Munich

Munich (German: Munchen) is the capital city of Bavaria, the largest federal state of Germany (by area - not by population). The third-largest German city - by population, not by area - (after Berlin and Hamburg) , Munich is noted for its architecture and culture, and its annual Oktoberfest beer celebration is world famous. http://www.muenchen.de/home/60093/Homepage.html

Munich's cultural scene is second to none in Germany, its museums are even considered by some to outrank Berlin in quality. Many travellers to Munich are absolutely stunned by the quality of the architecture, not realizing that because Munich is so far from Britain, the city actually suffered no bombing during World War II and consequently its centre remains practically unchanged since the 1800's.

Districts

• City Center (Marienplatz/Isartor/Karlsplatz/Odeonsplatz) - The city center is made up largely of the Karlsplatz (also known as "Stachus" by the locals) and the pedestrian shopping zone that leads down to Marienplatz square, which are the main tourist hang outs. However, for ease of use, the areas directly around these squares should be included in the city center. The city center is usually defined as the area within the old walled city, now most distinctly recognizable by the traffic loop known as the Altstadtring, although there are many portions of the historical walls still visible. Most notable are of course the gates at Stachus, Isartor and Sendlingertor (all located at U-Bahn/S-Bahn stations).

• Schwabing/Maxvorstadt (University area) - Schwabing (as well as the neighboring Maxvorstadt) is the upscale academic district. It's trendy but charming neighborhood immediately beyond the Ludwig-Maximilian Universitat (try blue/orange metro stops Universitat or Munchener Freiheit) filled with small coffee houses, expensive but impressive shoe stores, bookstores and specialty restaurants from around the world. Schwabing has always been an "in" place to live, and looking at the shady tree-lined streets, it's not difficult to imagine why. The Leopoldstrasse (get out at Universitat or Munchner Freiheit) also offers coffee shops such as Starbucks or the San Francisco Coffee Company.

• Olympic area/Olympic Einkaufzentrum - Built on Munich's former airport Oberwiesenfeld this is the area of the 1972 Olympic Games. If you climb on the hills heaped up from the debris of the second world war you'll have a great overview of the site, worthwhile especially if there is a concert in the Olympic Stadium.

• Haidhausen - The district around the Ostbahnhof (Eastern Station) is well-known for its clubbing area Kultfabrik (formerly known as Kunstpark Ost, most locals will be familiar with the old name) where you can party in more than 30 clubs and discos. But it's also worth a visit because of many bars and restaurants close-by.

• Neuhausen & Nymphenburg - One of the more relaxing districts, where the atmosphere causes residents and visitors alike to forget they are in a city of over a million. Take any tram with the end stop Romanplatz, for example the 12, and get out there, or get out at Rotkreuzplatz and enjoy a beer garden, some ice cream (a big, ice cafe called Sarcletti) or a bite to eat at one of the many nearby restaurants. Both of these neighborhoods are virtually undiscovered by tourists even though Neuhausen is home to a popular night club and the world's largest beer garden. What's more astounding is that, while millions of tourists flock to Munich in the summer months and September and October for Oktoberfest, few find their way to the tranquil Schloss Nymphenburg gardens.

• Thalkirchen - This district around the banks of the river Isar is a recreational area for many residents of Munich. The zoo Hellabrunn is located here and in warm summer nights many bonfires are lit on the Flaucher, sand banks of the Isar.

Understand

When Germans are polled about where they would most like to live, Munich finds its way consistently to the top of the list. Being within easy driving distance of the Alps, Italy and the Mediterranean, the Czech Republic, Austria and some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe, it's not surprising everyone wants to be there! Add to its benefits beautiful architecture, especially Baroque and Rococo, green countryside which starts a mere half-hour away on the S-Bahn, the second largest university in Germany, and the greatest beer culture on the planet: could there be anything wrong with Munich? Yes and no. The Bavarians are very conservative (although, Munich itself traditionally has a Social Democratic municipal council), to the point of being reactionary. This can make it tough to get to know them, and at the very least, will lead to more than a few raised eyebrows at your ripped denim shorts.

There's a price to pay for living in a city where everyone else wants to be: Munich is the most expensive city in Germany. But all in all, its advantages make a visit more than worthwhile. Just leave the denim shorts at home!

