Top Things to Do in Munich Germany 2026: Beer, Marienplatz, Alps Guide

Old Town (Altstadt)

• Marienplatz: main square since 1158. New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) Glockenspiel chimes 11am, 12pm year-round + 5pm March-October. 32 figurines re-enact Bavarian history.
• Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady): 99m twin onion towers — city symbol. 15th century. “Devil’s Footprint” inside (legend). Free.
• Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus): 1310 east end of Marienplatz. Toy Museum inside.
• Viktualienmarkt: 1807 daily food market. Maypole, beer garden, gourmet stalls.
• St. Peter’s Church (Alter Peter): oldest parish church. Climb 306 steps for Munich panorama €5.
• Asam Church (Asamkirche): tiny baroque masterpiece by Asam brothers (1733-1746). Hidden gem. Free.
• Residenz Palace: Wittelsbach city palace 1385-1918. 130 rooms, Antiquarium, Treasury crown jewels. €9.
• Hofgarten: Italianate garden adjacent Residenz. Free.

Beer culture

• Hofbräuhaus: state-owned (since 1589). Most famous beer hall world. 3 floors, 3,500 capacity. €5 mass (1L).
• Augustiner Bräu: oldest Munich brewery (1328). Augustiner-Keller beer garden — favourite of locals.
• Paulaner: Salvator Maibock + Hefeweizen. Paulaner am Nockherberg brewery hall.
• Spaten + Löwenbräu: two of the “Big Six” Munich breweries.
• Hacker-Pschorr: Bayerische Bierwoche (Bavarian Beer Week).
• Reinheitsgebot (Beer Purity Law): 1516 Bavarian law — beer can only contain water, hops, malt, yeast. World’s oldest food regulation still active.
• Beer gardens (Biergärten): Chinese Tower (Englischer Garten 7,000 seats), Augustiner-Keller, Hirschgarten (largest in world 8,000 seats), Schlosswirtschaft Schwaige.
• Oktoberfest: mid-September to first Sunday October. 6 million visitors. 14 large tents. Reserve months ahead.

Parks + outdoors

• Englischer Garten: 5.6 km² (bigger than Central Park 3.4 km²). Eisbach standing wave (surfers year-round). Chinese Tower beer garden. Japanese Tea House. Nudist Schönfeldwiese (legal).
• Nymphenburg Palace + park: Wittelsbach summer residence. 200-hectare baroque gardens. Free park, €15 palace.
• Olympiapark: 1972 Olympics. Olympic Tower 290m (€13 elevator). Olympiahalle concerts. BMW Welt adjacent.
• Westpark: 1983 IGA garden show. Asian gardens, lakes.
• Hofgarten: downtown Italianate gardens.
• Isar River: swim in summer. Cyclist + runner paths. Wood-bridge Reichenbachbrücke views.

Museums

• Deutsches Museum: world’s largest science + tech museum. 28,000 m² exhibits. Mining tunnel, planetarium, classic aircraft. €15. Reopens 2028 fully (currently partial).
• BMW Welt + Museum: Welt free entry — current models. Museum €11 — BMW history.
• Pinakothek (Old + New + Modern): 3 museums. Old: Dürer, Rembrandt. New: 19th-century. Modern: Picasso, contemporary. €4-7 each, €1 Sundays.
• Lenbachhaus: Blaue Reiter (Kandinsky, Marc, Klee). €10. World’s largest collection.
• Bavarian National Museum: Bavarian art + craft. €7.
• Jewish Museum (St. Jakobs-Platz): Munich Jewish history. €6.
• NS-Dokumentationszentrum: Nazism centre at former Brown House site. Free.
• Dachau Memorial: first Nazi concentration camp. 30 min from Munich. Free.

Day trips

• Neuschwanstein Castle (2h): Mad King Ludwig II’s fairy-tale castle (1869-1886). Walt Disney inspiration. Pre-book €15.
• Salzburg, Austria (1h30 train): Mozart’s birthplace. Sound of Music tour. Hohensalzburg Fortress.
• Dachau Memorial (30 min): first Nazi concentration camp 1933-1945. Powerful, free.
• Bavarian Alps (1h drive): Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Zugspitze (Germany’s highest 2,962m), Eibsee lake.
• Berchtesgaden (2h30): Königssee lake, Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, salt mines.
• Innsbruck, Austria (1h45): Tyrolean capital. Goldenes Dachl, ski jump.
• Augsburg (45 min): Roman + Renaissance heritage. Fugger family wealth.
• Lake Starnberg (30 min): Bavarians’ weekend lake. Mad King Ludwig drowned here.

Bavarian food

• Weißwurst (white sausage): Munich speciality. Eaten before noon with sweet mustard, pretzel, weissbier.
• Schweinshaxe: roasted pork knuckle. Crispy outside, tender meat. Beer hall classic.
• Brezn (pretzel): Bavarian invention. Twisted, salted, sometimes with butter (Butterbrezn).
• Obatzda: beer garden cheese spread (camembert + butter + paprika + onion). With pretzel.
• Knödel: dumplings. Semmelknödel (bread), Kartoffelknödel (potato).
• Kalbshaxe: veal knuckle (smaller than Schweinshaxe).
• Schweinsbraten: roast pork with crackling. Sunday roast.
• Apfelstrudel: Austrian-Bavarian apple strudel.

Practical info

• Getting there: Munich Airport (MUC) — 2nd busiest in Germany. S-Bahn S1/S8 to centre 40 min, €11.50.
• Public transport: S-Bahn (suburban), U-Bahn (metro), trams, buses. 24h ticket €8.20. 3-day €19.
• Best time: May-September warm. December for Christmas markets. Late September-early October for Oktoberfest.
• Munich City Card: includes transport + attraction discounts. €17 24h.
• Languages: German (Bavarian dialect Bairisch). English widely spoken in tourism.
• Tipping: 10% restaurants. Round up taxis.
• Weather: 25-30°C summer. Cold winter (-5 to +5°C, snow common).

Frequently Asked Questions

Top 5 things to do in Munich?

1. Marienplatz + Glockenspiel + Frauenkirche. 2. Hofbräuhaus beer hall. 3. Englischer Garten + surfers + Chinese Tower. 4. BMW Welt + Museum. 5. Day trip Neuschwanstein. Add Oktoberfest if in season (mid-Sep to early Oct).

How long for Munich?

3-4 days minimum. Day 1: Old Town + Hofbräuhaus. Day 2: Englischer Garten + Residenz + Pinakothek. Day 3: Nymphenburg + BMW + Olympiapark. Day 4: Day trip Neuschwanstein or Dachau.

Munich for Oktoberfest?

Oktoberfest mid-September to first Sunday October — 6 million visitors. 14 large tents (Hofbräu-Festzelt, Augustiner, Schottenhamel, etc.). Reserve table months ahead. €15-30 per Mass beer.

Munich vs Berlin?

Munich: traditional Bavarian, beer culture, Alpine, conservative + wealthy, royal heritage. Berlin: edgy, modern, history (Wall, Cold War), creative, cheaper. Both worth visiting — different Germany.

Day trip Neuschwanstein worth?

Yes — Disney castle inspiration. 2h drive or train. Pre-book mandatory €15. Combine with Linderhof + Hohenschwangau castles. Full-day required.

Best Munich beer hall?

Hofbräuhaus most famous (since 1589, 3,500 capacity). Locals prefer Augustiner-Keller (Bavaria’s oldest brewery 1328) or Hirschgarten beer garden (world’s largest 8,000 seats). Try multiple.

See also

• Bavaria