don’t want to miss while you are exploring Munich!
1. Take a free walking tour
Always at the top of my list of things to do in a new city, take a free walking tour! The walking tour in Munich is one of the better tours I have been on due to the rich history during World War II. You will get more acquainted with the city and see what you would like to go and visit longer and what you have seen enough of. Expect the tour to last about 2-2.5 hours and don’t forget to tip at the end. It is technically a “free tour,” but the guides work off of tips!
2. have a beer at augustiner
The Augustiner Brewery is the oldest independent brewery in Munich. It was established in 1328 by monks who provided beer to the dukes. Now there are several breweries around Munich. The Augustiner Brewery does not export far from Germany, so stop in and have one of the oldest beers of Munich while you can!
Fun fact: Edith Haberland owned 50% of the brewery and was heir to the Augustiner Brwery. In 1996 she bequeathed her share of the brewery to the foundation she created, the Edith-Haberland-Wagner Foundation, which serves to keep the Augustiner brewery a private brewery as well as helps with restoration projects and provides for youth hotels and other charities. Therefore, half of the profits of the brewery go to the fund! Learn more here.
3. Climb to the top of St. Peter's Church
One of the best views you will get of Munich is at the top of the tower in St Peter’s Church. You get a full view square and can look out across the city to the Alps.
Be prepared for the 300 steep, narrow steps to the top, but know the view is worth it. Also know that it costs 2 euros to climb up.
(See first photo for views from the church!!)
4. Visit the year-round surfing in the English Garden
Surfing in Munich? You bet! Take a walk through the English Garden until you come upon the Eisbach, a small channel of the Isar River that produces waves large enough for surfing. It is a sight to see even if you don’t surf yourself.
5. Watch the Glockenspeil
The Rathaus-Glockenspiel was added to the New Town Hall in 1908. It re-enacts two stories form the 16th century, one of a jousting tournament held during the marriage ceremony of a duke and one of story of the cooper’s dance in the streets during a time of plague, representing perseverance and loyalty to the duke.
You can watch daily at 11 and noon and 5 pm during the summer. No 5pm showing from November to April. The shows last from 12 to 15 minutes and are changed slightly every month.
Don’t get your hopes up on a grand performance, but if you are around the city center at noon, you might as well see one of the most famous Glockenspiels in the world.
6. Enjoy Marienplatz
While you are already at Marienplatz watching the Glockenspiel, continue exploring the town square. Marienplatz is home to several of the most recognized buildings in Munich, including the New Town Hall and the Old Town Hall. There are also several restaurants and shops just along the outer edges of the town square. If you would like, you can take an elevator to the top of the tower of the New Town Hall for 6 euros. This can be a good alternate to the St Peter’s Tower if you are unable to climb 300 steps.
7. Go to Hofbrauhaus
Possibly one of the most well-known locations in Munich and one of the most well-known taverns in the world is the Hofbrauhaus. Yes, it is the most touristy brewery of Munich. Yes, it has some of the higher prices for food and drinks. But, also yes, it is a historical brewery in Munich. It is a three-story brewery built in 1589 by the duke who wanted less bitter beer, but didn’t want to import it. I advise you to at least go for a a beer and to hear the traditional music playing.
Fortunately or unfortunately, with Hofbrauhaus’ fame and fortune came expansion. You can now go to a Hofbrauhaus in Las Vegas. Weird when you think about it, but I’m sure it comes with the good atmosphere that made Hofbrauhaus so popular (this is precisely what the Edith-Haberland-Wagner Foundation is trying to prevent with the Augustiner Brewery).
8. VISIT THE FRAUENKIRCHE OR CHURCH OF OUR LADY
The Frauenkirche is home to the tallest towers in Munich per a law stating no other towers can be higher than that of Frauenkirche. Within the church you will find the ‘devil’s footprint.”
- It is believed that due to a lack of funding, the architect made a deal with he devil to gain funding to finish the Cathedral. The deal was that there would be no windows as to not allow light in as a celebration of darkness. However, the architect attempted to trick the devil, building columns that block the view of the windows from the entrance to the church. It is said that when the devil stepped forward and into view of the windows, he stomped his foot in anger leaving his footprint in the tile.
This story was brought to us by our friendly tour guide 🙂
9. WALK AROUND THE VIKTUALIENMARKT
The Viktualienmarkt is a market of all trades. Starting as a farmers market, it has now expanded to include a wide variety of foods and ingredients as well as coffee, beer, flowers and souvenirs.
