All the very best things to do in the beautiful German city of Munich

All the very best things to do in the beautiful German city of Munich

Guten Tag! If you love a good Bretzel, you’re in the right place!
Munich is one of my favourite German cities, especially during Christmas time. With so much to see and do, I’d recommend staying here for at least two or three days.

Cathedrals, Castles and Churches

If you’ve travelled Europe before, you’ve probably visited a few cathedrals and castles already. And while they can be a little repetitive (my father’s famous words, “I’m cathedral and castled-out”), Munich’s churches and castles possess gorgeous gothic architecture that is totally worth checking out.

Saint Peter’s Church is a catholic church in the inner city with incredible ceiling paintings, gold decor and the most altars I’ve ever seen in a church.

The Cathedral of Our Dear Lady (also known as Frauenkirche) and the Theatinerkirche church are also great showcases of late Romanesque design.

Next on the list is the very famous Munich residence castle, dating back to 1385, it houses over 130 rooms and incorporates both Renaissance to Neoclassicism building styles. If you have extra time, the city garden (also known as Hofgarten) is close by and makes for a lovely stroll between sightseeing.

City spaces

The most famous place in Munich is the very popular city square, known as Marienplatz. There’s a wide variety of restaurants, cafe’s, boutiques, retail shops, fruit vendors and occasional market stores. For winter travellers, this town square houses a wonderful Christmas market that I’d recommend checking out!

While you’re in Marienplatz, walk through the rest of the Old Town (Munich-Altstadt-Lehel) and nearby neighbours to explore the various long established shops and old Bavarian inns. It includes several medieval quarters that you can easily spend several hours wandering through.

About a ten minute walk from the heart of Munich’s old town is an incredible art district called Kunstareal, with over 18 museums and 20 galleries. We chose to go into the Alte Pinakothek museum, known for its showcase of European painting from the Middle Ages to the end of the Rococo period. There are over 700 paintings from well-known artists such as Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci and Murillo. Tickets are free for under 18 year olds and are only one euro on Sundays! It can get busy so definitely plan ahead, I’d recommend going in the morning or later in the afternoon.

The Friedensengel monument (or Angel of Peace) is also definitely worth checking out while you’re in the area. It’s a pretty prominent monument, standing 38 metres high and dating back to the Franco-Prussian war.
If you want to immerse yourself in a bit of war history and experience the buzz of university students, head over to the Maxvorstadt district, a massive area that is home to two universities, vintage bookstores, museums, temples, bars, restaurants and cafes.

The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich is a definite must see in the Maxvorstadt area for its incredible architecture (that makes you want to attend as an exchange student) and strong connections to World War II. Not only was the building used for Adolf Hitler’s assemblies, it was also the homeplace of the Nazi resistance group, the “White Rose.” On the ground floor there’s a room dedicated to the resistance that showcases images, newspapers, personal statements and interesting information about the devastating events. It really is an eye-opening and educational experience that I’d totally recommend!

The Englische Garten is one of the biggest urban parks in the world and is easily accessed from the heart of Munich’s city centre. The garden offers an 18th century Chinese building, a Japanese tea house that was built for the 1972 Olympics, a small Greek temple that has gorgeous city views (especially at sunset) and two beer gardens if you’re feeling thirsty. There’s also a spectacular Christmas market here if you’re visiting from November to early January. If you’re here in summer though, you’ll have the opportunity to take boat rides at the Kleinhesseloher See lake in the middle of the park.

As always, a Europe trip isn’t complete without a good feast, and Munich is sure to deliver some delicious food with its very own food market, Viktualienmarkt. It’s located in the heart of Munich’s historical centre, in a street in the old town, known for typical Bavarian goods and seasonal fruit. It also has a beer garden, famous fresh water fountains and plenty of restaurants to choose from. It’s open from 8am to 8pm, but as always, be sure to double check, as opening hours may differ depending on the season.

Last but certainly not least, if you have a spare day I’d definitely recommend taking a day trip to the very beautiful Austrian city of Salzburg. About two hours from Munich by public transport, Salzburg is the birthplace of Mozart and one of the filming locations for the Sound of Music.

If you do end up day tripping, I’d recommend visiting the DomQuartier, Hohensalzburg Fortress, Mirabell Gardens and Mozart Residence!

Tschüss,
Jacqui.