Going to Bavaria: What to do and see in Munich

Hear the heartbeat of Munich

Whether you're just passing through the Bavarian capital or you're here to explore without rushing, we recommend starting at Marienplatz. On it and nearby are located:

• The New Town Hall — one of the most beautiful and largest buildings in the city, which doesn't want to fit in the lens. To photograph it in its entirety, we recommend climbing up to the observation deck of St. Peter's Church opposite. The central tower of the Town Hall is adorned with a clock, which daily at 11:00 and 12:00 (and additionally at 17:00 from March to October) starts a 15-minute performance that includes two scenes from city life: a knight's tournament in honor of the wedding of William V in 1568 and a dance of cooperators celebrating the victory over the plague in 1517.
• Old Town Hall. Out of use since 1874 (the town council moved to the New Town Hall), most of the rooms are now occupied by a toy museum (open daily from 10:00 to 17:30, children's ticket costs €1, adult ticket €4).

• Frauenkirche Cathedral is the tallest church in Munich (100 meters), which can accommodate about 4,000 people at a time. It is associated with several legends, the most famous of which says that the architect made a deal with the devil: to prevent him from interfering with the construction, he promised to build a building without windows. Indeed, from a certain angle the window openings are hidden behind the columns. In the portico under the organ choirs, you can see the imprint of a man's boot on the slab — the so-called "devil's footprint".

• St. Peter’s Church. The oldest church in Munich, with construction beginning in the 11th century. It was severely damaged during the war and fully restored only by the year 2000. One of the city’s most impressive observation decks is located on its tower.

Beneath the square lies a major transport hub of the same name, where metro lines U3 and U6 intersect with the central line of the city’s suburban railway. Once you emerge to the surface, you find yourself right in the heart of the tourist area.

See the city from above

Unlike Prague or Rome, with their many hills, Munich is largely flat, which means that most viewpoints here are man-made.

The best panoramic view is offered by the tower of St. Peter’s Church, from where the New Town Hall can be admired in all its splendor. The tower rises to a height of 92 meters, with a circular viewing platform located at 56 meters. It can only be reached on foot by climbing 306 steps. Keep in mind that the staircase is very narrow, making it difficult for two average-sized adults to pass each other. People with obesity, pregnant women, and those who suffer from claustrophobia are advised to refrain from the climb. The ticket costs €3. The platform is open on weekdays from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm in winter or until 6:30 pm in summer, and on weekends and public holidays from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm or 6:30 pm respectively.

You can book a hotel in Munich with a discount of up to -65% on the website.

Other options:

• New Town Hall Tower. It is 85 meters high and can only be climbed on weekdays from 10:00 to 17:00 (November to April) or 19:00 (May to October), ticket costs €3.
• The statue "Bavaria" on the Therese Meadow, where the famous "Oktoberfest" is held every year. The height is 18.5 meters, on the head of the statue there is a viewing platform, where you can climb up a spiral staircase. You can get here from April 1 to October 15 daily from 9:00 to 18:00, the ticket price is €3.5.
• Olympiaturm TV Tower. The height is 291 meters, at the level of 185 meters there is a closed observation deck and a small museum of rock'n'roll, at the mark of 189 meters there is an open observation deck. There is also a rotating restaurant, which makes a full revolution in 53 minutes. The tower is open daily from 9:00 to midnight and tickets cost €7.

Get in touch with beauty

Connoisseurs of paintings and sculptures will find Munich's three Pinakothek, which form the so-called Areal of Art:

• Old Pinakothek. One of the most famous galleries in the world with a collection of paintings from the Middle Ages to the middle of the 18th century. There are about 700 exhibits, including works by Dürer, Rubens (the largest collection of paintings in the world), Van Dyck, Titian, Tintoretto, Raphael, da Vinci, Velasquez and other masters. The museum is open every day except Monday from 10:00 to 18:00 (Tuesday until 20:00) and tickets cost €9.

• New Pinakothek. It exhibits paintings and sculptures by the masters of the 19th and early 20th centuries: Goya, Renoir, Gauguin, Monet, Cézanne, van Gogh, Rodin, Picasso and others. The museum is open every day except Tuesday from 10:00 to 18:00 (Wednesday until 20:00), ticket costs €7.
• Pinakothek of Modernity. Includes 4 independent museums: the Collection of Modern Art, the New Collection (considered the first design museum in the world), the Architecture Museum of the Technical University of Munich and the Staatliche Graphische Sammlung. The Modern Art Collection features works by Matisse, Picasso, Kandinsky, Warhol and other artists, while the Graphische Sammlung houses drawings by Dürer, Rembrandt, da Vinci and Cézanne. The museum is open every day except Monday from 10:00 to 18:00 (Thursday until 20:00) and tickets cost €10.

Visit Europe's largest zoo

The Hellabrunn Zoo covers 39 hectares and is home to 14500 animals of 650 species. Open daily from 9:00 to 16:00 (18:00), depending on the season, tickets cost €15 for an adult and €6 for a child aged 4-14.

