Things to do in Munich

Nature · Central-north

One of the largest urban parks in the world, bigger than Central Park, with a standing river wave that surfers ride year-round.

Local tip: The Eisbach wave at the southern end runs all year and is genuinely difficult — watch rather than attempt it. Nude sunbathing in the park is legal and normal; do not be startled. The Chinesischer Turm beer garden is the classic stop.

Food · Altstadt

A permanent open-air food market running since 1807, with a beer garden in the middle that rotates its brewery.

Local tip: Expensive, and worth it for the cheese, game and produce stalls. The beer garden follows the Bavarian rule — bring your own food, buy the drinks — so assemble lunch from the stalls and sit down with a Maß.

Culture · Museumsinsel

The largest science and technology museum in the world, with mines, aircraft and a historic collection spanning centuries.

Local tip: Genuinely enormous — pick two or three sections rather than attempting it all. The reconstructed mine in the basement is the thing children remember, and the aviation hall is world class.

Nature · One hour south by train

Tegernsee, Starnberger See, the Zugspitze and the Karwendel — mountains and swimming lakes within an hour of the Hauptbahnhof.

Local tip: The Bayern-Ticket lets several people travel all day across Bavaria for a flat fare, which makes a mountain day trip absurdly cheap. Walchensee and Eibsee are the most beautiful; Tegernsee is the easiest.

Landmark · West

The Wittelsbach summer palace with a 200-hectare baroque park, canals and pavilions.

Local tip: The park is free and enormous, and in winter the canals freeze and locals skate on them. The Amalienburg hunting lodge inside is the finest rococo interior in Germany and most visitors walk past it.

Nature · South of the centre

A renaturalised stretch of the Isar with gravel beaches, barbecue spots and swimming, running right through the city.

Local tip: Munich rebuilt the Isar to be swimmable, and on a summer evening the banks fill with people grilling and swimming ten minutes from the centre. The Flaucher is the best stretch, and almost no visitor ever finds it.