Munich people don't want their city to be noticed only as a city connected to beer and the Oktoberfest. In fact, the Bavarian kings had their share to do with Munich becoming a city of arts and science in the 19th century. Its outstanding position among other German cities may have faded, especially due to Berlin becoming the German capital again in the 1990s, but Munich still remains Germany's number-one place for art, having been the home or birthplace of many famous writers, artists, architects, and musicians, including:

Egid Quirin Asam, Francois de Cuvillies, Johann Michael Fischer, Albrecht Durer, architects Barelli and Zuccalli (credited with bringing the Italian baroque style to Munich, a style that would become omnipresent throughout Bavaria), Leo von Klenze, Franz von Lenbach, Wassily Kandinsky and the artists of the Blaue Reiter (Blue Rider) School of Expressionist art.

Thomas Mann and Lion Feuchtwanger are famous German writers that lived in Munich until they were driven out of the city by the Nazis because of their religion and/or political attitude.

Get in

By plane

Munich International Airport (MUC) is the second biggest German airport and has two terminals. Terminal 2 is used by Lufthansa http://www.lufthansa.com/online/portal/LH_COM  and its partner airlines from Star Alliance. http://www.staralliance.com/baseAction.do?language=  All other airlines use the older Terminal 1. The Munich airport is located outside of Munich in a northeastern suburb. Due to the increased number of flights the airport has expanded and now offers connections to all domestic airports and most international airports in the world. If you are unable to fly to Munich directly, travellers can arrange a transfer via Frankfurt. Flight time from Frankfurt to Munich is about 35 minutes. http://www.munich-airport.de/en/consumer/index.jsp

Munich Airport has been named the winner of the "Best Airport in Europe" award for the third year in a row in an international survey of close to eight million passengers worldwide. Passengers also ranked Munich #4 in the worldwide rankings behind Asian hubs Hong Kong International Airport, Korea Incheon and Singapore Changi airports in the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2007.

The airport connects to central Munich by S-Bahn (commuter train) on S1 or S8 lines. The journey (single) costs €8.80 (or €10.00 for a day pass) and takes about 40 minutes to get to the central station.

By train

Most major European cities connect to Munich by rail. Munich's Hauptbahnhof (main station) is conveniently located in the center of Munich. The Deutsche Bahn uses Munich as one of its main German hubs and has good connections to neighboring countries (Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Italy) and to all southern German cities. http://www.bahn.de/p/view/index.shtml
http://www.hauptbahnhof-muenchen.de/

The main station is west of Marienplatz (two S-Bahn stations) or a short walk away from the city center. The main station also has a traveler-friendly infrastructure including several restaurants, a tourist's bureau and a Deutsche Bahn ticket and travel agency office.

By car

Highways from many directions lead to Munich, however they often get congested at peak times and on weekends, especially during the ski season. For day trips to Munich, it's probably best to leave your car in a Park&Ride car park (see the Get around section).

Get around

Bus, Tram, U-Bahn (subway) and S-Bahn

The best way to travel around Munich is the Tram (streetcar), bus and U-Bahn (subway) system. For connections to the suburbs use the S-Bahn. You can get individual, group, day and week tickets. The metro (U-Bahn) stations are signed with a white capital "U" on a blue background. To go to the suburbs or airport use the S-Bahn, signed with a white "S" on green background. All lines come together in a tunnel in central Munich.
The Munich MVV website http://mvv-muenchen.de/en/index.html has maps of the U-Bahn and S-Bahn network that shows the zones and rings, and maps of the Park&Ride car parks attached to U-Bahn stations (under the Plane menu), as well as timetables. The official urban rail network map is indispensable. http://mvv-muenchen.de/en/home/fahrgastinformation/mvv-netz/netzplaene/schnellbahnnetz/index.html

If you arrive at the airport and intend to explore Munich by the public system, the best option is to buy a day ticket for the whole network (Gesamtnetz). This ticket will let you travel to and from the airport and all the S-Bahn and U-Bahn stops, as well as on the busses.

