Munich

Understand

1 Tourist information, Neues Rathaus, Marienplatz, ☏ +49 89 233 96500, [email protected]. M-F 10:00-18:00, Sa 09:00-17:00, Su 10:00-14:00. The official tourist office is in New Town Hall and can make bookings for tours, hotels and events. (updated Apr 2026) Munich tourism website

History

When the last Ice Age retreated 12,000 years ago, it dumped gravel and silt across this area, leaving a heath that was well-drained and suitable for grazing, but not particularly fertile. Munich, like other German cities, has been settled from prehistory, but by convention the "founding date" is taken as the first documentary mention. That came in 1158 in a document signed in Augsburg, at a time when Munich was just a bridge over the Isar controlled by monks, hence the monk on the city coat of arms. Henry the Lion built a rival bridge so the highway became re-aligned and the town grew rapidly. In 1175 Munich was awarded city status and built its first defensive walls. But Henry fell out with the ruling Staufer dynasty, whereupon Otto I Wittelsbach became Duke of Bavaria (his descendants ruled here until 1918), while Munich was handed over to the Bishop of Freising. In 1255, when an inheritance split the Duchy of Bavaria, Munich became the ducal residence of Upper Bavaria. The late 15th century saw a revival of Gothic arts: the Old Town Hall was enlarged, and Frauenkirche cathedral was built. The Bavarian statelets were re-united in 1506 with Munich as capital. That meant patronage and prestige, but also politicking, intrigue and shenanigans. The city became a centre for Renaissance arts and for the religious counter-reformation: the Catholic League (an alliance of princes within the Holy Roman Empire) was founded here in 1609. The northern superpower was Sweden until the rise of Russia, and in 1632 during the Thirty Years' War Swedish troops occupied Munich. Bavaria industrialised from the late 18th century but during the Napoleonic Wars Bonaparte brushed aside Bavarian and Prussian resistance, consolidated small duchies, and placed puppet rulers on their thrones. The Wittelsbachs were wily enough to be enhanced by this, with Bavaria promoted to a kingdom incorporating Franconia, and wilier still to rule on while Bonaparte fell, rose again then finally fell. King Ludwig I went on a ruinously expensive building spree to turn the city into an artistic and cultural showcase, best seen today at Kunstareal. The revolutions that roiled Europe in the 1840s ousted Ludwig and his favourite dancing-girl yet still the dynasty clung on. The 19th century witnessed the un

Getting there

By plane Main article: Munich Airport

1 München Flughafen / Munich Airport (MUC IATA), Terminalstraße Mitte, Oberding (30 km northeast of city centre near Freising). Munich's busy airport has flights from most major cities in west Europe, and within Germany from Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Hanover. There are two terminals connected by a walkway: Lufthansa and partners use T2, others including budget airlines use T1. Built in the 1990s, the airport is efficient, modern and spacious, with the usual facilities. S-Bahn S1 or S8 trains take 40-50 min to city centre: these run every 15 min daytime and at reduced frequency all night. (You need a 5-zone ticket, see Munich#Get around for fares.) A regional train also runs to Regensburg. Intercity buses from Munich may stop at the airport. Taxi fares are fixed: in 2022 you pay €106 to or from Hauptbahnhof and €94 to or from Messe. (updated Apr 2026) Memmingen Airport (FMM IATA) is also known as Allgäu-Airport, and by Ryanair as "Munich West". The "west" bit of that is accurate, it's 110 km west. Ryanair fly there mostly from west Europe, while Wizz fly from east Europe and the Balkans. A shuttle bus runs from the airport to Memmingen bus and railway station, and Ryanair sometimes have a direct bus to Munich connecting with their flights. The hourly train from Memmingen takes 60-90 min. Frankfurt Airport(FRA IATA) may be a better choice for intercontinental routes - it has many direct flights from North America, the Gulf and Far East. Trains run direct from the airport to Munich in 3 hr 30 min.

