Is Munich Worth Visiting? 10 Reasons to Visit Munich at Least Once in Your Lifetime

Why should you visit Munich?

First of all, Munich has a fantastic beer culture. And I’m not just talking about Oktoberfest, which in my opinion is overrated and overrun with tourists. I’m referring to places like beer gardens, which are obviously outdoor dining establishments that also serve beer. Additionally, you are permitted to bring your own food in most larger beer gardens as an exception. So, if you’re on a tight budget, simply visit a supermarket, pick up some food, and get started. Visitors are welcome to bring their own food to the two largest, Hirschgarten and Chinesischer Turm. Simply purchase your beer at the grocery store and consume it in public. It’s acceptable and commonplace.

So perhaps the English Garden, a breathtaking park, is where you should enjoy your beer. This surfing spot is one of the park’s very special features. In the middle of a city with more than a million residents, these people surf. Nowhere else is there anything like it.

Another, considerably smaller park called the Hofgarten is located directly south of the English Garden. There is a convenient pedestrian tunnel that runs below a busy road that connects Hofgarten and English Garden. When it was still a kingdom, the Bavarian kings used to have their own park here. Additionally, you can go to their castle, which is close to the Hofgarten. There is a ridiculous amount of gold in the castle. If you go in the winter, the castle’s courts will actually have a Christmas market with lots of food stands, which is definitely worth checking out.

Munich is also a great place if you’ve ever wanted to try really good Middle Eastern (Turkish&Arabic) food but don’t actually travel there. Due to the abundance of Turkish and Arabic restaurants and a whole neighborhood next to the train station that gives the impression that you are in the Orient, it is the preferred vacation spot of the wealthy Gulf sheikhs. This quarter is growing as more and more people immigrate from Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and other countries. It’s a fantastic place to eat.

Last but not least, day trips are very accessible from Munich. I also don’t mean the incredibly popular Neuschwanstein Castle, though it is possible. The Bayernticket deal makes day trips within the Bavarian federal state of Germany affordable. Additionally, Bavaria’s railroad hub is Munich. The day-long pass includes unlimited travel on regional trains. A group of four people, for instance, might be able to purchase a day ticket for 36 € because the price tends to decrease as the number of people increases. Your options with this ticket are:

1. To Nuremberg. I suggest visiting Nuremberg and the Party Rally Grounds if you’re interested in Nazi history. The Nazis held their annual rallies in this very large area, which now houses a sizable and fascinating museum. Additionally, Nuremberg is home to Germany’s largest and most well-known Christmas market.

2. To Salzburg. Although Salzburg is in Austria just across the border, the Bavarian train tickets are still good until Salzburg. Salzburg, which is a popular tourist destination in and of itself, is known for its incredible old town and has a charming Mozart museum.

3. To the Alps. Simply board one of the BOB train’s three termini and begin hiking upward into the mountains. Taking the train to Tegernsee or Schliersee is a smart move. Both of these small towns are located at the foot of the Alps, about an hour away by train, with connections to Munich every hour. In order to get a good view of the lake, you can start hiking up from there.

Is Munich Worth Visiting?

Many people think that Munich is just the place where Oktoberfest is held, but there is so much more to see and do in the capital of Bavaria. The city has a lot of beautiful sights and museums, and it is also a great place to start exploring southern Germany and the many Alpine lakes there. Munich has something for everyone, whether you just want to relax with a local beer or see up-and-coming musicians at a festival. And now you’re at the point where you’re not sure if Munich is worth visiting. Well is it? Absolutely!

#1 The best beer gardens

Beer is a big part of life in Munich, from the many breweries that make the city’s famous beers and ales to the unbeatable atmosphere of a beer garden in the summer. In fact, the city is home to the world’s largest beer garden. At Hirschgarten, up to 8,000 people can enjoy a maß or two while passing the afternoon. As with most beer gardens, you can buy traditional food there or bring your own picnic to eat in the self-service area.

#2 Old meets new

Munich has the best mix of old and new, both in its buildings and in the way people act. You can walk around beautiful neoclassical parts of the city like Ludwigstraße and Leopoldstraße, and then look at the modern Museum Brandhorst with its bright colors. One week you can go to a traditional beer festival, and the next week you can go to a street art show. Even in the English Garden, which is a very old and traditional place, there is a designated naked zone. Munich is a city full of different things.