A day ticket is worth buying if you plan to take more than one trip in the same day. It's available for a single person or as partner card for up to five adults and is valid until 6am next morning. The day card is available for four areas: Inner district/Innenraum (white zone) for €5.00 (single) or €9.00 (partner) (enough to explore the city), Outer district/Aussenraum (green, yellow and red zone) for the same price, Munich XXL/Munchen XXL (white and green zone - good for trips to Dachau) for €6.70 (single) or €11.80 (partner), and All zones/Gesamtnetz (entire network) for €10.00 (single) or €18.00 (partner).

If you are staying longer than 3 days in a week in Munich, a good option is to buy a week ticket. The week ticket is valid from Monday to Monday. The price of the week ticket depends on the number of rings you want to travel during the week (starting from the center of the city). Almost all U-Bahn stations are within the rings 1-4.
For several journeys on different days the blue strip card (Streifenkarte), with 10 strips, is a better value than buying lots of individual tickets. The cost is €11.00, and may be purchased at dispensing machines at every station. You need to use two strips for each colored ring on the map. If your are making several trips in a day, the day ticket is a better option.

If you plan to explore Munich with all the sights and tourist attractions buy the Munich City Tour Card. http://www.citytourcard.com/english/munich-citytourcard/  It is a ticket valid for all public transport services in Munich and a discount card for many tourist attractions like museums, sightseeing, shopping or gastronomy. It is available in six versions (single and group tickets) and with validity for one or three days.
For Singles:

• valid for 1 day in the inner area of Munich for € 9.80
• valid for 3 days in the inner area of Munich for € 18.80
• valid for 3 days in the entire area of Munich for € 29.50

For groups up to five people:

• valid for 1 day in the inner area of Munich for € 16.00
• valid for 3 days in the inner area of Munich for € 29.90
• valid for 3 days in the entire area of Munich for € 48.00

A leaflet with information about the discount offers of the partners and a map of the city centre and a plan of the metro-, suburban railway- and tram-network are included. It is available at the ticket vending machines in all suburban railway, metro, tram and bus stations. Furthermore you can buy the Munich City Tour Card at the MVG customer centres as well as in selected hotels and online https://www.ctc-secure.de/shop/de/muenchencitytourcard

All tickets, except for the week tickets, need to be stamped; without a stamp the ticket is invalid and you are can be fined €50 if you don't have a valid ticket. Stamping machines (Entwerter) are found at the entrance to the S-Bahn or U-Bahn platforms, and on the buses and trams. In most other German cities, passengers can validate tickets on the train; however, this is not the case in Munich, so be sure you validate your tickets before boarding any U-Bahn or S-Bahn train.

Public transportation operates with only limited service from 2:00 to 5:00 in the morning. The U-Bahn (Metro) doesn't operate at all, and the tram and some buses operate only on the hour from Monday to Friday, and on the half hour on the weekend. On Friday, Saturday and nights before public holidays, there is a single S-Bahn on each line between 2:30 and 3:00. So if you're staying out late, try to get the schedule of the so called Nachttram (night tram) in advance or don't leave the place before 5:00 (or you can take a taxi of course).

If you plan on exploring Munich and Bavaria via Regional trains, consider getting a Bayern Ticket, good on all regional trains within Bavaria, all Munich MVV transportation, and trains to Salzburg for up to five people for only €27 a day. The Bayern Ticket is good on any weekday after 9am and on any weekend day (all day). link

If you plan to travel on a weekend day, exploring Munich and taking a regional Deutsche Bahn train to another city anywhere in Germany in the same day, consider getting a Deutsche Bahn Schoenes Wochenende ticket. This ticket covers all DB regional train travel and all Munich S-Bahn travel for up to five people for a single weekend day for €33.

Bike

With over 200km of bike trails, one of the very best ways to explore the city is on a bicycle. Guided tours are available, or for the independent-minded, rentals and maps are available at the main train station (Hauptbahnhof) and other areas of the city.
Bikes can also be rented by the Call-A-Bike system, which is run by Deutsche Bahn (national rail service). You need to call a number listed on the bikes from your mobile phone and register with the http://www.callabike.de  website in order to use them. The service is convenient, as you just spot an available bike throughout the city and just leave it at your destination. However, this is not an economical alternative, if you are planning many trips in a single day. In that case, it is better to get a day or multi-day rental from one of the rental services located throughout central Munich.

