How to spend a day in Munich

There’s a square in Munich called Marienplatz. It’s the focal point of the Bavarian capital and it’s thronged with tourists every day, largely due to one of Germany’s most beautiful buildings – the Neues Rathaus. Every time I go there I always think to myself what a pretty city this is.

If you find yourself in Munich without too much time to spare, here’s what you can do to pack in the most of this beautiful Bavarian city…

9am – Begin the day at Karlsplatz

Image courtesy of Francisco Antunes.

Karlsplatz, not far from the city’s main train station, the Hauptbanhof, is the gateway to central Munich. Use this as your starting point. Grab a coffee, sit down at the water fountain in this circular thoroughfare and watch the locals begin their day.

10am – Visit the Town Hall at Marienplatz

Marienplatz is just one of Munich’s many architectural gems. After a wander down Neuhauser Strasse and Kaufinger Strasse, two of the city’s main shopping drags, admire the imposing town hall and other buildings on this famous square.

Marienplatz is also only steps away from the famous church, the Frauenkirche where the Devil's footprint can allegedly be found.

11am – Relax in the Englischer Garten and watch the surfers

Image courtesy of Heribert Pohl.

Munich’s English Gardens is the city’s most celebrated open space. Relax in the sunshine, wander down the tree-lined paths or take the leisurely stroll to the Chinese Tower.

Image courtesy of John Carkeet.

Don’t leave without checking out the Eisbach, an artificial river at Haus der Kunst near the edge of the park. You'll see surfers strutting their stuff in the ice-cold river as well people kayaking over the waves.

12.30pm – Grab lunch in Viktualienmarkt and do some people watching

Image courtesy of La Citta Vita.

Since opening in 1807, Viktualienmarkt has been one of the most popular places to dine alfresco in Munich. Grab a bread roll with a bratwurst sausage or some ‘leberkase’ – a meat delicacy that oddly translates to ‘liver cheese’.

The Viktualienmarkt also contains as a rather large beer garden stocked with the local Palauner, Hofbrau and  Augustiner beers so grab one and sit back and watch the world go by.

2pm – Admire the architecture on a free walking tour

Image courtesy of La Citta Vita.

Munich is one of the few German cities to have remained remained relatively unscathed from the Second World War and the colourful Bavarian architecture is one of the city's most distinctive features.

Every day at 2pm New Munich Tours free walking tour leaves Marienplatz. It's great way to see what the city has to offer in a short space of time and will teach you a lot more about the city's landmarks and history. Tours take in sights such as Odeonsplatz, the Felderrnhalle, the Frauenkirche and more.

5.30pm – Join the tourists in the Hofbrauhaus

Image courtesy of Suvodeb Banerjee.

Munich is well known for its beer halls, the best one being the Hofbrauhaus on Platzl, just a few minutes from Marienplatz. Founded in 1589, it was established to serve the thirst of one particular household. These were a picky lot who didn't like the local brews so decided to create their own. Thus, the Hofbrauhaus (that serves its own beer) was born.

It’s touristy as hell, but you can't deny that a few ice cold steins of beer here are extremely enjoyable. During Oktoberfest the brewers from the Hofbrauhaus will have one of the largest tents at the festival, the Hofbräu-Festzelt.

8pm – Finish the day off with some Bavarians in a more local beer hall

Image courtesty of Roger.

Located at Landsbergerstr. 19 just west of Hauptbahnhof, Augustiner Braustuben is a far more local affair in terms of beer halls. Finish the day off here by tucking into a local dish such as a crispy knuckle of pork with dumplings or slices of boiled beef shoulder.

11pm – And if you’ve got the energy…

Image courtesy of Lord Jim.

If you are not spending the evening in the Oktoberfest tents of in one of the beerhalls of the city you may want to take in the hip nightlife of Kultfabric, outside of the historic town centre.

Billed as an amusement park for adults, Kultfabrik is where you’ll find 22 clubs, pubs, after-hours snack bars and concert stages all in the one spot. If you want to see what this city offers for those with a more hedonistic side, this is where to go.

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