By train

International direct trains run to Munich from:

Budapest (7 hr) every two hours via Vienna (4 hr), Linz (3 hr) and Salzburg (2 hr). You usually change at Salzburg coming from Graz, Klagenfurt, Villach or Innsbruck. Zagreb (10 hr) nightly via Ljubljana, Villach and Salzburg. April-Aug this train starts from Rijeka. Bologna (7 hr) four per day via Verona, Bolzano, Brixen and Innsbruck, with one starting from Rome. Venice (9 hr) daily via Treviso, Udine, Villach and Salzburg. From Milan change in Zürich. Prague (5 hr 30 min) every two hours via Plzen and Regensburg. Brussels (13 hr) 3 nights a week via Liege, Aachen and Cologne. Paris (6 hr) daily via Strasbourg, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart and Ulm, but usually you change at Stuttgart. Zürich (3 hr 30 min) four a day via Winterthur, St Gallen, Bregenz and Memmingen. From Amsterdam, Belgium and the Channel ports change in Cologne. From Poland and the Baltic countries change in Berlin. Trains from Berlin (4 hr 30 min) run hourly via Halle, Leipzig, Erfurt

Getting around

The innermost city is walkable and the outer fringes are suitable for a car. For everything else use the excellent public transport system.

By public transport

This is an integrated system where one ticket is valid for interchanges across all modes of transport. Check the Munich MVV website for network maps, fare zones and prices, timetables, journey planner and P&R parking lots. S-Bahn suburban trains (look for a white "S" on a green background) bring you from the airport to the city centre. All lines run east-west through Hauptbahnhof, Altstadt and Ostbahnhof then fan out, looking like the force field around a bar magnet. The central tunnel (Stammstrecke) suffers line congestion and a second tunnel is under construction, with some upheaval along its route. U-Bahn underground lines are signed with a white "U" on a blue background. They are the way to go north-south, for instance to the University and Kunstareal art districts, Olympiapark and Allianz Arena. They also run east to Messe trade fair halls. Trams circle the inner city and are the way to reach Nymphenburg Palace. They're a good option east of the river, where Max-Weber-Platz is a secondary hub. Buses connect the spaces between rail and tram routes so they're more useful in the outer suburbs. Most visitors won't use them. Which ticket? is a question of single versus day (or longer) ticket, one rider versus group ticket, and how many zones.

A single trip in the M city centre zone costs €4.20 (as of April 2026) for an adult. You must validate your ticket before you travel; the machine may do so automatically. It's valid for an hour but not for return trips, even if you found the place closed and turned straight back. A second single ticket to come back works out slightly cheaper than a day ticket, but you may need to factor in your change in coins, see below. Virtually every attraction described on these pages is within M zone, but from the airport you need a five zone ticket for €14.30. Children aged 6-14 have a single fare of €1.90 for anywhere in the system, accompanied under-6s ride free. See the MVV website for discounts for 15-20 year olds. A day ticket is automatically validated from the time of issue to 06:00 next morning. M zone tickets cost €10.20, from the airport it's €16.30, and for children anywhere it's €3.70. For two to five adults buy a "group" ticket; two children aged 6-14 count as one adult. The M zone group day ticket is €18.70 and from the airport is €30.50; the "AirportPLUS" ticket is pretty much the same thing. MVV also tout a "München Card" which includes dis

See

Stately avenues Four royal avenues were laid out in the 19th century, with imposing architecture. Briennerstraße starts at Odeonsplatz (where you can find Feldherrnhalle, Theatinerkirche and the Residenz) on the northern fringe of Altstadt. It runs east to west past Wittelsbacherplatz (with Alfons-Palais and the statue of Maximilian I), Karolinenplatz (the black obelisk honours the Bavarian Army), to Königsplatz. This is Athens-on-the-Isar, with the Doric Propylaea, the Ionic Glyptothek and the Corinthian State Museum of Classical Art. The east end of Briennerstraße is lined with upscale shops, galleries, cafés and restaurants. Ludwigstraße runs north from Odeonsplatz through Maxvorstadt into Schwabing. It's lined by Italian Renaissance and Neo-Romanesque buildings, such as St Ludwig's Church and the main campus of the University of Munich (LMU). Ludwigstraße ends at Siegestor, a triumphal arch crowned with a statue of Bavaria with a quadriga of lions, but the avenue continues north as Leopoldstraße. Maximilianstraße starts at Max-Joseph-Platz by the Residenz and National Theatre, and runs east across the river Isar to end at Maximilianeum, the Bavarian state parliament. The avenue is framed by neo-Gothic buildings with a hint of English Perpendicular. Its west end together with Residenzstraße has Munich's most upscale shopping and hotels. Prinzregentenstraße runs parallel 500 m north of Maximilianstraße from Prinz-Carl-Palais. Museums along it are Haus der Kunst, the Bavarian National Museum and Schackgalerie. It forms the southern boundary of English Garden, where the Eisbach is one of the world's most unlikely surfing spots. The avenue crosses the Isar, circles the Friedensengel monument, and on the east bank passes Villa Stuck.