• Mike's Bike Tour, located near the Hofbrauhaus, offers historical tours of the city. http://www.mikesbiketours.com/
• Discover Munich offers free bike tours around Munich's old town and the English Garden. http://www.discovermunich.net/

Munich is a bike-friendly city that assigns many paths (especially along river Isar and in the parks, even in the city center) for joint usage by pedestrians and bikers alike. This is a notorious source of trouble since strollers tend to ignore the bike traffic to the detriment of everybody involved - themselves.

See

The famous Munich Glockenspiel
Photo by James Scott-Brown/www.wikimedia.org

Museums, Galleries, and Memorials

• Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site — An incredible, and sobering experience, this is a worthwhile excursion. Not recommended for small children. Tours depart from Munich; the memorial has audio guides and guided tours as well. See the listing at Dachau.
• Deutsches Museum located in Haidhausen. The Deutsches Museum is one of the largest technical museums in the world. It has hand-on, interactive section for natural science, engineering, construction, etc.
• Pinakotheken — The Alte Pinakothek features 15-18th century religious paintings, the Neue Pinakothek 19-20th century impressionist and expressionist art and the Pinakothek der Moderne has 20th century paintings, modern art, design and architecture sections.
• Statue of the Bavaria, Theresienhohe 16 (U4 or U5 to Theresienwiese), +49-89-290671,. A nearly 20 m high statue, standing on the west border of Theriesienwiese next to the Hall of Fame. There is a small viewing platform inside her head. €3.00/€2.00.
• Glyptothek — The royal antique collection.
• National Museum of Egyptian Art— In the Royal Residence.
• National Bavarian Museum
• Die Neue Sammlung (Museum of Applied Arts)
• German Theatre Museum
• City Museum of Munich
• Jewish Museum — Newly opened museum at St. Jakobsplatz with one permanent exhibition, which illuminates aspects of Jewish history and culture in Munich, and a range of changing exhibitions.
• Villa Stuck — A private collection of Jugendstil art.
• Schack Gallery  — A private collection of 19th Century art.
• National Ethnographical Museum
• Lenbach House  — A gallery exhibiting numerous works of the Blauer Reiter school of German expressionist art (Kandinsky, Macke, Mark). Highly recommended!
• Haus der Kunst  — The main exhibition hall in Munich.
• The BMW Museum
• The Treasury  — Part of the Bavarian Palace.

Parks

• Englischer Garten located in Schwabing. Entrance is free, and it is a wonderful place to relax. Munich's second-biggest beer garden is located here, a nice place to stay and talk to the locals. Just drive to "Munchner Freiheit" or "Ostbahnhof" by S- or U-Bahn and take bus number 54 to "Chinesischer Turm".
• BUGA05 — This is an absolute must see. Unfortunately it’s closed, which is just as well, for €14 you did not see much. The area will be reconstructed and a park with a lake will remain. On a hot day take U2 to Messestadt West and don't forget your swimsuit!
• Hirschgarten located in Neuhausen.
• The Munich Zoo is in Thalkirchen.

Palaces and Castles

• Schloss Nymphenburg is in Neuhausen & Nymphenburg.
• Residenz is in the City Center, near to Marienplatz.

• Schloss Schleissheim — Not really in Munich, but you can take the S1 S-Bahn to Oberschleissheim to get there.

Do

Oktoberfest photo by Wind/Wikimedia

Festivals

• Oktoberfest — The first Oktoberfest took place on the 12 October 1810, to celebrate the marriage of Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Sachsen-Hildburghausen. All citizens of Munich were invited to a meadow (Wies'n) situated in front of the city tower, subsequently renamed the Theresienwiese in honor of the bride. In the early years of the fair, horse races were held, then as the event grew, agricultural conventions, which still take place every third year. But what about beer? After all, the Bavarian hops crop has to go somewhere! In 1896 businessmen working with the breweries in Munich built the first giant beer tents at Oktoberfest, and drinking has been the primary focus since. Each of the major breweries presides over its own large tent filled with traditional musicians leading the crowd in well-known drinking chants, incredibly strong barmaids hoisting ten or more huge Mass (1-liter glass beer mugs that are heavy even when empty!), and a spate of drunken people all trying to get into the bathroom at once. In 2003, Oktoberfest hosted 6.4 million visitors who drank 6.1 million liters of beer and ate the equivalent of 91 oxen, 383,000 sausages and 630,000 chickens.