The maypole in the center is a Bavarian tradition, representing a village and its trades. The different figures represent different trades or crafts from this part of Munich.
10. VISIT THE MUNICH RESIDENCE AND THE HOFGARTEN
The Munich Residence is the biggest palace in Germany. Pay 7 euros and take a tour of the rooms. If touring the palace isn’t your cup of tea, you can appreciate the Munich Residence and continue walking to the Hofgarten. If you plan to visit the English Garden, you can head there straight from the Hofgarten!
Best time to visit
Another reason Munich is amazing: it has something to offer year-round.
- Autumn
- Oktoberfest is at the end of September through beginning of October
- If you want to attend Oktoberfest, go then! If not, DON’T TRAVEL AT THIS TIME BECAUSE PRICES WILL BE HIGHER
- Otherwise, Autumn has great weather, amazing changing of leaves and better prices
- Oktoberfest is at the end of September through beginning of October
- Spring
- Along with Autumn, Spring is also a great time to visit Munich
- The weather is starting to warm up, but the peak crowd season of the summer hasn’t yet hit
- Winter
- Skiing just outside the city
- Christmas markets that are AMAZING
- Summer
- Mild weather makes for great outdoor adventures outside the city
- However, crowds are higher as well as prices, so I don’t recommend visiting Munich during the summer
You should really base your trip off of what you would like to do once you get there!
If you are wanting to go to Oktoberfest, you’ll have to plan your trip around cooler temps, higher prices, larger crowds and everything that comes with the larger crowds. However, despite all of that, going to Oktoberfest is still on the bucket-list despite having been to Munich twice 🙂
Weather
Located at the same latitude as the US/Canada border, it has more pleasant summers and makes for great skiing in the winter.
- Expect the highs to be in the 70s F and lows in the 50s F during the summer. GREAT summer weather! However, also expect high crowds during this time as well.
- Winters are QUITE cold with the high in the 30s F and lows in the 20s F. If you are specifically going to the Munich area to ski or see the Christmas markets, I advise to skip the winter and travel during one of the other seasons (unless visiting for the Christmas Market!)
- April will average in the 50’s F for highs and May will be more in the 60’s F
- We visited Munich during the second week of October, and we may have lucked out with the weather, but the weather was AMAZING for us. Sunny and in the upper 60s/lower 70s and the changing of the leaves was SO pretty to see!
Currency
Euro! Germany is part of the EU, so the national currency is the Euro. You can get by with paying for most things via credit card if you prefer.
Tipping is common etiquette in Munich. Tipping with cash is even more common and typically the tip is given to the waiter/waitress rather than left on the table.
Accommodations
There are accommodations galore in Munich. There are affordable hotels and lots of hostels to choose from. Whatever you choose, pick a place that is centrally located. A lot of the sights and activities are near the city center, so I recommend staying in walking distance of the city center. If you are going during peak season and the prices are too high you may opt to stay a little further from the city. The metro is easily accessible, so choose a place near a metro station entrance!
Our second trip we had to stay further from the city center (because procrastination lead to high prices! Don’t do that!) and had to drive to get to the main hub. I don’t recommend. Parking is not great in the city center, like most European cities.
Food
German food is hearty food. Expect lots of meats such as:
- Sausage,
- Bratwurst,
- Pork (pork knuckle was great!)
- The famous Wienerschnitzel
- If you like the American country fried steak, you can’t go wrong with the Wienerschnitzel!
- Also expect spatzel (dumpling kind of noodles) and sauerkraut on most menus. I honestly loved the food.
My one recommendation is don’t go for the meatloaf unless you like something that looks like a thick piece of bologna 🙂
Don’t forget to grab a pretzel; they’re commonly available as appetizers in most restaurants. And beer. Beer is everywhere and there is a long beer history in Munich!
Transportation
Your guide to Munich and getting around. No need for a car while you are in Munich. If you are driving into the city, find accommodations with parking and leave your vehicle there. Otherwise, take a bus or train into the city and take advantage of the metro or walk!
The S-bahn is the city train and the U-bahn is the underground metro. For metro maps and all information on times, prices and more, click here!
Guide to Munich Recap!
Munich is one of my favorite cities I have visited! It is easy to navigate, the people are friendly, the culture is rich and it is just a beautiful city. I hope this quick guide to Munich will make planning your trip a little easier. For recommendations on what to do while you are in Munich, click here!