Museums, galleries and palaces

Discounts: Keep your ticket after visiting one of the museums owned by the City, i.e., Münchner Stadtmuseum, Villa Stuck, Jüdisches Museum, Valentin-Karlstadt-Musäum or the NS-Dokumentationszentrums and get free entry into another one of these on the following two calendar days. Museums operated by the State of Bavaria, i.e., the large art galleries Pinakotheken, Sammlung Brandhorst, Nationalmuseum and the small ones around Josephsplatz, Museum Fünf Kontinente (ethnography) charge only €1 on Sundays. Permanent exhibitions only, hours normally 10:00-17:00.

Many sites are closed Monday, and charge only €1 on Sunday, but check individual places for exceptions to this. Kunstareal in Maxvorstadt is the fabulous result of Bavarian kings' project to transform Munich into Germany's art capital i

Do

Events St Patricks's Day is on 17 March, but in Munich is held over the nearest weekend, with parades and a street festival. Locations vary but parades are likely to be around Odeonsplatz in Altstadt and Münchner Freiheit further north. May Day is a public holiday in Germany. Many Bavarian villages erect maypoles, dress up in Lederhosn and Dirndln, and cavort to the tunes of oompah bands. Locations vary but in Munich city the likeliest spot is Viktualienmarkt south of Town Hall. Lange Nacht der Musik is an all-night event in May, with 400 concerts and other musical events, and shuttle buses between venues. Tollwood organise two extended music festivals: June-July in Olympic Park in northern Munich, and Nov-Dec (with a Christmas market) on the Wies'n site in Ludwigsvorstadt. Corso Leopold is a street fair taking over 2 km of Leopoldstraße in north Munich, traditionally in June and September. Theatron Pfingsfestival is a music festival in Olympiapark in June, with the stage on a platform on the lake. Theatron also organise Musiksomer here in August. Christopher Street Day is a Rainbow Pride or LGBTQ+ event, held over two weeks in June. It's named after Christopher Street in Greenwich Manhattan, New York which was the scene of the 1969 Stonewall uprising against police oppression. Multiple venues, the big parade is around Marienplatz in Altstadt. Münchner Sommernachtstraum (Midsummer Night's Dream) is a music festival with fireworks on Olympiapark in July. Kocherlball ("Cooks' Ball") is held by the Chinese Tower in English Garden in July. 19th-century servants were briefly allowed out to party, but they had to be back on duty by midday, so it's held from 06:00 to 10:00. Many dance in old costume. Impark is held on Olympia Park in August. It's a mixture of fairground, live music and sports events.

Isarinselfest (Isar island festival) is a street fair along the river bank in Lehel on a September weekend. Oktoberfest, is the world's largest beer festival, held from mid-September to the first Sunday in October. Known locally as Wies'n for being held at Theresienwiese, a huge meadow west of Altstadt in the district of Ludwigsvorstadt, cavernous tent from breweries across Munich are erected with eccentric design to attract beer aficionados, as the other half of the field transforms into an amusement park. Electronic Music Festivals: Munich is a hotspot for rave and electronic dance music in Germany. Events in or near the city include Isle of Summer, Greenfields, Back to the Woods, Schall im Schilf, Wannda Circus Open Air, Contact Festival and EOS Festival.

Buy

Shopping districts Most city-centre stores open M-Sa 09:30-20:00, with those further out closing by 18:00. See district pages for individual stores.