However, visiting the Oktoberfest can be much more stressful than the visit of similar festivals (Cannstatter Wasen, Wurstmarkt Bad Durkheim, etc.), because the tents are overcrowded and there are doormen at the entrance ruling the procedure of coming in. Especially at weekends you should try to get in the tents before 10 o'clock in the morning. During the week most tents are open all day, however it is not easy to get a seat and as a general rule, you won't get served if you haven't got a seat.

It is not recommended to leave the tent if you want to get in it later the day. So you have to decide early in the morning if you want to go in a certain tent or you want to enjoy the rides like the coaster with 5 loops.

Some tents, such as the Hofbrau Festzelt have a standing area that does not require seating; as such, you can sometimes get into this tent later than with other ones.

• Maibaumaufstellen — On the 1st of May (which is a public holiday in Germany) strange things happen in some Upper Bavarian villages and even in Munich... Men in Lederhosn and girls in Dirndln carrying long poles meet on the central square. With these poles an even longer white-blue pole is erected. There is usually an oompah band playing, booths selling food and drinks and tables where you can sit down and enjoy this non-touristy spectacle. The large white-blue pole you find in almost every village and dozens in Munich (e.g. on the Viktualienmarkt) is called Maibaum (meaning may tree - known in English as a maypole) and the villages compete who has the tallest and the straightest one. It is cut down every three to five years and re-erected in the following year. Ask a local which village or district of Munich does it this year and be there not later than 10 am.

• Christkindltram — A Christmas tram that runs only during Advent through the city center every half an hour (departure is from Sendlingertor). The tram is nicely decorated, inside people can enjoy Christmas songs and mulled wine (Gluhwein). One-way ticket costs €1.

Theater, Opera, and Music

Munich has many theatres showing different plays:

• Residenztheater shows a variety of classical and modern plays.

• Nationaltheater shows Ballet and opera performances almost every night. The Bavarian National Opera Company is said by critics to be one of the best in the world!

• Staatstheater am Gartnerplatz smaller than the Nationaltheater, this is a very good alternative for oftentimes interesting productions of operas, operettas and musicals. Tickets are generally still available on short notice, even when the big opera houses have been sold out for weeks.

• Deutsches Theater shows more musicals and theme shows (like MAMA MIA!, etc).

• Kammerspiele, which often surprises viewers with very modern (and sometimes shocking) interpretations of famous plays.

• Volkstheater is somewhere between Bavarian Folklore and modern theater.

Tours

• Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site Tour — An officially qualified and authorized guided tour that covers the entire history of the Dachau Concentration Camp, including the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany. A memorial for the dead and a warning for the living.
• Mike's Bike Tours  — A bike tour that whizzes by some of Munich's gardens and bike paths.
• Johns Bavarian Tours  — Day Trips and tours with your own Driving Guide, covering all of Munich and Bavaria.
• Discover Munich  offers free bike tours around Munich's old town and English Garden. The website also has information on how to do self guided tours to Dachau and Neuschwanstein. http://www.discovermunich.net/

Sport

• River-Surfing  — In spring join the locals surfing on the river at the edge of the Englischer Garten, at the bridge towards Lehel U-Bahn station.
• Skiing/Snowboarding — In winter get a "Bayern ticket" for Bavarian public transport, and go skiing at Garmisch-Partenkirchen for the day. Autobus Oberbayern offers good value daytrips to Austrian ski resorts such as Kaltenbach (Zillertal) St. Johann and Matrei.
• Soccer — From August to May, you can catch football (soccer) action with FC Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 Munich at Allianz Arena.
• Hockey - EHC Munich The local professional hockey club in Munich. They play at the Olympic ice arena in Olympic Park.

Learn

• Ludwig Maximilians University
• Munich University of Applied Sciences
• Munich College for Music and Theatre
• Academy of Fine Arts
• Goethe Institut — The Goethe Institut offers courses in German for anyone. The Geothe Institut offers several intensive courses and offers or will find accommodation for students.