#3 It is a center of culture

In Munich, you can choose from more than 80 museums. You’ll find everything from stark modern art galleries with some of the most famous modern works to a museum devoted to the humble potato. The Glyptothek, with its large collection of ancient sculptures, and the State Collection of Egyptian Art, whose pieces date back more than 5,000 years, are two of the city’s best-known attractions. Check out our article on Munich’s must-see museums for more ideas on where to start.

#4 City and country meet

Even though Munich is the third largest city in Germany and home to almost 1.5 million people, it has the best of both city and country life. The city has a lot of public parks and is very green. It’s home to the famous 900-acre English Garden and other great places, like West Park, which has a Thai temple and an outdoor movie theater in the summer. People in Munich love being outside, so the city uses these parks to put on the “fit im park” program, which offers free exercise classes in the spring and summer evenings.

#5 Lederhosen are cool to look at every day.

Did you think they only showed up at Oktoberfest? Lederhosen are like putting on a nice shirt on Friday night before going to the pub. You’ll see people wearing them around town and at special events like festivals. Lederhosen have even been seen in IKEA! They’re also what most Bavarians wear to weddings, so you’ll see them with beautiful jackets and embroidered dirndls.

#5 Check out the area

Munich is the best place to see the beauty of Bavaria because it is in the middle of the state. Using the city as a base, there are so many different day trips you could take that you would be spoiled for choice. Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the most popular places to visit. It is about an hour from Munich and sits on a mountain. It was the model for the classic Disney castle. If you don’t want to be a princess, you can take the S-bahn to a number of beautiful lakes that are close to the city center.

#6 Endless festivals

Munich loves to party, so no matter when you go there, there’s almost always a festival going on. The most famous event in Munich is Oktoberfest, but it won’t give you a real taste of the city. Plan your trip around the Tollwood festival, which happens twice a year, in the summer and the winter. At the festival, you can see different stage shows, listen to music, and try delicious street food. If you like music more than anything else, you should come to the Lange Nacht der Musik, which has 400 concerts in one night.

#7 Pretty palaces in the city center

Munich has not just one castle in the style of a fairy tale, but two! In 1385, the Residenz was just a small castle. Later rulers kept adding to it, turning it into a grand palace and gardens. It is now a huge complex with a museum and exhibits about the history of Bavaria. It also hosts classical concerts and music competitions. The beautiful Nymphenburg Palace is to the west of Munich. Built to celebrate the birth of a long-awaited heir to the throne, it quickly became a favorite of Bavarian rulers because of its beautiful gardens and grand rooms. Several Bavarian rulers were born or died here.

#8 A dark side

Munich used to try to hide its history, but now people are starting to talk more openly about how it was the center of the Nazi movement. As well as walking tours about the history of the Third Reich, you can also visit the NS-Dokumentationzentrum, which puts the rise of the Nazi movement in the context of broader social attitudes at the time. Dachau, Germany’s first concentration camp, is only a 30-minute S-bahn ride from the city and has tours every day.

#9 Traditional German food

One thing is for sure: you won’t go hungry in Munich. From freshly baked pretzels to giant roast pork knuckles, Munich is the place to go for hearty, traditional German food. If the weather is nice, go to a beer hall or beer garden for a meal where you can sit down. Go to a food market if you want more choices and something you can eat on the go. The most well-known is the Viktualienmarkt. There are soups and homemade falafel just a few minutes’ walk from Marienplatz. It’s a great place to eat after a day of sight-seeing.

#10 Mid-city surfing

Since the 1970s, surfers have come to the Eisbach channel in the English Garden to ride the consistent wave. The wave is made by concrete blocks that were put in the river to slow the flow of water. Before 2010, it was against the law to surf here, but since then, hundreds of people line up every day, even when it’s cold, to surf in the middle of Munich’s city center, while others watch from the street and the river banks. Even the singer and surfer Jack Johnson has been seen here on his board. Though, only experienced surfers should try their luck. The rest of us should just watch them do their tricks.

Topic: Is Munich Worth Visiting? 10 Reasons to Visit Munich at Least Once in Your Lifetime

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By: Travel Pixy