Maximilianstraße / Residenzstraße / Theatinerstraße (U-Bahn: Odeonsplatz or Marienplatz) in Altstadt have high end luxury goods. Kaufingerstraße / Neuhauser Straße (S- & U-Bahn: Karlsplatz (Stachus) or Marienplatz) is a pedestrian zone in Altstadt. It's the main area for mid-priced goods, with department stores, chains and a few independents. As it's close to the station, it gets crowded during the evening rush hour. Hohenzollernstraße (U-Bahn U2: Hohenzollernstraße) is in northern Munich. It has a collection of clothes shops, which sell reasonably-priced traditional Lederhosn and Dirndl. East end of this street is Leopoldstraße. Leopoldstraße (U-Bahn U3, U6: Münchner Freiheit, Giselastraße or Universität) is a busy boulevard in the university district. It has chain stores, fast food joints, budget restaurants, cinemas, sidewalk cafes and coffee shops. Boutiques and independents are down the side streets, and on summer evenings local artists display their works. Schellingstraße (U-Bahn U3, U6: Universität) west of the university main campuses offers everything studenty, such as clothes, small book stores, cafés and of course cheap eats. Gärtnerplatz (U-Bahn U2: Fraunhoferstraße) south of Altstadt is the place for antiques, crafts and other quirky wares.

Markets

Wochenmarkt means weekly markets, with an emphasis on fresh food, often called "Farmers' markets". There are several across the city: Viktualienmarkt in Altstadt and Elisabethmarkt in Schwabing are open M-Sa. Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmarkt or Christkindlmärkt) are held in the four weeks of Advent up to Christmas Eve, offering as much mulled wine, sausage and wood-carved knick-knacks as you can handle. They're typically open daily 12:00 to 20:00. The biggest and most touristy is in Marienplatz in Altstadt, spilling down Viktualienmarkt and Rindermarkt. At the north boundary of Altstadt with Maxvorstadt, the market on Wittelsbacher Platz is medieval-themed. Others are by the Chinese Tower in English Garden, and in Schwabing at Münchner Freiheit. Smaller events further out involve the year-round food market acquiring extra booths selling speciality items for Christmas. Flohmarkt means Flea Market. They're typically on a weekend, with private citizens selling their surplus belongings with few commercial traders. Some of these blend into local fairs and festivities. The largest examples are Auer Dult three times a year in Haidhausen, Theresie

Eat

Bavarian cuisine is the main offering, majoring on sausages and other pork. Munich specialities are Weißwurst (a breakfast sausage served until noon and not a second later, washed down with Weissbier), Schweinsbraten (roasted pork) or Schweinshaxe (roasted pig's knuckle). Other trad dishes such as schnitzel are popular but not specifically Bavarian. Beer gardens and beer halls serve heaps of all these. Leberkässemmeln is a white roll filled with a thick warm slice of "Leberkäse" — which, despite its name, contains neither liver nor cheese. It's a mix of veal, pork, spices and a hint of lemon zest baked in an open pan and served with a sweet and grainy mustard. Buy these filling, inexpensive snacks at butchers rather than bakers. Bavarian / Austrian cakes and tortes can be bought by the slice at countless bakeries and cafés. There's also a great array of bread: one local snack is pretzels, "Brezn". International cuisines are widely available, especially Italian, with a strong showing also of Chinese, Turkish, Arab and Japanese. Vegetarian, vegan and GF food is found in many restaurants, and there are specialist vegetarian cafes. Bakeries sell bread, pastries, sandwiches, salads and sometimes broader offerings such as soup. One Munich-only bakery chain is Rischart. See "Buy" above for fresh and seasonal food markets.