Buy

• Maximilianstrasse — This street in the city center is the place to go if you are looking for high end luxury goods.
• Kaufingerstrasse — This pedestrian zone stretches from Karlsplatz/Stachus to Marienplatz and is the primary shopping zone for mid-priced goods. Numerous department stores, chain and independent boutiques line the corridor. Plenty of restaurants, open air cafes and beer gardens offer the weary tourist a rest. During the summer and on Saturdays this area will be jam packed with locals and tourists alike.
• Shopping Centers — For a collection of shops under one roof go to the shopping centres PEP (U-Bahn stop: Neuperlach Zentrum, U5), OEZ (U-Bahn stop Olympia-Einkaufszentrum, U1 (also U3 starting from autumn 2007)) or Riem Arkaden (U-Bahn stop Messestadt Ost, U2).
• Hohenzollernstr — This street has a collection of clothes shops, such as: Mazel, Vero Moda and, especially during the summer in the months approaching the Oktoberfest, numeral shops selling comparatively cheap traditional German clothing (Lederhos'n and Dirnd'l). You can reach it by getting out at the U2/U8 stop Hohenzollernstr and then walking in the direction of Munchner Freiheit (the locals will be able to tell you which direction that is,) or by going one stop on the 53 bus going towards Munchner Freiheit (that's the final stop, displayed on the front of the bus). From then on continue going in that direction, until you start seeing the shops. You can walk down there in about 15 minutes, but when you're shopping, who knows? And that then brings you to the next shopping zone.
• Leopoldstr — This can be reached by the U-Bahn U6 or U3 at the stops Munchner Freiheit, Giselastrasse or Universitat, and has chain stores such as The Body Shop, or coffee shops, such as Starbucks.
• Shopping Guide Munich — A collection of fine fashion boutiques and designer stores in Munich. http://www.lessordinary.eu/

Markets

• Viktualienmarkt  — Famous market in the city centre, where you will find any imaginable sort of fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, spices, and so on.
• am Elisabethmarkt — A tiny market, it has cute stalls, and an original feel. It is located at the tram stop Elisabethmarkt of the tram 27.

Christmas Markets

During Christmas time there are many of these Christkindl Markte or Christmas Markets, including the large Tollwood, but also smaller markets, where you can buy Christmas biscuits (Lebkuchen) souvenirs and the typical Gluhwein. Although pronounced glue-vine, it is mainly hot red wine with spices and different (secret) flavoring.

• Munchner Freiheit is in Schwabing.
• Marienplatz — A bigger market, it stretches across the shopping street, so you can mix Christmas market shopping (and eating) with "normal" shopping.
• Chinesischer Turm at Englischer Garten has a nice Christmas market in a pretty park surrounding. Highly recommended if there's snow! It can conveniently be reached from U/Bus station Munchner Freiheit on the Bus 54, which has a stop Chinesischer Turm.

Eat

Visitors can count themselves lucky (or possibly unlucky) since Munich is home to everything quintessentially Bavarian. Munich is specifically well-known for Weisswurst, a breakfast sausage that is traditionally eaten as a late breakfast. Weisswurst are prepared in hot but non-boiling water for about ten minutes and served with a grayish-white pigment. If you are able to just enjoy one meal in Munich you should try Schweinsbraten (roasted pork) or Schweinshaxe (roasted pig's knuckle).

If you only fancy a snack, almost every butcher sells Leberkasemmeln, a white roll filled with a thick warm slice of "Leberkas". Which despite its name contains absolutely no liver nor cheese, but consists of a mixture of veal, pork, spices and a hint of lemon zest baked in an open pan and traditionally served with a sweet and grainy mustard. They tend to be very cheap (around €1.50), quite delicious, and filling.

Don't miss enjoying some of the truly marvelous German/Austrian style cakes and tortes by the slice in any of the countless bakeries and cafes. Regardless of where you enjoy them, they are all traditionally made with fine quality all natural ingredients. The same applies for the amazing range of bread that can be bought at any bakery. Not to be missed as a snack are the soft pretzels ("Brezn").

If Bavarian food doesn't sound appetizing you're in luck because Munich is host to plenty of international restaurants including Chinese, Italian, and the typical American fast food.

An interesting example of a very nice restaurant, which strays away from Bavarian/German food, is Restaurant 1. Munchener Kartoffelhaus. Kartoffelhaus literally translates as "potato house", because every single one of its meals has potatoes in them, which taste absolutely divine. You cannot say that you've been to Munich without having gone to this restaurant.

