Munich, Bavaria

Munich is the capital of Bavaria and Germany’s third-largest city, a place that functions simultaneously as a tech and finance centre, an art museum cluster of genuine international standing, and a city whose identity is inseparable from beer. All three things are real and none requires apologising for the others.

Marienplatz and the Centre

Marienplatz is the central square and the logical starting point. The Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall, 1905) takes up most of the north side; the Glockenspiel in its tower performs at 11:00 and 12:00 daily, and at 17:00 from March through October. It draws crowds. The tower can be climbed for views. The older Altes Rathaus (1470) sits at the east end of the square and now houses a toy museum.

From Marienplatz, the Viktualienmarkt is three minutes south: an open food market operating Monday through Saturday, selling Bavarian cheese, sausage, bread, and the best radishes in Germany. Several beer garden tables operate year-round in the centre. A Weisswurst (veal sausage, traditionally eaten before noon with sweet mustard and a Weizenbier) from one of the market butchers costs about 3 euros.

Art Museums

The Kunstareal, 15 minutes’ walk north of the centre, contains five major museums within walking distance. The Alte Pinakothek has one of the best collections of Flemish and Dutch Old Masters in Europe; Rubens alone occupies most of one floor. The Neue Pinakothek covers 18th and 19th-century European painting. The Pinakothek der Moderne handles modern art, applied art, architecture drawings, and design in four connected collections under one roof. Day tickets for all three Pinakotheken cost 12 euros; on Sundays, each charges 1 euro. This is exceptional value and Sunday is genuinely crowded as a result.

Beer

The Englischer Garten, Munich’s large central park, contains several beer gardens; the Chinese Tower (Chinesischer Turm) is the largest and most central, seating 7,000. Self-service tables are open to anyone bringing their own food. A Mass (one litre) costs about 12 to 14 euros at the garden kiosks. In summer, the Eisbach surfing wave near the Haus der Kunst end of the park draws a permanent crowd of surfers on a standing river wave.

Hofbrauhaus on Platzl is the most famous beer hall in the world and completely overrun with tourists. Augustinerkeller on Arnulfstrasse is the better option for atmosphere and a more local crowd, with a large chestnut-shaded garden.

Getting Around

The U-Bahn and S-Bahn cover the city efficiently. A single short-trip ticket costs 1.90 euros; a day ticket is 9.20 euros and covers all transport including airport S-Bahn connections. The airport (Franz Josef Strauss) is 40 minutes from the centre by S-Bahn; a taxi costs 65 to 80 euros.

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest runs from the third Saturday in September to the first Sunday in October at the Theresienwiese, 15 minutes from the centre by U-Bahn. Tent reservations for tables are required months in advance through the official breweries; unreserved standing space is available if you arrive before 09:00. Beer costs about 15 euros per Mass. The festival is genuine Munich tradition rather than purely tourist spectacle, but the crowds at peak weekend evenings are extreme.