Take a walk through one of the largest parks in the world

The Englischer Garten covers an area of more than 4 km². It was opened to the public in 1790 and has since been a favorite spot for locals to relax, stroll, and enjoy sports. Here you can cycle, feed ducks and other animals, swim in the river and sunbathe (including topless), have fun in the beer garden near the Chinese Tower (which seats up to 7,000 people and is the second largest in Munich), admire city views from the hill topped by the Monopteros rotunda, and watch thrill-seekers surfing year-round in the waters of the Eisbach stream — the park’s most powerful waterway.

Learn more about the legendary BMW brand

The BMW Museum features 125 exhibits spread over an area of about 5,000 square meters, telling the story of one of the world’s most renowned automotive manufacturers. Some of the cars can even be sat in, which never fails to delight visitors of all ages. We recommend allowing around four hours for your visit to make sure you don’t miss anything. If the museum isn’t enough, you can also book a guided tour of the BMW factory to see how the cars are assembled (advance booking is required).

The museum is open daily except Mondays from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Admission costs €10.

Expand your knowledge at the Deutsches Museum

The museum offers exhibitions dedicated to chemistry, physics, aviation and space travel, transportation, and more. Highlights include Siemens’ first electric dynamo (1866), Benz’s first automobile engine (1886), submarines from World War I and II, and even a coal mine from the Ruhr region. Many exhibits are interactive and can be touched and operated.

The museum is open daily from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Admission costs €11.

Stroll through the residence of the Bavarian kings

The Munich Residenz is the largest city palace in Germany and one of Europe’s most important art museums. It comprises 130 rooms, with the most popular being the Old Court Chapel, the Porcelain Room featuring exhibits from Europe and East Asia, the Miniatures Collection, the Silver Chamber, and the private apartments of King Ludwig I. The Treasury houses the Prayer Book of Emperor Charles (860), the Cross of St. Henry II, the Crown of Empress Cunigunde, the Crown of Henry II (1270), the tableware of Empress Marie Louise of Austria, the jewelry of Queen Therese, and many other remarkable artifacts.

Drink and snack

Bavaria is a paradise for fans of wheat beer (Weissbier), with dozens of varieties brewed here. We recommend checking out the Weisses Bräuhaus (Tal 7), which has more than 10 Weisses on its menu.

Fans of dark beer will love Andechser Dunkel from the monastery brewery Andechs, which is served, for example, in the Andechser am Dom (Weinstraße 7A).

Those who do not like the taste of beer can appreciate radler, a mixture of beer and lemonade. It is a sweet, light drink that makes it almost impossible to get intoxicated, and is especially popular with girls.

The Biergarten is a popular format of drinking establishments in Munich and Bavaria in general. Long tables and wooden benches (in summer — in the open air, in winter — indoors), the hum of hundreds of voices, waiters with huge mugs (0.5 here is considered a "ladies'" dose, most locals take a liter at once), Germans in traditional dress — for those who want to sip Bavarian flavor along with the foam.... You can safely bring your children with you: many places of this kind have high chairs, changing tables in toilets and even gift sets for young visitors.

The most famous beer restaurant in Munich is the Hofbräuhaus (Platzl 9). Some sources say that Hitler liked to come here, others deny it, but it doesn't really matter. People come here for the atmosphere: to listen to Bavarian tunes, drink a mug or two of beer and make new acquaintances among locals or tourists.

A few other noteworthy establishments are Augustiner-Keller (Arnulfstr. 52), Löwenbräukeller (Nymphenburger Str. 2), Der Pschorr (Viktualienmarkt 15) and Ratskeller in the basement of the New Town Hall (Marienplatz 8).

Worth trying:

• Munich white sausages (Münchener Würstchen);
• meat loaf (Bayerischer Leberkäse);
• liver dumplings (Leberknödel);
• cheese spread (Obazda), traditionally served with bread or a Bretzel pretzel;
• pork knuckle (Schweinehaxe);
• roast pork (Schweinebraten);
• bread dumplings (Semmelknödel).

3 ways to save money in Munich

When traveling in one of the most expensive cities in Germany (according to some rankings, Munich has recently lost first place to Freiburg), it’s only natural to look for ways to save. We’ve found three options that let you cut costs without sacrificing comfort.

1. Buy a Bayern Ticket. It allows 1–5 people to enjoy unlimited travel on Munich’s public transport and selected regional trains (including those to Salzburg). The price depends on the number of passengers: €25 for one person, €49 for five. Your own children or grandchildren under the age of 14 travel for free. On weekdays, the ticket is valid from 9:00 am until 3:00 am the following day; on weekends and public holidays, from midnight until 3:00 am the next day. For comparison, a single ticket for one zone in Munich costs €2.8, while a train trip from Munich to Salzburg starts at €20. The savings are obvious. Traveling without a ticket is a bad idea — inspectors are common, and the fine amounts to €40.
2. Plan your cultural activities for Sunday. On this day, admission to many Munich museums (including all three Pinakotheks and the Bavarian National Museum) costs just €1 instead of the usual €7–10.
3. Join a free walking tour of the city. These tours are run by local Munich enthusiasts, and after the walk you can tip the guide any amount you wish. The meeting point is Marienplatz. You can reserve a spot on the website www.neweuropetours.eu.

If you’re traveling on a tight budget, we don’t recommend visiting Munich during Oktoberfest. Accommodation prices skyrocket during this period, and finding a free table in restaurants can be quite challenging. Another simple tip is to buy groceries or ready-made meals at supermarkets — this can significantly reduce your food expenses.