Munich also has numerous fresh markets, which can be a great and inexpensive alternative to restaurants. (see the Buy section for market listings).

Drink

If you happen to be unfortunate enough to miss Oktoberfest, you can live through a sanitized, safer version at any of Munich's many beer gardens. The Hofbrauhaus may be the most famous beer hall, but no local would go there without force. There are countless beer gardens scattered around the city. The ones thinking they are competent beer drinkers, should try Starkbierfest after Lent lasting till before Easter. The beer is darker and stronger than normal (even than Oktoberfest beer).

Coffee culture is also very strong, especially during the summer months, but is often overlooked by most visitors.

Beer gardens and beer halls

Usually located under large chestnut trees (Kastanienbaume) for shade. Often there are rows of fold-away tables and self-service. If you see tablecloth on some tables there is normally service only there. In a traditional Bavarian beer garden you are allowed to bring your food along with you. Only beverage (usually one litre mugs of local beer or Radler which is a half and half mix of beer and lemonade) is to be bought at the beer garden. Many locals still cling to this custom, though food is available as well, of course. Try Riesenbrezn (big pretzels) and Steckerlfisch (cured fish). Beer gardens are usually visited by a mixed crowd of people (locals, tourists, families, younger, elderly, straight, gay etc.), which the special atmosphere of a beer garden arises from; though people normally don't go alone there. If you don't manage to find a free table don't hesitate to ask if you may join someone. No local would refuse this request. Beer gardens are family friendly, with children's play areas on site. Well-behaved dogs are welcome, on leash.

Beer gardens in the suburbs

• Hirschgarten — Europe’s biggest beer garden with 8000 seats. Its most prominent feature (apart from the size) is a mini-zoo with deer and wild boars. To get there, take some S-Bahn to Laim and walk from there.

• Kugleralm — In this traditional beer garden the Radler (mixture half beer half lemonade) was invented in 1922, when lots of cyclists rushed into this beer garden on a hot summer day. Because they ran out of beer, they diluted it with lemonade, telling the people this mix was invented especially for cyclists (Radler in Bavarian), because it does not contain so much alcohol. Take the S5 to Furth. You have to walk about 15 minutes in western direction. Ask a local for the exact way, on a nice day there will be many heading in the same direction.

• Leiberheim.

• Michaeligarten — This beer garden is located in eastern Munich, in the Michaelipark, near the Michaelibad. To get there, take the U5, exit Michaelibad. Take the front, right hand exit, walk along the street. Turn right at the next intersection, the go straight for about 5 minutes.

• Waldwirtschaft — As this beer garden is located near Munich's high-society area Grunwald, chances are good to see at least a local celebrity. No oompha bands but live jazz music. Take S7 to Grosshesslohe (Isartalbahnhof). Walk down the Sollner Strasse in eastern direction to the river Isar.

Clubs and Discos

You have to be at least 18 years old to get into most clubs and discos in Munich. Always have your passport or ID card with you, drivers license may be ok, too. Some clubs have "U30-Parties", where you should be over 30 to get in, but usually you have no problems if you are over 25. In most of the cases it is ok to wear jeans and sneakers. Haidhausen is the popular nightlife district being home to Munich "Kultfabrik" and "Optimolwerk" clubbing neighborhood.

Other Munich bars/clubs

• Alabamahalle, Domagkstrasse 33/ Geb. 36, +49 (0)89 3681450, You pay a hefty entrance fee (about €16), but all drinks (including longdrinks) are free. You can imagine which type of persons go here. On Fridays they normally play Schlager, German music from the 70's and drinks are free only until 1 am.

• Die Registratur, Blumenstr. 28, Located in central Munich. The entrance fee depends on acts (about €10). Well known for its electronic music, sometimes you can wait up to an hour in line.

• Nerodom, Ganghoferstrasse 74, + 49 (0)89 721 27 05, Nerodom is Munich's only full-time "black club". That's Goth, Wave, Industrial, Electro, Medieval, Black Metal, depending on the day. All other "black events" are usually once a week or once a month, and can be found online, Schwarzes Munchen.

