Located in the Bavaria region, Munich is the third-largest city in Germany. It is a very busy city, with the main points of interest easily accessible on foot. So, I invite you to keep reading to find out why you should definitely visit Munich.

The best time to visit Munich is during spring and summer (May to October) as the city is full of life at that time. In fact, if you visit in September/October, you can even take part in one of the world’s best-known events – Oktoberfest.

However, for those who enjoy snow sports, Munich is also a good option in colder months (there are several ski resorts quite close).

In my case, I visited the city in January and enjoyed only its cultural side 😉.

Two days are enough to visit Munich for first-timers. In my case, I even managed to visit the former Dachau concentration camp on the second day. 2 days is really the ideal duration to visit the main points of interest in the centre of Munich.

However, if you like slow travelling, I suggest you add a few more days to your trip, as Munich is a very interesting city with lots to visit. Moreover, there are many other nice places to visit near Munich like the Neuschwanstein castle, and it makes a great day trip.

The main airport of Munich is Franz Josef Strauß Airport. This airport has connections to several cities and these are some of the direct connections available:

• Portugal (Lisbon, Porto, Faro)
• United Kingdom (London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham, …)
• Spain (Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Madrid, Malaga, …)
• France (Paris, Marseille, Toulouse, Lyon, …)
• Italy (Milan, Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples, …)
• Switzerland (Geneva, Zurich, Basel)

Alternatively, there is also a less central airport that is relatively close to Munich and is widely used as a means of getting to Munich – Memmingen airport. However, this airport is smaller and has fewer flights available.

If you land at Franz Josef Strauß airport, there are a few options available to the city centre:

• S-Bahn (lines S1 and S8): trips every 10 minutes and takes about 40 minutes to reach the city centre. The ticket costs about 14€.
• Lufthansa Express Bus: available to all passengers (even if you do not fly Lufthansa) and departs every 20 minutes, taking around 45 minutes. The ticket costs 11.5€ one way or 18.5€ both ways.
• Flixbus bus: lower frequency, but cheaper prices

However, if your flight is to Memmingen, the options are different:

• Train: The journey takes at least 1 hour and prices start at 25€. This service is offered by some companies, such as DB, Swiss Railways and ÖBB EuroCity
• Flixbus bus: journey takes about 1h 20 minutes and costs only 9€. The frequency throughout the day is quite low.

Although on my visit to Munich I did not try any accommodation, there are several accommodations in the city. As you would expect from a German city, the prices are a little higher, but even so, there are options for all budgets:

Before starting the list of what to visit in Munich, I’ll share with you the map version of the city’s main points of interest, so you can better plan your trip.

Going to Munich and not visiting Marienplatz seems absurd. Marienplatz is the main landmark in the city’s historic centre and clearly one of the most touristy places.

This is the main square of the city since 1158 and, in the past, several fresh produce markets were held here. Nowadays, there is a Christmas market during the month of December.

The name of the square comes from the Marian column which stands in the centre of the square.

Here you can also find some of the city’s most emblematic and imposing buildings. This is the case of the old and the new Munich City Halls (or Rathaus in German). In 1874 the Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus) gave place to the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) – this one in a totally different style.

You can take advantage of the New Town Hall for incredible views over the city by climbing to its top. At certain times of the day (11h, 12h and also at 17h/21h in summer), you will find many tourists looking at the building’s facade. They are most likely admiring the Glockenspiel carillon clock – inspired by the tournaments that once existed in this square.

Also at Marienplatz and next to the entrance to the New City Hall, you can observe the Fischbrunnen fountain, which is one of the main meeting points in the city.

The old market on Marienplatz was moved to a place right next door in what is now called Viktualienmarkt. Here you will find everything from fresh produce to dried flowers to decorate your house.

The market is open from Monday to Saturday all day long. Don’t miss the maypole in the centre of the market, with figures representing the various arts and crafts of this area of Munich.

Max-Joseph-Platz is another square right in the centre of the city which, although less known, is worth visiting. Here you can enjoy the buildings’ beautiful facades or watch a show in the National Theatre, or even visit the beautiful interior of the Munich Residence.

Right next to Max-Joseph-Platz, we have one of the most popular gardens in the city – Hofgarten. In this space, while taking a pleasant walk, you can enjoy the Diana Temple or the Bavarian Staatskanzlei – a government building of the Bavaria region.

The English Garden (Englischer Garten in German) is probably the best-known garden in the city, and where hundreds of people usually gather during the warmest months. The park is huge, and it is impossible to get to know it all.

In any case, right at the park entrance, do not miss the famous Eisbachwelle artificial wave. It sounds strange, but it’s really true… this is one of the most random but also most famous points of interest in Munich.

At around 300 hectares, the Olympic Park is also another thing that is rarely missing on any Munich itinerary. Built in 1972 for the Olympic Games, it currently has a stadium, an ice rink, a swimming pool, and an athletics track, among others.

Apart from parks, if there is one thing Munich has to offer, it is churches. Firstly, there is Frauenkirche, the largest church in Munich, which easily catches our attention. In fact, the city of Munich has decided that no building of more than 100 metres could be built in the vicinity of this church.

In a completely different style, there is also the Theatinerkirche Church on the unmissable Odeonsplatz. You should also visit St. Peter’s Church as it is the oldest church in town. If you climb to its top, you will enjoy incredible views over the city.

Not to miss also the church of St. Michael or the baroque style church – Asamkirche.

Moreover, a little further away from the centre, you find St. Luke’s church – the largest Protestant church in Munich.

Although slightly away from the centre of Munich (about 30 minutes by bus), this is an interesting point to add to your visit to Munich. Despite the sad history of this place, it is important to know places like this.

The Dachau Concentration Camp was created in March 1933 for political prisoners, and this camp served as a model for other concentration camps.

200.000 people from all over Europe were imprisoned for 12 years in this camp and its subsidiary camps, having died 41.500 people.

📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: The Memorial is open all year round from 9 am to 5 pm and admission is free.

To finish this list of places to visit in Munich, I’ll leave you with some suggestions of museums in the city. Although I haven’t visited any, these may interest you and I decided to include them in the list as well:

• Deutsches Museum: the world’s largest museum of science and technology
• BMW Museum: the museum building alone is well worth a visit, but here you can learn more about the history of BMW
• Pinakotheken: one of the city’s most famous art museums
• Residenzmuseum: to admire the beautiful interiors of this former royal residence

• L’Osteria: a very nice space that serves very tasty and giant pizzas!
• The Hutong Club: Asian restaurant with friendly vibe and truly delicious dishes
• Cotidiano Promenadeplatz: for a more urban and delicious breakfast or brunch
• Haxnbauer: the only restaurant with typical food on this visit. Although a bit touristic, I recommend some of the typical dishes: Käsespätzle and Schweinshaxe.

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