Many travelers come to Munich to celebrate Oktoberfest, Germany’s largest beer festival. But even if it’s not Oktoberfest, the city has so much more to offer.
It is a beer city, a car city, a museum city, and a city of beautiful fall foliage. A trip to Munich starts at Marienplatz. Watch the puppet show on the clock tower of the New Town Hall, visit the Frauenkirche with its onion-topped spire, and stroll through the English Garden in the heart of the city center to soak up the fall colors. A visit to the Residenzmuseum, the former palace of the Wittelsbachs, the ruling royal family of Bavaria, is a delightful way to explore the palace’s ornate interiors and view the royal collection. On the western outskirts, you’ll find Nymphenburg Palace and gardens, built in 1975 as a private residence for the Bavarian royal family. No matter where you go, you’ll find beer gardens and beer spots to make your trip to Munich even more relaxing.
Must-See Attractions
An elegant art museum in a royal palace,
Residenz
Residenz Palace, Museum and Treasury Private Tour
The Residenz Museum is a former palace of the Bavarian Wittelsbach royal family that is now partially open as a museum. The interior consists of the Portrait Gallery, Antiquarium, Treasury, and Coin Museum, which can be explored in order. The Portrait Gallery is the first thing you’ll see when you enter the museum, a long baroque-style gallery flanked on either side by more than 120 portraits of Wittelsbach’s ancestors.
The Antiquarium, which houses numerous statues, is a huge exhibition hall that was once used as a ballroom for balls. The first thing you’ll notice in the Antiquarium is the dais where the orchestra used to sit. The highlight of the Residenzmuseum is the treasury, which spans 1,000 years since the Middle Ages. You can admire the royal treasures, including crowns, weapons, gold and silverware, and more. Prince Ludwig’s hobby was coin importation, so the coin museum features rare coins from ancient Greece to the Napoleonic era.
English Garden
(Englischer Garten)
Munich Old Town and English Gardens Private Walking Tour
The English Garden is about one million square meters, making it larger than New York’s Central Park. Originally a military training ground, it was opened as a civic park in 1792 and has been the lungs of Munich ever since. The park is called the English Garden because Friedrich von Spell designed it in 1804, modeling it after an English garden. The park is divided into the Northern and Southern Parks, centered on the Isarring, which runs east to west. The Northern Park is home to an abundance of wildlife, while the Southern Park is home to beautiful structures such as the Chinese Turm and the Monopteros, a Greek-style circular pavilion. The Chinese Pagoda is a circular structure modeled after the Great Pagoda in Kew Gardens in London, with a beer garden surrounding it. The many beer gardens along the way add to the fun of the trip. Locals also enjoy surfing in wetsuits on the fast-moving river in the English garden.
Frauenkirche
Church of Our Lady with its onion-shaped spire
Munich Through the Centuries: A Self-Guided Audio Tour
As you walk from Marienplatz along Kaufingerstrasse, you’ll come to the Frauenkirche, whose spire looks like two onions. The cathedral of the Archdiocese of Munich is officially known as Our Lady’s Cathedral, but Munichers call it Frauenkirche, which means Church of Our Lady. The two bell towers overlooking the city of Munich are 99 meters high. When it was built, the church’s spires were not built due to a lack of budget, so it was topped with an onion-shaped round roof, which is what makes Frauenkirche stand out. Once inside, the white walls, ceiling, and pillars lining both sides of the church give it a reverent feel. From the observation deck at the top of the south tower, you can see as far as the German Alps, capped with icecaps, in the distance.
Nymphenburg Palace
The romantic summer home of the Bavarian royal family
Munich Nymphenburg Palace Tickets and Tour, Carriage Museum
On the western outskirts of Munich lies Nymphenburg Castle, built as a summer palace for the Bavarian royal family. The name Nymphenburg comes from the Italian Borgo delle Ninfe, which means “village of the nymphs”. Inside the symmetrical palace like a decalcomanie, there are many attractions to see, including the Beauty Gallery, the Carriage Museum, and the Porcelain Museum. The Beauty Gallery was commissioned by King Ludwig I to paint portraits of the beauties of Munich, and is home to 36 portraits by Josef Karl Stiller. The Marstal Museum displays the royal family’s ornate carriages, and above it is the Porcelain Museum, where you can browse the beautiful porcelain used by the royal family. Behind the palace is an expansive French-style garden.
Munich Old City Walking Road
a glimpse into Munich’s history and culture
Munich Old City
Once you’ve planned your Munich city tour, get a subway map. Next, you’ll want to get off at Karlsplatz or Marienplatz stations, where the seven lines S1, S2, S3, S4, S6, S7, and S8 meet and where the main tourist attractions are concentrated. Starting at Marienplatz, the center of downtown Munich, you can take a loop around the Marienplatz station to see all of the historic buildings and traditional markets. Get off at Karlsplatz station and walk from Karlsplatz to Neuhauser and Kaufinger Streets, Munich’s premier business district. The alleyways leading to St. Michael’s and St. Mary’s churches are lined with luxury shops and cute cafes.
Olympia Tower
The Olympiastadt is a 291-meter tall tower located within the Olympic Park.
It has an observation deck overlooking the park and downtown Munich, as well as a small rock and roll museum and a revolving restaurant that seats 230 people.
You can see the famous Allianz Arena, home of Bayern Munich, in the distance, and the Munich Olympic Stadium, which is located in the park directly below.
It’s a bit interesting that the Rock n Roll Museum is located on top of the tower.
Must-Do Activities
New Town Hall Puppet Theater
Neues Rathaus
Munich Self-Guided Audio Tour
The first place to go in Munich is Marienplatz, where the sky-piercing spire of the New Town Hall stands tall. The Gothic architecture with its 80-meter-high spire is beautiful in itself, but it’s the puppet show that takes place every morning at 11 a.m. on the clock tower that’s the star attraction. It’s a great way to start your Munich adventure.
Oktoberfest
Munich Oktoberfest Tour With Hofbräu Beertent Tickets, Beer, Food
Munich hosts the world-famous Oktoberfest beer festival for two weeks every year from late September to early October. The event began in 1810 to celebrate the national marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese, and evolved into its current form of giant booths in the late 19th century. Munich’s leading breweries such as Hofbrau, Löwenbrau, Augustiner and Paulaner take part in the festivities.
BMW Welt
Munich Private Walking Tour including the BMW Museum and BMW Welt
This futuristic building was created by German automaker BMW for exhibitions and vehicle deliveries. It’s famous for its round glass platforms that showcase the process of delivering ordered cars to customers. It has become a tourist attraction in Munich, attracting more tourists than customers. Across the street is the BMW headquarters building, which is shaped like the cylinders of a car engine.