• Night-Flight, — This huge High-Tech-Disco stretches over two levels. As well as a club disco, eight bars, cafes, a restaurant and an amusement arcade there is also a swimming pool and a terrace to cool off on. Special effects, light and mirror shows, as well as the JBL-sound system with 15,000 Watt power makes the Night-Flight a unique location. The musical cross-section is as varied as the rooms: Rave, Rock, Black Mission, best of music, Hip-Hop and much more are available to the disco-goers most of whom are between 18 and 25.

Sleep

Munich abounds with accommodation for every type of traveler. The area directly around the Hauptbahnhof (train station) has numerous youth hostels, and upscale hotels like Le Meridien and Sofitel. Schillerstrasser just a hundred meters away has many small hotels too; the street looks fine in the day, but the strip bars and cabarets become much more visible at night. There are also plenty of hotels and youth hostels in other districts of Munich particularly Schwabing and the Ostbahnhof area. Stay aware that the fares can vary significant. Usually you have to pay higher prices during the summer months. Finding affordable accommodation might be difficult when there are trade fairs in the town and especially during the 2 weeks of the Oktoberfest.

Stay safe

Munich is generally a safe city for travelers: it is one of the safest German cities overall, with a reported 8,861 criminal offenses per 100,000 people (2006) (the crime reporting rate is unknown). Therefore, take the usual precautions (don't walk in parks alone at 3am, don't leave your camera unattended, don't flash around a big, fat wallet etc.) and you will most likely not encounter any crime at all. But be warned about testing your maximum level of alcohol intoxication, made easy by the local beer culture, the accessibility of alcohol and the fact that you're allowed to drink in public. Being drunk will raise your chances of inciting a fight, being drugged or injuring yourself dramatically. Munich is an international city, so you are unlikely to encounter problems because you're a foreigner. However, the possibility of encountering racism or other prejudices cannot be completely ruled out.

Get out

The S8 and S1 both go to the airport from Marienplatz S-Bahn station, but be careful because the S1 line splits into two separate trains at "Neufahrn" just before the airport so be sure that you are riding in the section that is actually going to the airport, which is always last part of the train. If you find yourself in the wrong car, just wait until Neufahrn and change into the last part of the train.

The Bayern Ticket is an amazingly cheap way to do day trips from Munich. With it you can travel anywhere in Bavaria on the regional trains all day (only from 9am weekdays). It costs €27 for a group of up to 5 people, and €19 for a single. http://www.bahn.de/ Make sure you buy it from the machines as there is a €2 surcharge if you buy it from the ticket office. There is also the Schones Wochenende Ticket that is valid everywhere in Germany and even a fair way into the Czech Republic, but it is only valid on weekends. It costs €33 for a group of up to 5 and is also restricted to the regional trains.

• Dachau and Starnberg make for great day trips. Starnberg offers a great lake, where the King Ludwig II and his psychiatrist mysteriously drowned.
• Andechs Monastery. If you miss the Oktoberfest it is worth travelling to the holy mountain of Andechs. It's a monastery up a hill from the Ammersee. Take the S5 from Munich to Herrsching and then either hike up the hill or take the bus. When you are there have a look at the old monastery church and the gardens before focusing on the excellent beer and Schweinshaxen in the beer garden or in the large beer hall. Makes a great day trip, which can also be combined with some swimming the Ammersee.
• Garmisch-Partenkirchen at the foot of Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze. About 1.5 hours by regional train (from the Munich Hautpbahnhof) or by car via Autobahn. The cog railway train to the top of the Zugspitze leaves regularly from the Garmisch-Partenkirchen train station.
• Salzburg, Austria, is an easy day trip from Munich. Trains run from the main Munich station just about every hour, and take about 1.5 hours. The Bayern Ticket is valid all the way to Salzburg.
• Nuremberg. It was here that the some of the leaders of the Nazi regime faced justice. Nuremberg offers a lot of history for visitors. (Comment by a "local": when asking for it, preferably use the German name Nurnberg, the English name Nuremberg is usually unknown).
• Fussen is nestled in the Alps of southern Bavaria. A train from Munich's main station will take about two hours with one transfer at Buchloe (approximately €27). The town is famous for King Ludwig II's "fairy-tale castles," the most famous being Neuschawnstein.
• Oberammergau is a small town of unusual houses with brothers Grimm fairy-tale paintings on the walls.
• Bad Reichenhall. A lovely spa town near Munich.