Things to do in Munich
In case you have a bit of time in Munich, here are a few links and additional descriptions below.
USA Today • Lonely Planet • US News & World Report • The Guardian • Like a Local
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest goes from September 20, 2014 until October 5, 2014. If you want to experience the biggest party in the world, you can come to Germany the weekend before our wedding and enjoy the craziness. If you need more info, let us know.
City Center
Marienplatz
The city’s main square, featuring the famous “Glockenspiel”.
Peter’s Kirche
A beautiful church that also has a nice roof-top view.
Asamkirche
A dizzying rococo church, in the middle of a busy shopping street.
Viktualienmarkt
Bavaria’s largest and best known open-air food market.
Hofbräuhaus
The world’s most famous pub.
Residenz
An impressive palace and magical treasury of the royal bavarian empire.
Munich Eisbach Surfers
When I moved from LA to Munich, I didn’t expect to see surfer’s here…but surf is up in Bavaria!
English Garden
The “green lung” of Munich, this massive park is popular for walking, cycling or hanging out in the biergartens.
Museums
Deutsches Museum
One of the largest and best science museums in the world.
Alta Pinakothek
One of the most important galleries in the world for Old Master paintings.
Neue Pinakothek
19th- and 20th-century art and sculpture.
Pinakothek der Moderne
One of the world’s largest museums devoted to visual arts.
Lenbachhaus
A delightful gallery housed in a small Italianate villa.
Spielzeugmuseum
This antiques collection is a must for children, with teddy bears and train sets.
North of the City Center
Olympia Park
Site of the 1976 Summer Olympics, this park has breathtaking, modern architecture and continues to offer year-round cultural and sporting activities.
BMW Activities
BMW has it’s main office and various development offices in Munich. Adjacent to the Olympia Park these buildings offer various ways to get your car fix.
BMW World
This building is an ultra modern building designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au and acts as the European Pickup Center as well as a beautiful showcase of all the latest models including motorbikes, as well as Rolls Royce and Mini models. The World offers educational displays, a few cafes, and a company store for various souvenirs. It’s free to get in, pretty inspiring and doesn’t take too long to see.
BMW Museum
This building is across from The World and at the base of the “Four Cyclinder” building. It offers a beautiful retrospective on the history of BMW, including a car owned by Elvis. Then entrance price is 9 Euros plus 5 Euros for temporary exhibits. If you like history and classic cars, it’s a fantastic museum. They also offer rotating special exhibits.
BMW Factory
It’s also possible to do a BMW factory tour. We haven’t done it yet, but heard it’s really great. You can arrange for your tour in the BMW World.
Around Munich
Nymphenburg Palace
One of Germany’s largest baroque palaces with a grand park. More info
Schleissheim Palaces
Three beautiful palaces…make sure you see the Great Gallery. More info
Kloster Andechs
Andechs Monastery is famed for its flamboyant Baroque church (1712) and its brewery. More info
Outside of Munich
Neuschwanstein Castle
Neuschwanstein is the most famous castle in Germany. It was built in the nineteenth century by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. It will look a bit familiar to most Americans as it’s the castle that Disney based his Disneyland castle on.
Herrenchiemsee Palace
Herrenchiemsee was Ludwig II’s ambitious summer palace, a replica of the Chateu of Versailles. Only the central wing of the building was completed, including the spectacular Hall of Mirrors.
Linderhoff Palace
Set among magnificent mountain scenery and surrounded by forest, Ludwig II’s Scholoss Linderhof began as a hunting lodge belonging to his father Maximilian II, and was based on the Petit Trianon at Versailles.
Weihenstephan Brewery
Weihenstephan is located in Freising, a beautiful little city, and is the oldest still operating brewery in the world. They do tours of the brewery and the beer is excellent!
Local Lakes
There are various lakes in and around Munich and they all have a special flair. If you don’t feel like going too far, you can head out to Starnbergersee. For a bit more bavarian flair, you can check out the following lake villages: Tegernsee, Chiemsee, and Schliersee. If you want to explore even farther, you can head out to Königssee.
Hiking and other activities in the Alps
If you are interested in hiking in the Alps we can recommend various tours. We recently did this tour in Partnachklamm and it was breathtaking! There are also a range of technical and non-technical hikes, as well as hot air balloon rides, mountain biking, paragliding, etc.