Top 10 Things To Do in Munich Germany You Can’t Miss 2023

The third largest city in Germany is home to 1.5 million people and has a lot more to offer than just Oktoberfest. In Bavaria’s capital, there is something for everyone. You can watch river surfers in the English Garden or look at old sculptures. When you visit Munich, you’ll definitely go to Marienplatz and look at the intricate cuckoo clock in the Rathaus. Here are some other sights you can’t miss.

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Cheer on the river surfers

Park, Natural Feature

One of Munich’s favorite and most unusual hobbies, surfing, takes place at the edge of the Englischer Garten, across from Bruderstrasse. As water roars out from under a small bridge, surfers patiently wait in lines on either side of the bank. To avoid the river walls, surfers have to jump straight onto their boards and make sharp turns. This is why surf shops in Munich sell small boards with kevlar-protected edges. Even when it’s freezing in Munich in the winter, people still try to ride the Eisbachwelle waves.

Top 10 Things To Do in Munich Germany You Can't Miss 2023 — Surfing at Eisbachwelle | © Martin Falbisoner / Wikimedia Commons

Check out the Castle in the City Building

An important piece of architecture.

The Residenz is a well-known hotel that is right outside the Odeonsplatz U-Bahn station. Even though it started out as a small castle in 1385, later rulers kept adding to it, turning it into a large palace with gardens. It is now a huge complex with many museums and exhibition halls about the history of Bavaria. It also hosts classical concerts and music competitions. It’s open every day until 5 or 6 pm, depending on the season, except for a few public holidays. Leave your bags at the hotel, though, because the Residenz has strict rules about large bags.

Go to the landmark that is the Munich

Cathedral

The two onion domes of Frauenkirche stand out the most on the skyline of Munich. Building began in 1468, but it was badly damaged by airstrikes during World War II and has been slowly fixed up since then. If you look around the small chapels on the inside, you’ll find the grave of Holy Roman Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian. From the top of the south tower, you can see all of Munich. On a clear day, you can even see the Alps.

Go to a lake to get away from it all

Natural Feature

If you are in the city for more than a few days, do as the locals do and spend the afternoon relaxing by a lake. Lake Starnberg, which is Germany’s fifth largest freshwater lake, is only 36 minutes away by S-Bahn from Marienplatz. Even though it is only 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the center, it feels like another world. Starnberg is even mentioned in The Waste Land, a poem by T. S. Elliot. If you don’t feel like writing a poem, you can take a walk around the lake, stop for a beer, and look at the view. You can also rent boats, pedalos, or go swimming in the summer.

Visit Munich’s oldest public museum

Museum

The Glyptothek is a beautiful neoclassical building on the Königsplatz. This beautiful building is said to be the only museum in the world that only shows sculptures from the past. Instead of putting its displays behind glass, it lets you walk among them and get close to the past. It doesn’t feel like a stuffy, old-fashioned museum at all. Instead, it has the feel of an art gallery and is proud of its interesting modern twists. For example, key statues have been carved out of wood with a chainsaw to make modern copies. You can also get into the State Collection of Antiquities in the Kunstareal, which is across the street, for just €1 on Sundays when you show your ticket.

Check out English Garden

Park

This 900-acre park goes almost all the way from the middle of the city to the edge of it. The park is much more than just a green area. There are many secret places to find in the park. Go to the Monopteros on the hill to see a great view of the city. It’s especially nice at sunset. Thirsty? At the southern end of the park, there is also a Japanese teahouse where tea ceremonies have been going on since 1972. One of the two beer gardens is at the Chinese tower, which is 25 meters high. One of the city’s six “Urban Naked Zones” is also in the English Garden.

Have your own Cinderella moment

Building, Architectural Landmark

Nymphenburg Palace was built to mark the long-awaited birth of a king’s son. It quickly became a favorite of the rulers of Bavaria because of its beautiful gardens and grand rooms. Several of them were born or died here. Not as many rooms of the palace are open to tourists as you might think, but you can get some fresh air in the formal gardens after you’ve seen everything inside. There’s even an app that uses augmented reality to help you learn more about what you’re looking at.

Try some of the local beer

Bar, Restaurant

When the state government runs a brewhouse in a city, you know that beer is important there. The famous Hofbrauhaus has been around since the 1600s. It has a live brass band and is the perfect example of a German beer hall. You can’t get served if you don’t have a seat, so be prepared to charm your way onto the end of a table and share space. If you can, try to avoid Friday and Saturday nights. It’s one of the most popular tourist spots in Munich, and it can take over 45 minutes to find a table and a beer.

Check out the Botanical Gardens

Botanical Garden

When you’re done at Nymphenburg Palace, go to the Botanical Gardens right next door. It is over 50 acres and has thousands of plants. It’s also a strangely good thing to do on a rainy day. The 4,500 square-meter (48,437 square-foot) greenhouse complex is home to everything from palm trees to terrapins. In the middle of the gardens, there is a restaurant that serves full meals, alcoholic drinks, and great ice cream. It’s open almost every day until early evening, and an adult ticket only costs €4.50.

Channel your inner art expert

Museum

Add to the Museum Plan Brandhorst just opened in 2009, but it is already a well-known stop on the art museum trail in Munich. The museum is in a very modern building, but instead of being full of exhibits, it has wide open galleries and big white walls. It always has on display works by famous modern artists like Damien Hirst, Joseph Beuys, and Andy Warhol, including his famous portrait of Marilyn Monroe. On Sundays, you can get in for only €1, and on Mondays, the Brandhorst is closed.

Topic: Top 10 Things To Do in Munich Germany You Can’t Miss 2023

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