Drink & nightlife

Oktoberfest is the huge event held over 16-17 days in Theresienwiese in Ludwigsvorstadt. You need to feel comfortable in dense crowds. Beer halls serve the product of a particular brewery and are often within their historic brewing and cellar premises, cleared when production moved elsewhere. Concentrated in Altstadt, there's typically a ground-floor "brown table" area, an upstairs swankier "white table" restaurant, and suites for events and functions. Outside if space permits is a beer garden. The beer hall in which Hitler launched the infamous Munich putsch of 1923 has been demolished. Beer gardens may be summer-only but several are year-round, albeit weather-dependent. They may be self- or table-service, and all serve traditional meals or snacks such Riesenbrezn (big pretzels) and Steckerlfisch (cured fish). You're allowed to bring your own food but not drink. Drinks are typically litre mugs (Maß) of beer or of Radler, a shandy of beer and lemonade. Beer gardens are family-friendly (with play areas within parental sight) and diverse, welcoming a motley crowd including well-behaved dogs. There are over two dozen around the city, good examples being Hofbräuhaus in Altstadt (very touristy), Viktualienmarkt in Altstadt (with beer from all the major breweries), Chinese Tower in English Garden, Paulaner and Bavariapark in Ludwigsvorstadt, and Löwenbräukeller and Augustiner in Maxvorstadt. Paulaner am Nockherberg in Haidhausen hosts a strong beer festival in March. Bars number over a thousand, so you can but make a start. Some oddities worth seeking out are Goldene Bar in Lehel, Minna Thiel (with a DJ in an old railbus) and Bar Sehnsucht in Maxvorstadt, Cronlein (in a former rest room) and CCC Container Collective in Haidhausen, and Alte Utting (a lake steamer perched on railway tracks) in Ludwigsvorstadt. There are also numerous rooftop bars in Munich.

Clubs and discos of Munich have launched many a famous name. In the 1990s the city became a centre for rave and techno. You need a photo-ID to get in: 18 is the standard minimum age. Dress codes are casual. While the door policy in Munich clubs is generally more loose than strict, some clubs deny entry to larger groups of people who just seem to be out for a random party and don't fit the club scene at hand. Popular nightlife districts are Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt, Maxvorstadt, the northern part of Sendling and Haidhausen; the latter includes the industrial-scale Werksviertel entertainment complex. See Cope for local listing services and Do for music festivals. Techno clubs include Blitz Club, Bahnwärte

Sleep

Camping: there are four regular sites around the city fringes. The Hauptbahnhof area has the densest concentration of accommodation, with hostels, budget hotels (not all of them vice-dens) and upscale hotels like Le Meridien and Sofitel. There is major construction here until 2027, so expect some noise, mud and street disruption. The other main areas for budget to mid-range are Schwabing and the university quarter, and around Ostbahnhof. They hike their prices in summer, during trade fairs at Messe, and of course during Oktoberfest. Prices drop as you move further out along the S- and U-Bahn routes, but all are within the same inner city fare zone. Upscale accommodation is close to Altstadt but there's little within the medieval centre, which is cunningly designed to keep out taxis and hire cars. The best is along its northeast edge in Lehel. Oktoberfest (last two weeks in September) jam-packs not only Munich in all price ranges, but everywhere within an hour or two travel time, if only you could find room on the overcrowded trains. There are several pop-up campsites around the city edges, look especially in east and southwest districts. Visitors not aiming for the beerfest should come another time.

Go next

All of Germany is within easy reach of Munich, for instance Cologne takes 4½ hours and Berlin takes 5½ hours by ICE train. The destinations outlined below are a selection of those within a journey of an hour or two, well within a day-trip from Munich: see Upper Bavaria for more. See individual "Get in" pages for practicalities, but train is quickest, and the Bayern-Ticket is a bargain deal for day trips across the region.

Andechs has a monastery in a beautiful setting above the Ammersee, with a famous brewery and beer garden. Chiemsee has a large lake with a castle and a monastery on its islands. Dachau is best known for its concentration camp, now a museum, but also has a Renaissance palace. Füssen at the foot of the Alps is dominated by Neuschwanstein, the "Disney-castle" in all the tourist brochures, and equally-interesting Hohenschwangau. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is an Alpine resort. Take the rack railway to the top of Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain. Nuremberg is a medieval walled city with many outstanding museums, including coverage of the Nazi era and its downfall. Regensburg is a beautiful medieval city and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Danube. Salzburg in Austria is a historic city with Hohensalzburg Fortress glowering above. Ulm, birthplace of Einstein, has a medieval centre with the world's tallest church spire.